Expert selection of the best things to do in Rome with kids: Rome family-friendly attractions, Rome museums for kids, parks, food and family tours in Rome for kids of all ages.
When I first set out to writing this list of the best things to do in Rome with kids, I started off with 10.
This was partially not to overwhelm you with a million things, and partially because the city offering, in terms of kids activities, wasn’t half as wide as it is now.
Over the years, things have changed and cold friendly activities in Rome are now so many, the list had to get bigger!
Now, Rome offers a staggering amount of things to do with kids and I know this well because I am a mama and I am from Rome, so I very much have the finger of the pulse of what being in Rome with kids is like!
Families who visit Rome for the first time can easily involve the kids in sightseeing and visits to Rome’s main sites, suprisingly child friendly.
People with a little more time in the city can choose between many family tours, child-friendly attractions and outdoor activities.
People who live in Rome with kids can do even more, also taking their time to explore children bookstores, local parks and of course going sightseeing, which you’ll never finish doing in Rome, no matter how long you stay!
In this post, I will share as many as I can! For ease of reading, I have arranged this post in sections, starting with
Top 10 things to do in Rome with kids for first time visitors: these of course include the top landmarks and tours
I hope you enjoy it!
Top tip! If you are in Rome with older kids and young adults, I recommend you also read my guide with things to do in Rome with teens.
Please note: this post contains affiliate links and, should you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Top 10 things to do in Rome with kids
Explore Rome city center (with a scavenger hunt)
The uniqueness of Rome stands in the fact that the city has been inhabited continuously since its foundations, well over 2000 years ago (Rome was born in 753 B.C.!) and it is therefore like an open air museums.
This means that if you do nothing else in Rome, a walk in the city center to soak in its unique vibe is the one thing you should do!
In the city center you find Rome’s most famous landmarks such as the Trevi Fountain (make sure you have a coin to throw in!), the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Pantheon etc.
The best way to explore the city center with kids is by strolling with the aid of a guide (live or printed) to keep them engaged and interested. If you want a live guide, you can book one here, while if you want to go self guided, I have many resources you can use: you can find all my Rome scavenger hunts here.
Visit the Colosseum and Ancient Rome (with a kid friendly guide)
The Colosseum always makes an impression on children and it is a wonderful place to visit as a family.
There are many ways to go about it and the best one depends on your style of travel, age of kids and interested. At a glance, the options are:
You can find all my tips for visiting the Colosseum with kids here. Good tickets to get are:
Go self guided: this is a great option if you are not interested in a lot of info about the place or do not have the time or inclination to read about it (if you do, I have here a free guide to the Colosseum who can help you make the most if your self guided visit). If you go self guided, you can get timed, skip the line tickets form the official website, which is this one.
If you want to make it fun for the kids, depending on age they may enjoy these Colosseum printables, that can make the visit more interactive
The best Colosseum tickets to get include the underground (with the lift used to bring up the animals – usually a highlight for kids!) and the top tier, from where you get stunning views but they are not always super easy to source: I recommend you read my guide to the best tickets to the Colosseum to get an idea of options and what may work best for you.
If you prefer to have a guide, this is also an excellent option and it is worth knowing that there are some exceptional ones that are specifically for kids and approach the Colosseum with an interactive and game based approach. My favourite one is this one by LivTours (excellent! Also included the Forum which is fantastic)
The Colosseum is what kids tend to be most excited about but the Forum and Palatine are just beside it and wonderful. These are the areas where you truly see how Rome was as a city, you find yourself literally working on the footsteps of the Romans and since the place is open air, you can easily enjoy it even just as a unique and incredible park. It is one of the most unique places in the city and 100% worth visiting, especially with a guide or a bit of background info (you can read my guide to the Roman Forum here)
Visit the Vatican (with a child friendly guide)
Vatican City is inside Rome and a powerful, meaningful place to visit with kids. Like the name suggests, Vatican City is not just a landmark but a city within the city (Actually, Vatican City is a whole country!), made of several areas and attractions to see.
With kids, I recommend you see:
St Peter’s Square, Basilica and the Dome: this areas is made by the large monumental square in front of St Peter’s Basilica and the Basilica itself, a masterpiece of architecture and one of the most meaningful places for Christians and Catholics.
