Rome is such an iconic place to visit, from the Trevi Fountain to the Colosseum, it’s well known on the tourist circuit. But what is like with children? Here are some great things to do in this fabulous ancient city with your kids!
1. Piazza Navona at night
This piazza located east of the Vatican City, is a highlight whether day or night. It contains many fountains and statues including the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers as well as a church and beautiful architecture. For families, it means open spaces for the children to run. At nighttime, the Piazza Navona really comes alive with street artists, performers and lights to make it a truly magical moment.
2. Toy shop
Imagine stepping into a floor to ceiling, two-storey world of toy treasures. This old-world toy shop right on the Piazza Navona captivates both children and young at heart. There is a display of old toys and more modern, as well as some larger toys that hang from the roof. It is a blend of toy museum and toy shop. It won’t disappoint!
3. Trevi Fountain
This popular Baroque-style Roman attraction is great to visit with children. There are plenty of details to spot in the fountain like animals and gods. It can get very crowded so visit early morning if you want to avoid the crowds. Make sure you take a coin or two to throw into the fountain. They say if you throw a coin over your left shoulder with your right hand then you will return to Rome one day, but we liked to make a wish as we threw our coins! After all, we are in Rome so dream big!
4. Colosseum
This amazing structure is one of the most famous sights in the world! Taking young kids to such a popular attraction can be tiring, but it is achievable. Talk to your kids about the Colosseum beforehand, discuss what it was used for and even watch some Youtube videos about ancient Roman culture. This will give them more context and hopefully stimulate their interest. There are some really interesting accounts of it being used for gladiator battles, animal fights and even flooding the Colosseum for ship battles! You may opt to pay for an in-person or audio tour, or do it on your own. You will know what is best for your family.
5. Educational Books
Sometimes, particularly in big cities, we rely on resources to help us with our worldschooling. This was the case in Rome. We loved two books in particular for stimulating and engaging our children’s interests (and helping inform ourselves as the facilitators of learning).
Mission Rome Scavenger Adventure Book is a fantastic book for older children as it sets them up as spy’s to complete different mission in the Italian city. It has some interesting facts accompanying each attraction and fun activities for children to tick off. This book was great to carry with us on a day out. It kept our children engaged in the surrounding environment and eager to keep exploring.
Rome Reconstructed is a fantastic visual to show children what the ancient ruins were like back in the day. This book has lift flaps and overlays that show the reconstructed buildings on top of the ruins that remain today. It’s a great resource to carry with you and refer to as you are standing in front of these giant structures. It also has useful facts and history about each Roman attraction. Our kids loved finding the ancient ruins in the book as they stood in front of them.
6. Food
One major factor when traveling with kids is food! And Italy doesn’t disappoint. Most children like pizza and pasta so there is little battles at the dinner table. The food in Rome, like most of Italy is very kid-friendly. Restaurants usually offer free bread or biscuits at the beginning of the meal, and you cant go wrong with Margarita pizza or Spaghetti Bolognaise. Most servings are large so we opted for one meal shared between two children.
7. Gelato
Speaking of food we can’t go past gelato. This must be eaten in Italy and is a great treat to break up a long day of walking around Rome! Gelato stores are scattered everywhere in the city with a variety of interesting flavours to choose from. A tip for those who haven’t travelled to Italy before, there are often two lines; one for ordering and paying and the other for collecting the food, so make sure you are in the right one!
8. The Pantheon
This is another breathtaking Roman icon that shouldn’t be missed! It’s free to enter and can be done without consuming too much of your time. The children will love the cylindrical structure with massive columns at the front and a hole in the roof! Try spotting the small drainage holes in the floor that prevent it from flooding when it rains!
Michelle is a teacher turned worldschooler, travelling the world with her husband while educating their two children. Follow more of their edventures on Instagram @edventure_with_us