Where to Take Kids in Florence: An Unforgettable Experience for the family
Give your eyes time to absorb the geometry of white and green marble on the Duomo, follow the architectural details of Giotto's bell tower to its backlit peak, and raise your gaze to the orthogonal grandeur of Palazzo Vecchio. Then, try to redraw the entire Brunelleschi's dome with your sight, and let yourself be captivated by the most monumental works of the Renaissance, attempting to frame them in a single glance.
In Florence, magnificence can be found everywhere. In the profiles of buildings, the brushstrokes on canvases, and the sinuous lines of statues. Everything suggests greatness.
However, there's another way to explore the city, a different measure accessible to children. A place right in the city center, immune to the city's noise, a place that reshapes dimensions and distances. If you're looking for an original place to take kids in Florence, this article will unveil some highlights in the tourist offerings of the Florentine capital, far from the bustle of the squares, leading up to a one-of-a-kind museum in Italy, where the tracks of imagination run endlessly.
Activities for Children in Florence: Young Protagonists of Great Discoveries
In addition to the most famous tourist destinations, there are engaging activities for children in Florence capable of creating precious family memories. The Tuscan capital is not just a city-museum; it's rich in entertainment opportunities designed for the little ones. Below are some ideas for spending a day mixing relaxation and fun, ideal for adding a child-friendly stop to a classic tourist itinerary.
• Villa Bardini: Not far from the city center, you'll find a recently restored building, a magical vantage point to admire the beauty of Florence. Next to the villa lies one of the city's most beautiful parks, filled with scenic walks.
• Rafting on the Arno: For more adventurous explorers, here's an exciting trip to experience firsthand. The Arno offers a truly unique perspective of the city! Rafting takes you right through the heart of the city, an experience not easily forgotten.
• Il Gigante Adventure Park: Just a short drive from the city center, you'll immerse yourself in lush nature. Among typical Tuscan trees and shrubs, you'll find an adventure park to organize a fun and exciting day for the whole family.
It's destinations like these that make Florence a city suitable for all. You just need to find the attractions and points of interest that best suit the age and spirit of children and teenagers.
HZEROFamily: Educational Workshops for Children and Families
Speaking of unique activities for children in Florence, there's a magical place right in the city center, just a stone's throw from the Santa Maria Novella station. A place where time operates differently, and you get a front-row seat to a show, like at the cinema. It's in the rooms of the former Ariston cinema that HZERO is now housed. A one-of-a-kind destination, perfect for rainy days when looking for activities to do with children in Florence. The museum features an enormous model train layout of over 280 square meters that leaves both young and old in awe. The meticulous reproduction, rich scenic design, and the movement of locomotives through diverse landscapes. Visiting HZERO stimulates the curiosity and imagination of the entire family. That's why HZEROFamily was created: a series of events organized in collaboration with the cultural association “L’Immaginario” to deepen the immersive museum experience and explore the dimension of travel interactively, engagingly, and, most importantly, together.
Find out about upcoming HZEROFamily events
Where a Children's Museum Becomes a Fantastic Adventure
To truly understand why HZERO is the ideal museum for children in Florence, you will need to step inside. Once you pass through the red curtain at the entrance, time and seasons flow differently. It is a movement that encourages imagination, connecting thoughts and landscapes. The beauty of the exhibit is also the ability to explore it with your eyes, to venture into unexpected taverns and get lost in a web of tracks or in scenes featuring the tiny inhabitants of the layout: a couple with legs crossed on a bench, an impatient boy at the level crossing, a family playing in the park. And right beside them, a red locomotive moves slowly.
These are the little treasures that children can "hunt" for, to find in the layout the scenes shown in the pictures, or let their imaginations run wild through the activities offered by the museum animator at the end of the visit. "Imagine being on a train," she says, "a train that can travel anywhere." She distributes paper and colors to the family, saying, "Now, draw the place you'd like to visit."
Before long, it will be time to cross the red curtain again and return to the city, where the world moves a little faster than the tracks at HZERO. Outside, the shared sensations and an album of drawings with real, invented, and imagined places will remain, forming the stops on a unique, extraordinary family journey.