Both these areas are easy to visit with kids and free, plus if you have adventurous ones you may easily impress them by adding a climb to the top of St Peter’s Dome, which offers icredible views! The way up is by hundreds of steps so kids tend to find it exciting and fun but you do need slightly older ones as it is quite an endeavour!
Vatican City is also home to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. They are stunning and really worth visiting but they can be hard for kids due to crowds, size and topic (not of immediate interest for many kids). You can visit in your own time or with a kids’ guided tour like this one which is excellent. I love it because it is engaging and game based but manages to give a lot of info to adults too and it also comes with tickets, so you don’t have to worry about sourcing them.
This is one of the very few places in Rome I strongly recommend visit with a guide.
To get an idea of how to plan your day and what you may want to see, I suggest you read my (free) guide about visiting the Vatican with kids
Explore Castel Sant’Angelo – one of the most child friendly attractions in Rome
Castel Sant’Angelo is Rome’s castle and one of the best Rome attractions for kids as it has it all: incredible histories of intrigue, prisons, bastions and even cannot balls!
The castle is along the river and it is easy to visit in your own time, since there are many good info panels along the way or you can get tickets with audioguide which are even easier to follow. > Get them here <
Take a golf cart or vespa sidecar tour to see more of the city
Rome is a large city and while the city center is easy to explore on foot, it is one of those cities that has you clock in 25k steps a day! So, a great way to see a lot but keep walking manageable, with kids who may not be used to these distances, is to explore on a fun vehicle such as a golf cart or a super fun vespa with sidecar!
I have taken both these tours and they are both incredibly fun but best for different ages.
A golf cart is ideal for small kids: they are slow-ish, they have car seats and you can sit with your child. My favorite kid-friendly golf car tour is this one, ask for Brando as your guide!
The vespa sidecar tour is most suited to slightly older kids (not toddlers) simply due to the nature of the vehicle: the sidecar only takes one person so your child rides alone, with you on the vespa beside it.
I have done this very recently with my teen and it has been one of the best things we have ever done in Rome, we had an absolute blast! I highly recommend it: the tour we took was this semi private one, with also got us to meet a very nice family we had lovely chats with.
Take a cooking class – pasta or pizza making are typical of Rome
If your kids love hands on activities, than a cooking class in Rome is one of the best things to do in Rome with kids you can ask for! The most traditional dishes from the city are pasta and pizza, so it makes sense to focus on those.
Over the course of the years, we have taken several classes and we have some favourites! Those we loved most of all are:
Pizza making in Trastevere, this class here specifically, which is hands on, in a stunning school and really socials.
Pasta making in Trastevere, this one, which is super hands on and fun as they get the kids to use a lot of different implements and shapes
Pasta making in Prati with Lucilla, which is a lovely and homely class in a local home. You can find my full review here.
Be a gladiator for a day by taking a gladiator class
If your child loves gladiators, then they may love the opportunity to be one, for an afternoon!
Gruppo Storico Romano organizes gladiator classes for kids and adults and they are great fun: outside of the city center, you will need a taxi to get there but it can be worth it for an experience that is truly unique to Rome!
Read here >>> our full review of Gladiator School for kids or Find info and prices here
Go to Villa Borghese (park)
Villa Borghese (click to read my full, free guide), in Rome city centre, in one of the capital’s most beautiful parks.
Here you have the zoo, playgrounds and a small pond with rowing boats for hire, plus the chance to rent bikes and pedal go karts.
This is also where the famous Borghese gallery is: while not for kids as such, this is a wonderful museum and a small enough one for kids to enjoy.
Take a food tour (guided or self guided)
Rome has incredible food and a really fun way to tap into its variety is by taking a food tour, with a live guide or self guides!
I have recommendations for both!
For Guided food tours, I love these two: Trastevere Food Tour by Raphael Tours (group) and this one by LivTours, which is only up to 6 people so it feels super personal and intimate.
if you prefer to go self guided, since I am from Rome, I have made a diy food ‘tour’ you can take in your own time. You can find it here >>> DIY Rome food tour for families. You can make it more interactive with kids with my free Rome food printables too!
