What To Do With Children in Venice

Travelling with kids is not always a piece of cake, especially if you are visiting a labyrinthine city like Venice. In between the never-ending ups and downs of its bridges, entertaining kids becomes a challenge! Here you will find our suggestions, which will hopefully guide our parents into finding alternative and funny activities for their kids.

• At the museum with kids
• Biking in Lido of Venice
• Create your Carnival mask
• Rowing between canals
• “Children friendly” restaurants
• An Ice-cream for everyone

• PEGGY GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION – Every Sunday kids from 4 to 10 years of age are accompanied through the museum to observe and learn about its art pieces, so after the experience they can reproduce them in their own way and style by expressing their creativity and manual skills. In the meanwhile, parents can purchase their tickets and visit the museum.
  
  USEFUL INFO: Free experience, online booking is mandatory: all information is here. The museum has toilets furnished with changing tables and in the wardrobes you will find pushchairs you can freely use during your visit with your youngest.

• FAI NEGOZIO OLIVETTI – This property of FAI – the historic exhibition space of the Olivetti brand in Piazza San Marco organizes a workshop titled “Olivetti Typeface“: a treasure hunt for children and teenagers to discover the history of typography, from hidden letters in Piazza San Marco to Olivetti typefaces. There is also the workshop “A Gap to Illuminate Piazza San Marco“, a family activity designed to introduce children to the architecture of Carlo Scarpa.
  
  USEFUL INFO: at this link – booking recommended.

• PALAZZO GRASSI – If Sundays are for Peggy, Saturdays are for Palazzo Grassi! ST_ART are the constantly evolving workshops, offered by Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana, which aim to get kids closer to contemporary art. It is an occasion to get children to know artists better through their works and to stimulate their observation skills. All the ST_ART activities are accessible to deaf kids as they are supported by a sign language translator.
  
  USEFUL INFORMATION: The workshops are 90 minutes long and they start at 3PM at Punta della Dogana and 5 PM at Palazzo Grassi. For details and bookings contact +39 041 2401 373 (from Monday to Friday, 10AM-5PM) or ?[email protected].

• NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM – Did you know that in Venice you can find the skeleton of a dinosaur longer than seven metres? Surprise your kids and bring them to the Natural History Museum in Venice inside the Fondaco dei Turchi. A suggestive experience that counts among its pieces archaeological findings, fossils and various naturalistic collections. Free entrance for kids 0 to 5 years old.
  
• FAMILIES AT THE MUSEUM WITH MUVE – With the project Muve Education, Venice’s Fondazione Musei Civici offers activities and educational itineraries in all the museums of the foundation.
  
  Palazzo Ducale – Museo Correr – Ca’ Rezzonico – Ca’ Pesaro – Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo – Museo del vetro, Murano – Museo del Merletto, Burano – Museo Storico Navale – Museo di Storia Naturale.
  
  USEFUL INFORMATION: The activity lasts 90 minutes and is open to kids aged 5 to 14. They are held by specialised museum guides for groups of max 10 people. The experience can be booked online. Here you can find the complete list of offered activities.

2. BIKING AT THE BEACHFRONT IN LIDO

Have you ever thought of venturing out of the city centre? The Venice Lido is a good solution for families and kids that wish to discover a new aspect of the city. The ring-like path is simple and it allows you  to look at Venice through a different perspective. Following viale S. Maria Elisabetta you will pass between the extremely elegant Venetian-Liberty designed palaces from the Belle Époque. You will then proceed to the Marconi beachfront and reach the location where every year, in September, international stars and cinema fans gather for the Mostra del cinema di Venezia. Right after that, you will see the Murazzi beach until you arrive at the gracious village of Malamocco and the Alberoni beach clubs. It is a nice pit stop for the kids, who can take a dive into the sea or refreshen with an ice-cream during the summer.

USEFUL INFORMATION: How can you reach the Lido? You can leave from Venice through the Vaporetto lines 5.1, 5.2 and 6, starting either at Piazzale Roma or at the train station. You can also arrive there by taking line 1 at one of the many stops along Canal Grande. Once there, reach Viale S. Maria Elisabetta, where you will be able to rent bikes in one of the many shops.

3. CREATE YOUR CARNIVAL MASK

The Carnival of Venice is an historical event that can never be missed in the city. It entertains people of all ages: from adults to little kids, the Carnival is a playful moment for everyone. Ca’ Macana is one of the historic ateliers in Venice that organises workshops and brief laboratory experiences for kids, who will be able to learn how to create and decorate their own papier-mâché masks. A pleasant afternoon in between colours and papier-mâché after which kids can bring home an authentic Venetian souvenir. Here is a complete list of the experiences.

4. ROWING BETWEEN CANALS

Venice on board is a Sports Association founded by 3 young Venetians to protect the city’s traditions. Hop on a boat with your kids, who will have fun learning about the techniques of an historic Venetian activity, all of it while passing through hidden and suggestive canals. Kids up to 6 years of age can do the experience for free.

5. “CHILDREN FRIENDLY” RESTAURANTS

Venice does not really have many restaurants with areas open to kids, but a good plan B would be to find a place in one of the many Venetian campi (squares) where kids can freely run and play with their parents never losing sight of them from the table. Here are some of these places:

• Birreria la Corte (Campo S. Polo)
• Orient Experience, Osteria alla Bifora, Bar Caffè Rosso (Campo S. Margherita)
• Trattoria Anzolo Raffaele (Campo dell’Angelo Raffaele)
• Terrazza Aperol (Campo S. Stefano)
• Bar Rosa Salva (Campo Santi Giovanni e Paolo)
• Bar Serra dei Giardini

6. AN ICE-CREAM FOR EVERYONE

A delicious and refreshing break for both kids and adults. Concede yourself an ice-cream! Here you will find 4 ice-cream shops, each of them in their own sestiere.