9 Fantastic kids’ attractions in Rome they’ll love

by marta

Looking for kids’ attractions in Rome to help break up sightseeing? We’ve got you covered! In this article, we share our favorite child-friendly activities in Rome tried and tested by our children!

Rome is a fantastic destination for families, a place with infinite opportunities for exploration and fun at any age.

However, there is no doubt that the city is mainly associated with sightseeing, museum sand historical sites; therefore, many families worry it may grow boring for kids fast.

Thanks to kid-friendly guides and scavenger hunts, parents are confident they can keep their children engaged for a few days.

Still, if they have longer to stay in the city, the worry creeps in: what can we do in Rome with kids when they are done with sightseeing and cannot take one more tour or museum visit?

The concern is valid!

But, as a Rome mama of two, I can help!

My son playing with light in Rome Museum of Illusions

Plenty of kids’ attractions in Rome have nothing to do with sightseeing and are perfect for a day of kid’s play and relaxation.

In a previous article, I shared 70 things to do in Rome with kids that include anything from kids’ tours to parks.

Today, I share my top picks of attractions that are just for kids!

These are all tried and tested by my own kids – I hope your children enjoy them as much as mine do!

Good to know! If you are also looking for family tours and ways to make more traditional Rome attractions fun for kids, we can help at the following links:

Please note: this post contains affiliate links and, should you make a purchase through them, we might make a small commission. 

Explora Children Museum

Explora Children Museum is the first Rome museum just for children and it is perfect especially for kids of primary school age and young tweens.

The museum promotes exploration and learning through play and has all the characteristics of a children’s space: beautiful colors, installations you can touch and operate, safe spaces for role playing (supermarket, home, etc) and even a soft play area for toddlers.

The museum is very popular with Italian kids therefore it is also a great place to meet children of the same age.

Address: Via Flaminia, 82, 00196 Roma RM, Italy

You can read here >>> Our Explora Children museum review

Or you can buy tickets here >>>

Explora children museum of Rome
This is the water and mechanics area of Explora children museum of Rome

Rome’s museums of Illusions

The The Museum of Illusions in Rome is a newly open interactive museums in Rome city centre that is perfect for kids and adults alike.

The museum is part of the international Museum of Illusions family, which you may be already familiar with, and it is brilliant for kids and adults alike!

Here, you have interactive installations that will challenge your perception of reality: in complete safety, you can walk in a maze of light, you can take fun photos of yourself falling into a bottomless pit, you can serve your head on a plate… and all is just as much fun as the description suggests!

There is no minimum age for this museum but I find it truly comes into its own from about 5 years of age and up.

Address >> Via Merulana, 17, 00185 Roma RM, Italy

>>> Get ticket here (booking mandatory for Friday and weekends, recommended on other days) <<<

Museum of Illusions, Rome
This is my daughter at the Rome Museum of Illusions!

LunEur Splashzone WaterPark

In summer Rome can get exceptionally hot; therefore, a water park may just be the kid’s attraction you need to save the day!

A great one in Rome is the LunEur Water Park, which is usually in operation during the months of June – July and August.

The waterpark is beside the well known Luneur Amusement park which you can also visit and it is great especially for little kids (up to age 12), as it has nice shallow pools, water playgrounds etc.

You can find info and tickets to Luneur waterpark on their >>> Official website <<<<

Hydromania Water Park

if you have kids who love big water park with slides, then Hydromania is a great option.

Th park is immediately outside Rome, therefore getting here may require some planning (or a bit of money for a taxi ride); however, this location outside of the center means that the park can make the most of larger space and offer more fun rides.

The park is suited for all ages and it is the better choice for kids over 12, who will be able to make the most of the fast slides.

You can find info on their >>> official site <<<

Ikono Roma Interactive room

Ikono Romę is a newly opened interactive space that is super fun for kids, teens and adult alike!

They present it as an ‘experience’ and indeed, this is a good word for it! Ikono is basically a series of rooms, each with a sensory element to explore.

Myself and my daughter in ball pool in Ikono Rome
This is us at Ikono Rome!

The first rooms has a pool of translucent balls you can (and should!) dive into, another room has a snow cannon that covers you in paper snowflakes, another room again is dark but with Japanese inspired yellow lanterns…

The whole operation is very instagram and tick-tock friendly so teens will adore it; however, you don’t have to take photos of it to have fun and it is a very cool place to explore.

It is just beside the Pantheon which also makes it especially handy.