Cycle along Via Appia
A really fun and unique thing to do in Rome with kids is taking bikes and cycle along Via Appia, one of the most ancient streets in Rome. Via Appia is now an archaeological park and UNESCO protected site and a stunning green area where to experience both history and Rome natural setting. You can get bikes or electric bikes depending on age of kids. Find info and prices here.
Top things to do in Rome with kids: museums and kids’ museums
Borghese Gallery
Famous Galleria Borghese is worth a visiting at all ages thanks to its compact size and fun animal sculptures.
While the museum is not interactive, it can be easily enjoyed by kids – challenge them to find animals in each room and tell them the stories the statue depict: it is like a treasure trove of myths! You can read here > my free guide to the Borghese Gallery for kids where you can learn what you will see and what the fun stories are!
The museum has a nice playground just beside its back door door (free).
Rome’s Museum of Illusions
The Museum of Illusions is one of the best museums in Rome for kids, perfect for those moments when they need some pure, non-sightseeing related fun!
The Museum is on Via Merulana, in the city center, takes about 1 hours to visit and has several rooms and installations that will trick you eye and perception to make you reconsider reality as we know it!
The museums is especially suited to kids age 6 and up and is fantastic for a teens too.
One of the very best things to do in Rome with children and a new one too, opened in 2023!
You can read our full review and see photos here >>> Rome’s Museum of Illusions review and tickets
Capitoline Hill and Capitoline Museum (with a Percy Jackson Tour)
The Capitoline Museums are one of the best museums in Rome and can be of great interest to kids especially if they like Roman Mythology.
In the museums and surrounding are you can see the Rome she-wolf and kids will recongize many figures from myths and legends. You can visit the museums on your own, in which case I recommend you read our free guide to the Capitoline Museums with kids here, or you can take a specialised Percy Jackson tour for kids – really fun and well done!
Explora, Rome’s children museum
Scientists in the making, lovers of trains and tiny tots will love a visit to Explora, the children museum of Rome.
Here you can play in a soft area (for under 3s), learn about hydraulic machines and even drive the Italian high-speed train ‘freccia rossa’.
Ikono Roma
Ikono Roma is a fun, interactive space for kids and adults, an immersive experience to have some fun while taking a break from sightseeing.
Organized over several rooms, Ikono Roma is an immersive exhibitions where kids can enter a pool full of balls, a room where it snows paper, a maze of light and much more!
The space is suitable for all ages and for tweens and teens especially and one of the very best places in Rome for kids. You can get tickets here
Museo Mostra dei Leonardo – interactive Rome museum for kids and adults
Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome city center hosts a permanent, wonderful exhibition of Leonardo’s machines.
The exhibition has a hands-on approach; kids can experiment with several of the machines (not all) and have a dedicated corner to build Leonardo’s self-supporting bridge. You can find here >>> our review of Leonardo’s Exhibition and why we love it.
‘Welcome to Rome’ exhibition
Virtual reality and 3-D reconstructions of ancient Rome are at the centre of a new museum called Welcome to Rome, in Corso Vittorio.
The visit is short but impressive: adults and kids get an audio-guide explaining the different installations and a small cinema shows regularly a short movie on the history of the city. This is one of my favorite museums in Rome for kids
Good to know: Leonardo’s machines exhibition and Welcome to Rome are very close to each other and easy to visit on the same day
Centrale Montemartini
What happens if you use an old electric plant and use it to host ancient statues?
This was the question behind the creation of the Centrale Montemartini museum, an old industrial space now converted into a museum with ancient Roman statues, mosaics and more.
This is a very peculiar space, beautiful for adults and kids, one of the most kid friendly museums in Rome and one of the best things to do in Rome with kids on a rainy day.
Valle Giulia Etruscan Museum
The Etruscan Museum at Valle Giulia is a fantastic museum for school-age kids and teens.
Hosted in a beautiful palazzo, the museum has priceless Etruscan artifacts that shine a light on this civilisation, still largely mysteurious to us. Find info and tickets here
Rome Museum of Police cars
If you have a son like mine, who adores cars, then a visit to the museum of police cars of Rome may be one of the things to do in Rome with children! You can find info and prices here.
Amusement parks, water attractions, the zoo, the beach
LunEur
LunEur amusement park is the historical Luna Park of Rome.
Very popular with local children, it is a fun place for a kid-center afternoon and a great address to have especially during school holidays, when the park organizes themed events such as Halloween dress up days or easter themed afternoons.
