10 Things to Do with Kids in Milan

Milan is the perfect city for you to take the kids. Just think of the beautiful initiatives of Milan's museums dedicated to children and the many family events that are frequently organised in the city.

Milan is also full of parks and wonderful places to discover with the little ones. It is also a city that is well served by public transport and you can try exploring it by bike. If you're looking for things to see and do in Milan with the kids, here are a variety of suggestions that you'll love.

Booking tickets to the National Museum of Science and Technology is a great idea. It contains some of the most important inventions over the centuries. It's the ideal place to cultivate your children's innate curiosity and stimulate them to think playfully about the wonders of the scientific world.

Between exhibitions, activities and workshops, your kids can explore chemistry and mathematics, investigate the properties of materials and energy, develop environmental awareness and much more. The collection also includes models of machines taken from Leonardo da Vinci's drawings.

Children will love the underwater experience and the astronomy exhibits. Also great are the permanent exhibitions, which range from the world of transport to telecommunications, with an interactive and child-friendly approach.

The Sforzesco Castle is a place that captivates adults and children alike with its history waiting to be discovered. It looks like something out of a fairytale, with a moat, crenellated towers, successive courtyards and secret passages.

It is located in Piazza Castello and you can go with the kids at any time of the year. Best of all, you can book a guided tour of the Sforza Castle for small groups, where the guide will tailor the visit to suit children and families.

There are also plenty of activities for families at the Sforza Castle in Milan: every weekend there are creative workshops, games, treasure hunts or guided tours for children aged 4 to 12.

This temple can be a fascinating place for your children. Here the little ones will find themselves immersed in a sea of marble with over 3000 sculptures, without a doubt the most interesting thing to see when booking a tour of Milan Cathedral.

And if they go above the spires of Milan Cathedral they will be able to observe the city from above. It's a 60-minute tour, a must when you go to Milan with children.

You can take a leisurely stroll to admire the spires and reach the terrace and see the golden statue of the Madonnina, which is a true symbol of the city.

The MUBA in Milan is the Museum of Childhood. It is an innovative centre dedicated to cultural projects for children that stimulate your children's creative thinking, inviting them to touch, play and experiment.

Located in the picturesque setting of the ancient church of San Michele, inside the Rotonda della Besana, it is in a Baroque building with a great history dating back to the late 17th century.

MUBA houses a well-stocked bookshop with books for children of all ages and a bistro with products and menus designed especially for the little ones. After visiting the museum, you can take the children to play in the beautiful park inside the Rotunda.

Practical Information

• Location: Via Enricon Besana 12.
• Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 9.30am to 6pm. Weekends and public holidays from 10:00 to 18:30.
• Price: 8 euros children and adults 6 euros. There is a special ticket for families of 4 people for 25 euros.
• Duration: Between one and two hours to walk around and enjoy it.

Strolling through the beautiful Indro Montanelli Gardens and Villa Reale Gardens with the kids will be a great experience. The little ones can run around among small lakes, bridges, caves and even a small temple.

Inside the Indro Montanelli Gardens are the Civic Planetarium, the largest in Italy, and the Civic Museum of Natural History, which are well worth a visit, especially if you are travelling with young astronomy or zoology enthusiasts.

If you want to encourage a love of contemporary art, the Pavilion of Contemporary Art (PAC) inside the villa is well worth a visit. Remember that the Villa Reale Gardens are off-limits to adults without children.

Your children will love the experience at the Ulrico Hoepli Planetarium, where they can learn about the stars. It is located in the gardens of Porta Venezia and is certainly an ideal destination to take them.

There are frequent activities and guided observations for children. Through shows and fairy tales, the little ones can learn about the great mysteries of the cosmos in a light and entertaining way.

The museum is just a stone's throw from the Planetarium and is one of the most important natural history museums, not only in Italy but also in Europe.

In this museum you can give children a pleasant educational experience. Here they will get to know wonderful samples of mineralogy and palaeontology, they will have valuable information about the natural history of man and they will enter the world of animals that they love so much.

It is a building characterised by a neo-Gothic style, decorated with terracotta, designed in 1888 by the architect Cerruti. The building was built between 1892 and 1907 and is the largest in Italy and can be considered among the most important in Europe.

The little ones will love this square that looks like something out of a science fiction film.

Here stands the tallest skyscraper in the city: the Unicredit Tower, designed by the Argentinian architect César Pelli. On top of this tower rises a 78-metre spire structure that is illuminated at night on special occasions.

Also fascinating are the infinity fountains in the square, which fill with colour at night. Also nearby is the Bosco Verticale, a plant-covered skyscraper designed by architect Stefano Boeri.

The reconstructed marine and river environments will enchant you, and the children even more. You'll find this aquarium in Sempione Park, which you can also explore on a bike tour of Milan.

This is the third oldest aquarium in Europe, inaugurated in 1906 for the Milan International Exhibition. The inside of the facility is a circular tour that can be done in about an hour.

The part that most excites children is the transparent tunnel that passes overhead, where stingrays and fish of different sizes swim from right to left and vice versa. There are a variety of activities for children of all ages, as described below.

If you are going to Milan with children, set aside some money to treat them to a beautiful toy from Nano Bleu. This toy shop has three floors and more than 350 square metres to lose yourself in toys of all shapes and sizes.

The historic Nano Bleu toy shop is a child's paradise. Opened in 1949, it is just a short walk from the Duomo.

Whether it's soft toys, dolls, building blocks or board games, Nano Bleu is the perfect place to shower your children with gifts.