Address >> Via del Seminario, 111, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Find tickets here >>> Ikono Rome

Museo Mostra di Leonardo Rome

Museo Mostra di Leonardo is a cool, interactive museum showcasing machines by Leonardo da Vinci.

The museum is small, fascinating and allows children to touch and operate the machines, which makes the whole experience rather cool for them.

Little children are likely to enjoy the levers and the 360 degrees mirror room (worth entering it!) and older kids are likely to be taken by the option to try their hand at building Leonardo self-supporting bridge, and activity that is not quite as easy as it may seem!

The museum is nice to see and also comes with the option of booking a scavenger hunt around the city which is also great fun.

They don’t allow photos inside but you can find photos and prices here

Address >>> Piazza della Cancelleria, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Cinecitta’ World

Rome is not famous for theme parks; however, we have one and it is cool: Cinecitta’ World!

Cinecitta’ World takes its name from the famous movie studios of Cinecitta’ and is a movie-themed amusement park with rides, shows and all the theme parks type of entertainment options you expect.

Located outside of the center, it is an excellent place for kids and teens especially. In summer, they also have a water area that is fun for cooling down and mess ion the water.

Find info and tickets >>> here <<<

Rome Zoo at Borghese Gardens

Rome has a small zoo which is great for young children especially. It is called Bioparco and it is inside the Borghese Gardens, one of the best parks in Rome for kids and adults alike.

Rome Zoo is not as big or organized as the big zoos of the world (don’t expect San Diego), but it is a pleasant, safe and fun space especially for little ones.

WE usually kike to spend a few hours there and then explore the rest of the park, where you can also row boats, rent bikes, ride pedal go karts and play in several playgrounds.

Official website >>> https://www.bioparco.it/en/home/ Get tickets here >>> Rome zoo entrance tickets

Rome Cat sanctuary – bonus idea!

I am cheating a little with this one, in the sense that the cat sanctuary in Rome is not a kids’ attraction, but a cat shelter/

However, if your child loves cats, it is a wonderful place to peek into while out and about!

The cat sanctuary is on Large di Torre Argentina, just inside the archaeological area. Entrance is free, you can give the rescue kitties a cuddle and leave a small donation or buy a small souvenir to support the cause, if you feel so inclined.

This won’t keep you busy for very long but it always works to give energy back to my cat-loving children!

You can read here >>> all about Rome cats and where to see them

As you can see, there are few cool kids’ attractions in Rome that can work well to mix up traditional sightseeing with something a little different.

As well as those on this page, you can also of course find:

Fabulous parks with playgrounds perfect especially for small kids who enjoy time at the playground

Local outdoor pools to cool down on a summer day

Nice local beaches you can easily reach for a day outdoors

When it comes to kids’ attractions in Rome however I feel the ones on this page are the very best! I hope your kids agree!

Safe travels!

You may also like

6 comments

Clare (Suitcases and Sandcastles) March 7, 2019 - 2:19 pm

So many fantastic ideas here, Marta. I can’t wait to take my kids to Rome – I know they’d enjoy a family tour of the Colosseum and making pizza. Thanks for inspiring me on #FarawayFiles

Reply
marta March 8, 2019 - 11:00 am

Thank you for reading Clare! The pizza making class was such a fun thing to do: my friends laughed at me saying it was such a tourist thing to do but we had the best time and the pizza was really nice – the kids now help me make it at home too 🙂

Reply
hilary March 12, 2019 - 10:44 pm

Lovely post! We visited Rome for 9 days when the kids were much younger and had the best time. They loved all the food, throwing coins into the fountain, visiting the Christmas Markets. We did have a wonderful time, but I would have loved to have read this post back then. Thank you for sharing with us on #farawayfiles

Reply
Beth March 13, 2019 - 9:35 am

Ahhh, we loved Rome when we visited last April. Many great ideas here…. our family (with three teens) were drenched on a very wet day doing a bike tour of the city, but I think the saving grace among all the wet was that we had three food stops. Our kids loved this aspect of the tour, and Rome has many great food tour options for different budgets. Thanks for sharing #FarawayFiles

Reply
Catherine's Cultural Wednesdays March 13, 2019 - 6:39 pm

Making Pizza and a food tour are top of my list now for our next visit to Rome

Reply
Tamy Rofe November 8, 2023 - 5:55 pm

Thank you I can not wait to got to all these fun places with the kids! ❤️

Reply

Leave a Comment