If you catch a taxi from Fiumicino airport, you may see its iconic Ferris wheel while driving into Rome! Find info and address here
Hydromania (Summer)
Outside of the city center, this is a large water park great for summer days. Find info here.
Outdoor pools (summer)
I know you are not going to Rome to lounge pool-side but in summer, a day at the local swimming pool is one of the very best things you can do in Rome with kids!
You can choose between many, some attached to hotels and some favoured by locals.
Find info and addresses of swimming pools in Rome here.
Rome Zoo
Rome zoo sits inside Villa Borghese and it a fun place for small kids and toddlers especially.
The zoo doesn’t really compare with large zoos too may have visited in London or San Diego however, it is cute for little kids and often offers organised events with an educational focus.
Cinecitta’ World
A fun amusement park with rides for kids of all ages
Christmas World (seasonal)
A seasonal and fun attraction in Rome for kids, this is a Christmas Themes park with food stalls, Christmas shows, ice skating and seasonal entertainment coming to Villa Borghese in December.
The beach
Rome is not famous for its beaches but if you are in the city, a day on water is a great way to cool down and let the kids have fun! Find here >> the best beaches near Rome for families
Viewpoints and high places
The top of the Vittoriano
The Vittoriano is a strange looking building overlooking Piazza Venezia and locals refer to it with a nickname that highlights its peculiarity: we call it ‘the typewriter’ (English speakers often say ‘wedding cake’)
The building is unmissable and has something special: a wonderful terrace with glorious views over Rome.
Kids love climbing up here (you cannot use a stroller but the steps are large and easy) and there is a cafe on the second terrace where they can get a juice or a snack.
From the same terrace, you have a great view over the Forum and the Colosseum!
The top of the Capitoline Hill
One of the best viewpoints for stunning views of the forum and a fantastic place to visit in its own right, since the very top of the hill is designed by no less than Michelangelo. This is the same square where you find the Capitoline Museums names above. Find here > my free guide to the Capitoline Hill.
Aventine hill – you can also Spy St Peter’s dome from a keyhole from here!
Another fantastic view over Rome is from the top of the Aventine Hill which has more than one spot worth seeing.
One is the Garden of Oranges, which is a lovely garden with a panoramic terrace over Rome (no playground, but the garden is lovely).
The other one is the secret keyhole through which you get an unexpected view of St Peter’s Dome from afar! Both lovely to see. You can read how to find the Aventine Keyhole here
Janiculum Hill
One of the highest natural viewpoints just above Trastevere, the Janiculum Hill is wonderful to get a bird’s eye view of teh city. It also has nice green areas and, at 12, the cannot marks midday!
Night adventures and underground adventures
Visit the Colosseum with kids at night (seasonal)
If you have kids who don’t mind staying out a little late, I recommend to visit the Colosseum at night!
In summer / fall, the Colosseum has special openings after hours and the tours are engaging and super atmospheric: my two children loved it!
You can find here >>> our full review and tips for visiting the Colosseum at night
See the Imperial Forum coming back to life with the Forum light show (seasonal)
On summer nights, the Imperial Forum of Augustus come back to life with a light show that uses modern technology to show the public how the Forum would have looked like at the time of its construction.
The show is wonderful and fun for kids of school age and up. With the aid of headphones, listen to the history of the Forum and admire its spaces virtually reconstructed with lights and projections. Wonderful and exciting! read our review here >>> Review of Journey Through the Forum light show.
Take a stroll in Trastevere
Gorgeous Trastevere is a treat at all ages and it is particularly fun to visit for slightly older kids if you at night, when the area comes to life with restaurants, cafes and street performer.
This is one of the liveliest areas to enjoy Rome at night and thanks to the many restaurants, the atmosphere stays family-friendly until pretty late.
You can find my family friendly Trastevere itinerary here.
Visit Along the River (seasonal)
A fun summer event that sees food stalls and performers along the River Tiber: a family friendly street event perfect for summer nights.
Lesser visited yet stunning archaeological sites in Rome
Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica is one of the most beautiful archaeological sites in Rome and one many visitors miss. Considered a ‘little Pompeii’ (another it is not little at all!), it is a great place if you want to get away from the crowds, learn history and get some fresh air. Find here all info on Ostia Antica and while I love it.
