A curated selection of the best things to do with kids in Rome this August, including special events, kid-friendly pools and interactive museums to escape the weather.
August in Rome is unlike any other time in the city.
This month is when Italians go on their summer holiday, a time when local offices close for a couple of weeks and anyone who can leaves the hot streets of Rome to head to the coast or the mountains or faraway places.
This means that the city is very much in holiday mode: office and working life slows down, yet anything to do with entertainment and making the most of Rome’s beautiful summer nights is in full swing.
If you are visiting Rome with kids this August, you can make the most of outdoor events and special openings that only happen in the summer time.
I am a Rome mama and often spend August in the city. On this page, you find my selection of the best things to do in Rome this August to survive the heat and make the most of the city.
I hope you enjoy it!
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August in Rome with kids: need to know
Rome in August can be hot or very hot. If you are in the city during a heatwave or days with no breeze, staying safe from the heat if paramount.
If you have littles, I recommend to entertain the idea of resting at your accommodation during the hottest hours of the day and make the most of evenings in Rome with them.
If you want an overview of this time in Rome in general, read here >>> Rome in August
if you want more ideas of kid friendly things to do, read here >>> my guide with 70 (!) best things to do Rome with kids
Visit the Colosseum at night
This August, the Colosseum has some extraordinary evening openings that allow to see it after dark.
The experience is unique and truly atmospheric: the Colosseum is lit up inside, with small lights that showcase its architecture, and admission is to a limited number of people and by guided tour only, so you see it without any of the crowds.
Even better: the experience allows access to the coveted underground area, which is usually incredibly hard to secure entrance for during the day!
This year, the event takes place on Thursdays only: secure your ticket as soon as available from the official website: https://ticketing.colosseo.it Tickets come out 7 days before only, at the time of writing.
Access is by guided tour only. While the tour is not for kids (there are no kids tours at night) the experience is kid friendly and short enough that even young children can usually enjoy it.
There is no free exploring at night, so I recommend this experience especially to families with a baby in a carrier or kids of primary school age or up.
If you want to see how we got on last year, you can find our full review here >> Our visit to the Colosseum at night
Get immersed in This is Wonderland, Pinocchio (light show / immersive experience)
This is Wonderland is an immersive light experience for kids and adults running in summer only.
The experience takes place in the lovely ‘giaridno delle cascade’ (waterfalls garden) in the EUR district and consists of a series of light installations scattered around a green and secluded area, with music and food trucks.
The event this year has the theme of Pinocchio and is great for kids and adults alike. The event starts at 6pm (18.00h) and comes into its own especially around 8-9pm when darkness truly makes the installation shine.
Despite the late time, this is a super popular event for families and you’ll see parents with kids of all ages out here until really late, making the most of the lovely summer milder temperatures.
The garden is stroller friendly in most parts (but not all, be prepared to lift it occasionally), has some nice food spots and a play area for kids.
I was there last year for their Alice in Wonderland theme and it was fabulous, albeit busy.
This is, for me, one of the best things to do with kids in Rome this August, perfect for littles and teens alike.
The event site for info and tickets is >> https://thisiswonderland.world/biglietti-pinocchio/
Experience Viaggio nei Fori – Journey Through Ancient Rome (light show)
Viaggio nei Fori is a fantastic evening event taking place during August in Rome that sees the Forum of Caesar come back to life at night with a lightship that showed how they used to be!
The event is spectacular and kid friendly.
The show consists of light projections that show how the ancient ruins used to look like and a narration in several languages (via headphones) explaining the story of the forum and how they fit into the wider history of Rome.
The event is not for kids as such but is enjoyable for them too as the atmosphere is informal and the light show stunning even just to look at.
The show happens nightly in August from 9pm to 11.00pm.
Book from the official site >> https://www.viaggioneifori.it/en/
Lungo il Tevere – along the Tiber summer festival
Lungo il Tevere (literally translating into: Along the Tiber) is a classic summer Roman event which sees the banks of the river Tiber transform into an open air village with food joints, stalls, live music, cultural events and more.
The festival takes place between Ponte Sublicio bridge and Ponte Sisto bridge, in the city centre.
The event is not for kids as such but it is very popular with families as it has informal and cheap food options, a family friendly atmosphere and stalls with entertainment such as fuss ball and table tennis.
No booking required, this is an open summer festival. The festival runs in August from 7.30pm / 19.30 to about midnight each evening.
This is also a fun thing to do if you are in Rome with teens.
Pools and water parks
Ok, this one is not specifically to this August yet is a good tip for when you need to escape the heat in Rome.
Rome has lovely outdoors pools that are great for kids and two water parks, one best suites to kids up to age 11 and close to the center (Luneur Splash Park) and one bigger and also suited to older kids further out the city (Hydromania).
Both parks are open in summer only.
You can find here >>> our selection of kid-friendly swimming pools and water parks in Rome
Take a cooking class in a cooking school with A/C
A cooking class in a place with strong A/C can be a lovely way to spend the hottest hours of the day in Rome. In August, I like to do them at lunchtime so we are out of the heat and lunch is sorted!
A class I love is that by the wonderful Lucilla of Lucilla Cooking class, a wonderful woman who teaches in her house and has you make pasta in different shapes, from absolute scratch! Lucilla is usually available only part of August but if you can get her, she’s fabulous! Find her here >>> instagram.com/lucillacookingclass You can find our experience with her here
Another really nice one you can do this August and that is kid friendly is this one that has you make pasta and tiramisu: it is also great value for money and it is in a family restaurants near the Vatican, with lovely hosts.
Go Underground
Some of the coolest attractions in Rome, both for temperature and type of experience, are underground ones and namely: the Domus Aurea, which is the ancient palace of Emperor Nero, and the catacombs.
Both attractions are not below street levels, one because of history and one by design, and they are good 10C degrees cooler than the city.
Both are most suited to kids of upper primary school and and teens.
You can read here >> how to visit Nero’s Domus Aurea in Rome
And here >>> how to visit Rome’s Catacombs
Spend an afternoon at Explora Children Museum
Rome has a nice children museum that can be a great resource to escape the heat. In August the opening hours are limited, but it still offers good options for indoor interactive play. Find the website here >>> https://mdbr.it/visita/#hours
Go to an outdoor concert
A fun things to do in Rome with kids this August is bringing them to an outdoor concert. Some, like the opera at Caracalla, are big events; others, like the Jazz festival in Parco del Celio, are more informal.
In both cases, the events are not for kids as such but they are kid friendly.
Even the Jazz concert, which may not strike as an immediately kid-friendly activity, is popular with families as it is outdoors, has nice food options, it is safe and mellow in atmospheres and has the amazing backdrop of the Colosseum! It is very common to have families attending, with kids of all ages, including toddlers.
TI hope you enjoyed this selection of the. best things to do in Rome this August and helped you add even more fun to your stay. Happy travels to Rome!