10 Things to Do in Venice for children

There is no doubt that Venice is an incredible and magical city. The sheer number of attractions to see and activities on offer makes it a must-see for anyone, even children, although you may have to approach things differently.

Although children tend to get tired earlier and find long visits tedious, a visit to Venice can be fun for them if you plan your tour well. Of course, this doesn't mean that you should stop taking gondola rides or visiting museums, but it does mean that you will have to change the way you do these activities. Here's how!

While strolling around Venice, children will be able to see the typical Venetian masks of the winter carnival everywhere. The beauty and colourfulness of the masks is sure to make them want to buy them, which is something you can always do. However, they might enjoy it even more if you take them to make their own mask.

Making a mask is not only fun, but also an activity that will encourage their creativity. In Venice you can find several shops that offer this activity, in which adults can also participate.

When booking a class, I recommend that you always look for an authentic Venetian master craftsman, as they are the best at explaining traditional mask-making techniques. There are two types of classes:

• The decoration ones, with which the children will take the mask right away.
• The production ones, for which they will have to wait a few hours before they can proudly pick up their creation.

Best places to buy a mask, if you prefer

If you don't have the time or the kids don't fancy the prospect of making their own mask, a good option is to buy one. You won't really have a problem finding numerous shops and street stalls all over the city, but there are some neighbourhoods that are better places to get one of a certain quality.

In my opinion, the best is the San Polo neighbourhood. You only have to look at the number of windows with masks and carnival costumes hanging in them to see how many artisans live there. To reach this area you can take a pleasant walk across the Rialto Bridge.

Venice is often described as a labyrinth of canals, streets, alleys and passageways. However, a short distance from the city there is a real labyrinth that is sure to delight children.

This is the one located in Villa Pisani, a place with impressive architecture, but there is no doubt that the little ones will mainly focus on the aforementioned labyrinth located in the enormous garden.

The truth is that the labyrinth is not at all simple, so you should never let the children out of your sight. The route goes through several concentric rings and it is quite easy to get lost. Fortunately, there is a staircase in the centre that you can climb to get an overview of the whole and find your way out.

Practical information

• How to get there: the most convenient way for children is to take an Actv bus from Piazzale Roma.
• Opening period and opening hours: between April and September the Villa is open from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm. From October to March, the Villa closes at 16:00.

Travelling with children doesn't have to stop you from visiting such interesting monuments as the Doge's Palace in Venice. The trick to make sure they don't get tired is to change the point of view and focus the explanations on things that might interest them. In this case, my advice is to leave aside the architecture and focus on the secret itineraries hidden in the palace.

Although it depends on each child, they will usually have a great time visiting the cells, the narrow staircases, the torture chamber and the entrance through the Bridge of Sighs.

If you are able to embellish all these attractions with interesting stories, I assure you that children will really enjoy visiting the Doge's Palace.

Practical information

Children under 6 years of age are not allowed to visit the "secret" areas of the palace. However, they can enter the Doge's Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and see the occasional isolated cell.

Did you think that a ride in a gondola was something only adults could enjoy? Well, let me tell you that it is one of the things that children will love the most.

Besides, it is one of the best ways to get to know the city without the children getting too tired and you having to carry them in their chair or in your arms.

Recommendations for gondola rides with children

Normally this experience is available both during the day and at night, but children will probably enjoy the first option more, as they are usually exhausted by the time the sun goes down.

If you are travelling with a baby, I advise you not to take the pram. It is best to use a baby carrier, as strollers must be left at the gondola reference station. On the other hand, the Grand Canal rides do allow strollers.

There is a cliché that children get bored in museums. However, this depends very much on the way you visit and the type of museum. My advice is not to do away with this activity altogether, but to consider very carefully where to go and whether the museum has activities that might interest the little ones.

In the case of Venice, these are the most suitable:

• Natural History Museum: one of the most interesting museums for children in Venice. Inside they will be able to see fossils and dinosaur skeletons, including one over 7 metres high that always surprises the little ones. Another section they usually like is the large aquarium it houses.
• Peggy Guggenheim: organises a Children's Day every Sunday. Children under the age of 10 can enter free of charge to attend workshops (in several languages) on contemporary art.
• Correr Museum: the most attractive for children is the drawing workshop based on myths and legends. They will also enjoy the explanation of a journey that will take them to discover the Venice of the 16th century.
• Naval History Museum: the old ships inside the museum are a magnet for most children.
• Leonardo Da Vinci Machine museum: in this museum you can see several of the machines designed by Leonardo Da Vinci. It is a very attractive exhibition, especially for older children.