Visit the palatial home of Emperor Nero, now fully underground
Children of school age may have heard of Emperor Nero, a man knows for his excesses.
If they do, they may enjoy a visit to the Domus Aurea, Nero’s lavish home now entirely underground!
The house of the Emperor is said to have been the biggest and most decorated ever seen in Rome but had a peculiar history that means now it is entirely under street level.
The visit is interesting for kids and starts with a beautiful video that shows what it would have looked like.
You can read here >>> how to visit the Domus Aurea and our tips for visiting with kids
Visit Rome catacombs
Older, adventurous kids may enjoy a trip to Rome’s catacombs.
Rome’s catacombs are early Christian underground cemeteries expansive over many kilometers under the modern city, forming an impressive network of tunnels.
They are very interesting and while not very scary, sufficiently adventurous for picking the interest of children of (almost) any age. I recommend a visit to the catacombs for kids age 9 and up.
You can find here >>> my guide to visiting the Rome Catacombs with info to help you make an informed decision. You can book your catacombs tour here
Circo Massimo
At the bottom of the Palatine hill sits the Circo Massimo, the ancient Roman chariot racing stadium.
Nowadays the ‘circus’ is just a large, poorly kept space, but offers stunning views over the Palatine and is perfect for running safely around.
Older kids may also enjoy the virtual reality tour on offer (Circo Massimo Experience), which uses Augmented Reality goggles to bring the place back to life. You can read my review of the Circo Massimo Experience here.
Visit Caracalla’s Baths with kids
The Baths of Caracalla are colossal ruins of ancient Roman baths and one of my favourite archaeological sites to visit in Rome with kids.
Imposing and beautiful, the Baths are outdoors: older kids will be impressed by their size while small ones will love the opportunity to safely run around in what used to be a large gym and is now a stunning, open air area. You read our guide and info here
Other things to do in Rome with kids
Watch a Rome match at Stadio Olimpico
Stadio Olimpico is the big soccer stadium in Rome and a great place to go with kids who love sports!
During soccer season, you can get tickets for the family area of the stadium and watch La Roma play from reasonably comfortable and safe seats.
You can book your ticket from the stadium directly here. Or read here: how to see a soccer match in Italy with kids
Have gelato
well, of course! Easy to do while strolling, you may like to have some tried and tested addresses for it. Find here > my selection of the best gelato in Rome. Remember that we have some cute gelato printable for your kids, should they want to keep score of their favourite finds!
Go to a children bookstore
Whether you need a child friendly break while sightseeing or you want an afternoon in a child friendly space where to meet other kids away from the rain, a kids bookstore can be just the ticket!
Rome has many that operate as shops but also kids venues offering workshops and organizing events: you can find a list of children bookshops in Rome here.
This is my selection of the best family activities in Rome for kids and adults alike.
Take a family-friendly mosaic class for kids
Kids age 6 and up might love taking a mosaic class with a real artist (click on the link for our full honest review).
This is a wonderful art-based activity for kids in Rome and perfect for primary school age kids and teenagers and my personal favorite of all the kids’ activities in Rome as it is not a gimmicky one for them: it’s a proper immersion in a real artisan workshop devoted to an ancient art. You can find prices and full description here.
Join a kids drawing class in a museum with Art and Seek for kids
A children activity in Rome arty kids will love is a drawing and art tour with the lovely people at Art and Seek.
On specific Sundays, they organize museums and street art tours for kids that mix education and hands-on learning through drawing. This is an activity suited to visitors and locals alike (in English) and it is a wonderful way to meet local expat children too.
Rome has a surprising amount of green areas. While not often well kept, they offer good refuge from the city’s busy streets and are a life saver especially when visiting Rome with a toddler.
Visit Rome’s botanical gardens
These are a great space to explore with kids and a real Rome hidden gem: for the most fun, give your child a camera to capture images of the most curious and impressive species.
Have a picnic in Villa Doria Pamphili
Villa Doria Pamphili is one of the largest parks in Rome and a first favorite green space for locals and tourists alike. One of the best parks in Rome!
Visit Villa Torlonia
Villa Torlonia is immediately outside of the city center and is lovely with kids and adults.
