Fun, free Rome scavenger hunt for kids for the area between the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon: this is a fun walking activity for kids, to help them stay motivated and engaged while strolling around Rome.
The area between the Trevi Fountain and the the Pantheon is one of the most fascinating in Rome, full of things to see and stories to discover.
This neighbourhood is best discovered on foot and really comes into its own when you allow yourself to ‘get lost’ in it: safe and full of hidden corners, courtyards, churches and landmarks, it is a great place to spontaneously explore, letting your heart and curiosity lead.
If you have small kids, however, you probably already know that leisurely strolls of this kind can often become a little less leisurely than expected! Even before tiredness sets in, small kids may need motivation to keep walking, and this is where myself and this post can help!
I am a Rome mama and I have designed these printable scavenger hunts to make exploring Rome with kids as fun and as easy as possible.
My scavenger hunts are not the traditional type: they do not tie you to a particular route, you do not need to constantly look at the map (missing what is around you!) to find the items on them and the cues are not in a specific order either – all this by design!
The printables are created with items your kids will find in the area between Trevi and Pantheon not matter what route you take. This means that you can stroll any street you fancy, turn any corner you want and peek into any church, yard or cafe you fancy, and still keep the game going!
You can start from the Trevi Fountain and go to the Pantheon or the other way round, however you prefer!
Your kids will find all items on it and they may even find a lot more – because once the ‘explorer mode’ is on, it is incredible how much kids find interesting!
I have not included prized in these hunts but you can easily offer incentives too – for instance a gelato at the end of an extra reward if they find something not on the list – for instance, while looking for an elephant, they may find a dolphin… incentivising them to look for even more things can work really well and is fun too!
I hope you have fun with these! I make this type of game for my kids for all the city we visit and it always a great way for them to have fun exploring: they are one of my secrets superpowers to visit Rome with kids and have everyone happy! Safe travels to Rome!
Printable scavenger hunt for kids – Trevi / Pantheon area
I have made this in two versions, so you can pick the one your child likes the most
You an download them as printable PDF here
Printable scavenger hunt for kids – Trevi / Pantheon area fact cards
These are the keys to the items in the scavenger hunt. You can also find a link to download a FREE pdf of them at the end of this page.
Cafe’ Tazza d’oro sign – Rome is full of cafes, where locals and tourists alike can get coffee ice tea, a soda and simple bites like tramezzini (trianglesandwiches) etc. A very famous one close to the Pantheon is called ‘Tazza d’Oro’ – the name means ‘Golden Cup’ and it is one of the best in Rome!
A statue of an elephant – can you spot the elephant in the piazza?
Look carefully, it is small elephant easy to spot as it holds an obelisk on its back!
This statue is made by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1667. When Bernini built the statue, he was arguing with the Dominicans, who occupied the large building overlooking the piazza.Â
To offend them, he placed the statue so that the elephant shows them its large rear end!
A fountain with a funny man holding a barrel – this is hard to spot, well done! This small fountain is called Fontana del Facchino and is one of the Talking Statues of Rome.Â
The talking statues were used in Papal times to express discontent with the State.
Since there was no freedom of speech, people wrote down their grievances and attached them overnight to statues, anonymously, so that in the morning, it looked as if it was the statue to express a complaint! So they didn’t really talk or at least, not with their voice!
A large marble foot – can you see a huge marble foot (it is on the street named after it, Via Pie’ di Marmo)? It looks like a random finding but most likely, it was part of a large statue from one of the temples we know existed here in ancient times!
An SPQR sign – look carefully at bins, drainage systems, fountains. Does any have a SPQR written on?
Many do as SPQR is one of the symbols of Rome. The acronym stands for Senatus PopulusQue Romanus which means: of the Senate and the People of Rome, a way to say ‘this belong to the city.
A nasone – Nasone in Italian means ‘big nose’, can you guess why Rome driving fountains are called this way? It is because of the shape of their spout that looks like a big nose!Â
To drink from there, stand beside the fountain (not in front!) put your hand under the spout and block the flow of water and see what happens!
The Italian flag – can you spot a large building with the Italian flag? Well done, chances are you are in front of Montecitorio, the Italian Parliament!
The Campense Obelisk – the Campense obelisk is in Piazza Montecitorio, in front of one of Italy Rome’s most important building, Camera dei Deputati (one of Italy’s two Government Chambers).
During your Rome explorations, you will find several obelisks, can you keep count? It is not an easy task as Rome is the city with the highest number of obelisks in the world! You can find all Rome obelisks here.
A madonnella – can you spot an image of Mary? Hint: look up and pay special attention when coming to a crossroads!
In Rome, many corners had sacred images of the Virgin, who is there to protect the traveler. At crossroads, you need to make choices and she looks after you help you make the best one!
Madonnella means little Madonna.
The Trevi Fountain – can you hear water flowing?
Follow the sound! Well done, you have reached the Trevi Fountain! Make sure you read out info sheet to learn essential facts about it!
Make sure you spot…
Oceanus – he is the main male figure on this huge fountain, can you see what’s in front of him? Yes, two horses, one quiet and one… not so quiet!
Oceanus is the God of the Ocean and the horses represent the moods of the sea, on calm and on rough days.
A large round vase – now head to the right side of the fountain. Can you see a large round vase, so big it actually block your view? That’s why it is there! A local story tells us that a barber who had a shop on the square was so annoyed by the noice the building of the fountain was causing that he kept complaining about it, giving a very hard time to the architect and workers.
They got so annoyed with him that, out of spite, they built the vase so that once the fountain was done, he couldn’t see it!
Bonus Finds!
A small square with huge columns (Piazza di Pietra) – can columns be too big for the square they are in? Yes if you are in Piazza di Pietra, where you can see large columns of an ancient Roman Temple (Temple of Hadrian) now overlooking a pretty square with restaurants and cafes.
A column with spiral carvings (Piazza Colonna) – In Rome city centre, you find many columns but this one is special!
The carvings on it tell the story of the victories of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and you can read it like a picture book!
The idea of a columns that tells a story started with Emperor Trajan who also had a column like this (in Piazza Venezia).
You can download a printable PDF of there fact cards for free >>> HERE <<<
If your kids liked this one, we have many more Rome scavenger hunts for kids here.