If your trip is in spring or summer, when the weather is usually good, children can enjoy a few hours on the beach to take a break from sightseeing. The best place to do this is the Lido beaches, just 15 minutes by vaporetto from the city.

The island has several different beaches. Some of them are private, but others are public and free of charge, such as:

• Paradise Beach
• San Nicolo
• Murazzi
• Alberoni

If you want to spend several days on this island to discover all its beaches, I recommend you buy the 72-hour transport pass in Venice, which will also allow you to travel to other areas of the city at a better price.

Take advantage of your stay at the Lido to take them to the planetarium.

If you've been to the Lido in spring, you can take the kids to the fabulous planetarium in the public park of Lungomare D'Annunzio. It is open from October to May and the activities are recommended for children aged 7 and up.

The show, which is free of charge, lasts about 50 minutes and offers children an extraordinary view of the sky, its stars and various phenomena such as the rainbow.

When you arrive in a city for the first time you often feel a bit disoriented. If you're travelling with children, you won't be able to afford to waste much time getting to grips with the situation. The best solution is to hire a personalised guided tour of Venice for the first few hours.

This type of tour has many advantages when you are travelling with children, as not only will you be shown some of the most important monuments in Venice, but the guides are usually used to the presence of the little ones in the family and know which places they might find curious.

Play lion hunt

It is quite likely that children will be told about the lion, the symbol of Venice, during this visit. One of the city's most popular lions can be found in the small square next to St Mark's and is often shown by guides during tours.

To keep the little ones entertained, it might be a good idea to organise a sort of 'lion hunt'; have them look for the lions they find in different corners of Venice. To make it more entertaining, ask them to distinguish between the winged and the non-winged ones.

Venice also offers some interesting shows for the little ones. The following venues often have activities that will delight children:

• Palazzetto Bru Zane: offers special concerts for children aged six and up. Before the concerts, there is a workshop in which a musician makes an effort to involve the little ones in an interactive way. Other activities are also organised in the same building, such as a treasure hunt.
• Teatro Goldoni: in addition to the museum inside, this theatre organises various children's entertainment activities, including puppet shows.
• Teatro ai Frari: like the previous one, it offers puppet shows and other cultural activities for children of all ages.

A different and much-appreciated visit for children is the well-known Acqua Alta bookshop. Not only will they enjoy the peculiar way the books are stacked (in the shape of stairs or a gondola) or the special exit to swim out in case of flooding, but also the cats who, they say, keep the old books so that nothing happens to them.

This bookshop is located in the Castello district, in the middle of an interesting labyrinth of narrow streets and canals. The main entrance is in a small square called Campiello del Tintor, in Calle Longa Santa Maria Formosa. From my point of view, this is a must-see if you are staying more than 2 days in Venice.

All children need moments of recreation where they can play, run around and relax. If you don't take this into account, it's quite possible that the trip will end in a tantrum.

Luckily, Venice has a number of gardens that are perfect for them and, in some cases, equipped with play areas for the little ones. Here are the ones I recommend the most:

• Giardini Reali: just 50 metres from St Mark's Basilica, this small park can be perfect for a picnic or a seated ice cream. Although it does not have swings, children can have fun watching the fish in the pond.
• Giardini della Biennale: the largest green space in the city. Here children can enjoy the playground, with activities for the whole family. If you are lucky enough to be hosting the Biennale, the park is filled with stalls and art exhibitions.
• Savorgnan Park: Close to the train station and the interesting Jewish ghetto, this park is ideal for warmer days. Its shaded areas seem to be a perfect place to sit and have a bite to eat.

It's not easy to decide when is the best time to go to Venice with children, especially as choice is limited by the school calendar.

If you have a choice, my recommendation is spring. First of all, there are usually fewer tourists and walking around the city is much more comfortable, not to mention that the queues to get into the monuments are much shorter.

Moreover, the weather is mild, without the cold and rain of winter and without the intense heat of summer.

There are several means of transport to get around Venice, almost all of which are water-related. In general, most tourists travel on foot or by vaporetto. In the latter option, children under 6 years of age are free of charge and prams can be taken free of charge.

If your child is very young, it is best to bring a baby carrier. Although in large areas such as St Mark's Square there are no problems with prams, many parts of the city are riddled with stairs and bridges without ramps.