The park has a small yet nice playground, the super cute Casina delle Civette and a nice family-friendly cafe/restaurant
In 2022, the Moorish Greenhouse in Villa Torlonia opened to the public as well: this is a wonderful place with colorful glass, easy to visit between a stop at the playground and a meal in the park restaurant.
Good to know! Villa Torlonia hosts a small kids museum called Technotown. They run regular kids workshops about space and science, some of them in English
Visit a cat colony – for kids who love a furry cuddle!
Rome has special legislation in place that protects strays and there are several spots in the city where you can see cat ‘colonies’, groups of cats fed and looked after by volunteers.
You can read why cats are protected in the city in our article about Rome street cats.
Go to the pond at Eur
Missing a quiet day at the local pond? Head to Laghetto dell’Eur for a local family experience in one of the most family friendly parks in Rome. The pond is outside the city center but it is easy to reach by metro and, in spring, it is one of the best places to admire cherry blossoms in Italy!
Fun, obscure and unusual sight-seeing
Rome is full of really unusual and fun things that kids and adults can enjoy if they know about them! Some ideas are:
Rome’s pyramid
Did you know Rome had a pyramid? It dates back to Roman times and it is fun to see inside and out! You can learn all about Rome Pyramid and see its photos here.
If you love cats, you will love to learn that a cat colony leaves here too: they roam free in the pyramid area and they are super friendly (but they will leave you alone should you want to, so don’t worry!).
Please note: in 2023, visits indie the Pyramid are not running. You can still enjoy it from outside, should you find yourself in the area, for instance if heading to Ostia Antica (see below).
Ostiense’s street art
If your family loves street art, make sure you have a stroll in the area of Ostiense, a great place for local atmosphere too. The areas has several interesting murals and is not tourism heavy, which means you also have the chance to experience a different side of Rome. I recommend you do this with a guide (this one is a good tour) as the art is scattered in different locations and it is not necessarily super easy to find on your own.
Animal statues city ‘hunt’
Rome is full of statues of animals, a fun sight but also a great walking prompt to get the kids to walk a little longer!
To find the statues and teach the kids (and yourself) about them, you can use our free printable statue scavenger hunt in in Rome that you find here >>> free scavenger hunt printable for kids.
Rome’s talking statues
This is an attraction likely to interest older kids and teens: a series of statues around Rome city center that locals used in Papal time to express discontent towards the city government, when freedom of speech was not a right.
The statues are known as the ‘talking statues of Rome‘ and you encounter them in several locations around the city.
The most famous of all is Pasquino but there are several others worth seeking out!
They are usually fun to see: one my kids find very funny is the ‘statue del facchino’ in Via Lata, near the Pantheon.
The Capuchin Crypt
Older children and teenagers tend to love the odd and somewhat disturbing Capuchin crypt, decorated with skulls and bones. You can check for suitability for your family here
San Clemente
Rome has a long history and a place where you can see how different events and times followed one another is the incredible church of San Clemente.
The church exists over several levels: the lower one is the most ancient and dates back to Roman times while the most recent one, at street level, dates back to the VI century.
This is a very peculiar and very interesting archaeological site in Rome that is great especially for school age kids and teenagers who can appreciate the peculiarity of its significance (it is not great for toddlers as the rules about not touching anything are very strict)
This is one of the best underground attractions in Rome.
Rome’s nasoni (drinking fountains)
One of Rome’s most distinctive traits is its small fountains or ‘nasoni‘. They are everywhere in the city and offer free, fresh drinking water.
Tell your child to put their hand under the water to block the flow and wait for the giggles! Learn all about drinking water from fountains in Rome here.
Trajan’s column
Trajan’s column is usually referred to as ‘the first film in history’ and with good reason.
Through elaborate carvings, the column tells the story of Trajan’s conquests and reads like a film, developing along with the height of the column!
You can read all about Trajan’s Column, what makes it special and how to visit here.
The Mouth of Truth
Are you brave enough to test the mouth of truth? Legend says if you put a hand in its mouth and tell a lie, it will bite your hand off! Wanna try?
Coppede’ District
Want to see a house that looks out of a fairy-tale book? Then head to the Coppede district to discover a whole area of fairy looking buildings.
This post was first published in 2019 and is constantly updates. Last update: November 2025.