Florence With Kids: 20 Family Things to Do
Updated: Oct 28
Updated October 2026
Florence is a great city for kids: towers to climb, markets to graze, gardens to run in and gelato on every corner. Here are 20 family favorites I have tested.
Here are 20 family favorites, beyond the classics in my guide to the best things to do in Florence.
Climb, explore and look down
Climb the Duomo. The 463 steps to the top of the dome are a real adventure for older kids. There is no lift, so skip it with little ones.
Climb the Arnolfo Tower at Palazzo Vecchio. Shorter than the dome, with a great view.
Join a family activity at Palazzo Vecchio. The city museum service MUS.E runs activities for children and families.
Walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo. The view is a big reward for small legs.
Count the jewelry shops on Ponte Vecchio. A fun game on the way to the Oltrarno.
Museums kids actually enjoy
Museo Galileo. Telescopes, globes and Galileo's finger. See my Museo Galileo guide.
A Leonardo museum. My family visit to a Leonardo da Vinci museum was a highlight. We learned so much about his genius by exploring his inventions.
The Duomo Museum. See the original Baptistery doors and models of the dome.
The Stibbert Museum. Rooms full of armor and knights.
The Uffizi, done right. Pick five paintings and make it a treasure hunt.
Museo Stibbert
Up on the hill of Montughi, Museo Stibbert is the house museum Frederick Stibbert (1838 to 1906) created for his own collection and left to the city of Florence. Its rooms hold more than 36,000 inventory numbers, about 50,000 objects, and most of them are on display.
Kids usually linger longest in the Cavalcade Hall, a parade of knights in full armor on armored horses. The museum also has Islamic and Japanese armories, where samurai armor stands in the cases. Outside, the English style park has small temples, grottoes, water features and the Egyptian temple Stibbert built between 1862 and 1864 beside the lake.
Good to know: the museum is at Via Federigo Stibbert 26. It opens Monday to Wednesday 10:00 to 14:00 and Friday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, is closed on Thursday, and the ticket office closes one hour earlier. From the first Sunday of November to the first Sunday of April, every visit is a guided group visit with a staff member, so you cannot wander on your own. Family guided visits run on the first Sunday of the month at 11:30 and need booking. The park is open 8:00 to 19:00 and closes on Thursday. With a stroller, note that the Japanese Armory is up a spiral staircase. To get there, take tram T1 toward Careggi to the Muratori stop, then walk about 1 km.
Gardens and open space
Boboli Gardens. Grottoes, statues and room to run. See my Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens Guide.
The Rose Garden below Piazzale Michelangelo. Free and calm.
Cascine Park. The city's big park by the river, with playgrounds.
The carousel in Piazza della Repubblica. An old-fashioned ride in the city center.
A walk along the Arno at sunset.
Food adventures
Mercato Centrale. This is always one of my favorite places. I love it for its food and energy, and kids can choose their own lunch.
A market picnic. I like to fill up on picnic supplies at Mercato Centrale or Sant'Ambrogio, then head to a garden.
Gelato tasting. Try a different flavor every day. My list of the best gelato in Florence tells you where.
A family cooking class. Make pasta or pizza together.
Cook at home. When I travel with family we usually rent an apartment, and shopping and cooking together is part of the fun.
Practical tips
Strollers work, but cobblestones are bumpy. A light stroller or a carrier is easier.
The Firenzecard is free for family members under 18 traveling with an adult cardholder.
Plan one big museum per day and mix in gardens and gelato.
Want more ideas? See my full best things to do in Florence guide.
Where to stay nearby
The Oltrarno is close to Boboli and a little calmer, which families love. See where to stay near Oltrarno.
A sample family day in Florence
This is the rhythm that works for my family. We start early, because Florence is cooler and calmer before ten. A booked first-entry slot at one museum, never more than ninety minutes inside. Then a snack and a run around a piazza. Lunch at Mercato Centrale, where everyone picks their own food.
The afternoon is for rest: back to the apartment for a nap or quiet time while the city is hottest. Around five we head out again for a garden, a tower or a walk along the Arno, then gelato, then an early dinner. Italians eat late, but trattorias open around seven thirty and are happy to see families.
