Rome with Kids

Here are the best things to do in Rome with kids that will entertain your whole family (Sorry, Rome's nightlife might be out of question).

Visit Museums

Rome has some excellent museums for children. When traveling to Rome with kids, you can't miss Explora, which is the city's children's museum. The exhibits are hands on to encourage interaction, and include subjects like making math fun, explaining the concepts of light, and geography.

The exhibits are in Italian, but the staff speaks English and the content is clear enough to kids that it won't matter. Rome has other great museums that will often be of limited interest to young kids. If you have kids younger than two or three years old, you might want to consider taking them to the city's art museums (or other adult-oriented museums that interest you) during their naptime. Your kids will get to nap in their strollers, and you'll still get to see the Lorenzo Monaco and Bronzino pieces of Galleria Colonna and the works of Raphael at the Borghese Gallery.

Eat Gelato

No matter how old your kids may be, there is no doubt that they'll be very happy to try out some of Rome's best gelato. Go to Della Palma, which is located just past the Pantheon. Prepare to see your kids minds' blown by the 135 flavors this gelateria offers during the summer months (125 during the winter), and try to encourage them to order something other than chocolate.

Watch a Soccer Match

Rome is proud of its local teams, AS Roma and Lazio, so grab your kids a jersey or two at the teams' stores and head to the stadium for a match. If you can, try to go to a match against the Italian league's perennial top teams, which include world powers AC Milan and Internazionale.

Note: as fun as attending a match between Roma and Lazio might sound, it might be best to skip that one. Fans can become pretty heated, and nobody (travelers and locals alike) wants to be caught rooting for the wrong team.

Explore the Roman Ruins

There's probably no better activity in Rome with kids than exploring the city's ancient ruins. Set out for the Roman Forum in the morning to beat the heat and the crowds. Bring along a picture or two of what the Forum looked like in its heyday to help your kids picture what it was really like. From there, head to the Colosseum, which is the top attraction in Rome with kids. The Colosseum is very well preserved, so it isn't difficult for kids to imagine gladiators and chariot races here.

Shop for Souvenirs

Kids don't like to travel without getting a memento or two, so take time to check out the city's best shops for souvenirs and trinkets. Citta del Sole is an Italian toy store chain that specializes in educational toys, making it a great place to go in Rome with kids when they ask for a souvenir.

Another great option is Bartolucci at Via dei Pastini, which sells handcrafted wood toys and items. The store has a vast expanse of things to see and purchase, and everyone in your family will find something of interest, whether it be a model airplane, music box, or one of its famous wooden clocks.

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