Tips by age
Toddlers: use a carrier for the center and save the stroller for the parks. Piazza della Repubblica's carousel and Cascine Park are your friends.
Ages 5 to 10: turn museums into games. Find the boar, count the lions, spot Galileo's finger. A cooking class making pizza or pasta is a guaranteed hit.
Tweens and teens: let them climb the dome or Giotto's bell tower, try a leather or paper marbling workshop, and plan a sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo.
Booking ahead
The Duomo climb, the Uffizi and the Accademia sell timed tickets, and summer slots go fast. I book the big three before we fly, and leave everything else open. Read my Accademia and David visitor tips for the David, and my 3 days in Florence guide for a full itinerary you can adapt.
Rainy day plan
Florence gets proper rain in autumn and winter, and kids get restless fast. On wet days we go indoors to places with room to move. The Museo Galileo has two floors of globes, telescopes and strange instruments. The Stibbert Museum is full of armor and swords.
Palazzo Vecchio's family activities run on weekends, with secret passages for older kids. And when everyone needs a break, a long hot chocolate in a historic café near Piazza della Repubblica is the reset that works every time.
Space for the whole family
Traveling as a multigenerational group? A villa in the hills gives kids a pool and a garden after a day in the city. Browse Exclusive Villa Collection for Tuscan villas near Florence.
Stories that bring Florence alive for kids
Children remember stories more than dates. Before a visit, I tell them about the Medici family and their secret corridor over the Ponte Vecchio, about Brunelleschi winning a competition to build a dome nobody knew how to make, about Michelangelo carving David from a block of marble others had given up on, and about Galileo seeing the moons of Jupiter through a telescope you can still see in the Museo Galileo.
A good children's book about the Renaissance before the trip makes everything they see more exciting.
Games to play in the city
Spot the lion: the Marzocco, the lion of Florence, is on fountains, coats of arms and the Palazzo Vecchio. Count them.
Find the wine windows: small arched hatches in palazzo walls. Who finds the most?
The Porcellino: rub the nose of the bronze boar at the Mercato Nuovo and drop a coin from its mouth for luck.
Coats of arms: spot the Medici balls on buildings all over the city.
Strollers and small children
Florence's narrow pavements and cobblestones are hard on strollers. A light, foldable stroller or a baby carrier is easier. Many museums have elevators, but some towers and older buildings do not; the dome and the bell tower are not suitable for very small children. Baby changing facilities are found in the big museums and the Mercato Centrale.
Kid-friendly food
Pizza, pasta with tomato, schiacciata sandwiches and gelato will keep almost any child happy. Many trattorias will make a simple plate of pasta with butter and parmesan, pasta in bianco, on request.
Teens in Florence
Teenagers often love the things younger kids find hard: the dome climb, a leather or paper marbling workshop, a cooking class where they make their own pasta, and a bike ride along the river.
Give them a camera challenge, such as the best photo of the dome, or let them plan one afternoon. A Vespa or e-bike tour in the hills is a highlight for older teens with a guide.
Keeping everyone happy
Mix one "grown-up" sight with one "kid" activity each half day, plan gelato as a reward, and keep walks short with stops at piazzas where children can run. Afternoons in the gardens, rest at the hotel and an early dinner at 19:30, when many trattorias open, make for calm evenings.
FAQ
Is Florence good for kids?
Yes. It is compact and walkable, with gardens, towers and great food.
Can kids climb the Duomo?
Yes, but there are 463 steps and no lift, so it suits older children.
Is the Firenzecard free for children?
It is free for under-18 family members of a cardholder.
What is the best time of year to visit Florence with kids?
Late spring and early autumn. The weather is mild, the gardens are green and the lines are shorter than in July and August.
Are there playgrounds in Florence?
Yes. Cascine Park, the Giardino dell'Orticoltura and several neighborhood gardens have playgrounds.
About the author
I'm Jason GaNung, and I write every guide on Florence Life. I have spent extensive time in Florence over many trips, and I have stayed in many of the hotels and villas I cover, so my picks come from my own stays, not press releases. More about me.
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