10 Things to Do in Venice for children

There’s no doubt that Venice is an incredible and magical city. The sheer number of sights to see and activities to enjoy makes it a must-visit destination for everyone, including children—even if you have to approach things a little differently.

Although children tend to get tired more quickly and find long tours tedious, a trip to Venice can be fun for them if you plan your itinerary well. Obviously, this doesn’t mean you should skip the gondola ride or museum visits, but you will need to adjust how you approach those activities. Let me explain how!

As they stroll through Venice, children will see the typical Venetian masks associated with the winter carnival everywhere. The beauty and colorfulness of these masks are sure to make them want to buy them—something you can always do. That said, they might enjoy it even more if you take them to make their own mask.

Creating one of these masks won’t just be fun for them—it’s also an activity that will foster their creativity. In Venice, you can find several shops offering this activity, in which adults can also participate.

When booking a class, I recommend always looking for an authentic Venetian master artisan, as they are the ones best suited to explain the traditional techniques for making masks. And there are two types of classes:

• Decoration classes, where children can take their masks home right away.
• Production classes, for which they’ll have to wait a few hours before proudly collecting their creation.

Best places to buy a mask if you prefer

If you don’t have time or the kids aren’t interested in making their own mask, a good option is to buy one. You’ll have no trouble finding numerous shops and street stalls all over the city, but there are some neighborhoods that are better for finding a high-quality mask.

In my opinion, the best neighborhood is San Polo. You only have to look at the number of windows displaying masks and carnival costumes to realize how many artisans live there. To get to this area, you can take a pleasant stroll across the Rialto Bridge.

Venice is often described as a labyrinth of canals, streets, alleys, and passageways. However, just a short distance from the city lies a real labyrinth that is sure to delight children.

It is located at Villa Pisani, a place with stunning architecture, but there’s no doubt that the little ones will be most drawn to the aforementioned labyrinth situated in the vast garden.

The truth is that the maze is not at all simple, so you should never let the children out of your sight. The path winds through several concentric rings, and it’s quite easy to get lost. Luckily, there’s a staircase in the center that you can climb to get an overview of the whole maze and figure out the way out.

Practical Information

• How to get there: The most convenient option for children is to take an ACTV bus from Piazzale Roma.
• Opening dates and hours: From April to September, the Villa is open from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. From October through March, it closes at 4:00 PM.

Traveling with children doesn’t have to stop you from visiting such fascinating landmarks as the Doge’s Palace in Venice. The trick to keeping them from getting tired is to shift your perspective and focus your explanations on things that might interest them. In this case, my advice is to set aside the architecture and focus on the secret passages hidden within the palace.

Although it depends on each child, they usually have a great time exploring the cell area, the narrow staircases, the torture chamber, and the entrance via the Bridge of Sighs.

If you can spice up all these attractions with interesting stories, I assure you the children will really enjoy visiting the Doge’s Palace.

Practical Information

Children under 6 are not permitted to visit the palace’s “secret” areas. However, they can enter the Doge’s Palace, walk across the Bridge of Sighs, and see some of the isolated cells.

Did you think that taking a gondola ride was something only adults could enjoy? Well, let me tell you that it’s one of the things kids will love the most.

Plus, it’s one of the best ways to explore the city without the kids getting too tired and having to carry them in a stroller or in your arms.

Tips for taking a gondola ride with kids

This experience is usually available both during the day and at night, but kids will likely enjoy the daytime option more, since they’re usually exhausted by the time the sun goes down.

If you’re traveling with a baby, I recommend not bringing a stroller. It’s best to use a baby carrier, since strollers must be left at the gondola station. However, strollers are allowed on rides along the Grand Canal.

There’s a common misconception that kids get bored in museums. However, this depends a lot on how you structure the visit and the type of museum. My advice is not to rule out this activity entirely, but to carefully research where to go and whether the museum offers activities that might interest the little ones.

In the case of Venice, these are the best options:

• Natural History Museum: one of the most interesting museums for children in Venice. Inside, they’ll be able to see fossils and dinosaur skeletons, including one over 7 meters long that always amazes the little ones. Another section they usually enjoy is the large aquarium it houses.
• Peggy Guggenheim: Every Sunday, it hosts “Children’s Day.” Children under 10 can enter for free to attend workshops (in various languages) on contemporary art.
• Correr Museum: The highlight for children is the drawing workshop based on myths and legends. They’ll also enjoy the guided tour that takes them on a journey to discover 16th-century Venice.
• Naval History Museum: the old ships inside are a magnet for most children.
• Leonardo Da Vinci Machine Museum: In this museum, you can see several of the machines designed by Leonardo Da Vinci. It’s a very engaging exhibition, especially for older children.

If you’re traveling in the spring or summer, when the weather is usually nice, the kids can enjoy a few hours at the beach to take a break from sightseeing. The best place for this is the beaches of the Lido, just a 15-minute vaporetto ride from the city.

The island has several different beaches. Some of them are private, but others are public and free, such as:

• Paradise Beach
• San Nicolo
• Murazzi
• Alberoni

If you’d like to spend several days on this island to explore all its beaches, I recommend purchasing the 72-hour transport pass in Venice, which also allows you to travel to other parts of the city at a better price.

Take advantage of your time on the Lido to take the kids to the planetarium

If you’ve visited the Lido in the spring, take the opportunity to take the kids to the fabulous planetarium located inside the Lungomare D’Annunzio public park. It’s open from October through May, and the activities are recommended for children ages 7 and up.

The show, which is free to attend, lasts about 50 minutes and offers children an extraordinary view of the sky, its stars, and various phenomena such as rainbows.

When you first arrive in a city, it’s common to feel a bit disoriented. If you’re traveling with children, you won’t be able to afford to waste much time getting your bearings. The best solution is to book a personalized guided tour of Venice to spend your first few hours.

This type of tour offers many advantages when traveling with children, as not only will you be shown some of Venice’s most important landmarks, but the guides are usually accustomed to having young children in the group and know which places might pique their curiosity.

Play "Lion Hunt"

It’s quite likely that during the tour, the children will hear about the lion, the symbol of Venice. One of the city’s most popular lions is located in the small square next to St. Mark’s, and guides usually point it out during tours.

To keep the little ones entertained, it might be a good idea to organize a sort of “lion hunt”—encouraging them to look for lions in different corners of Venice. To make it more fun, ask them to distinguish between the winged and non-winged ones.

Venice also offers some interesting shows designed for children. The following venues often host activities that will delight children:

• Palazzetto Bru Zane: offers special concerts for children ages six and up. Before the concerts, there is a workshop where a musician works to get the children involved in an interactive way. Additionally, other activities, such as a treasure hunt, are organized in the same building.
• Teatro Goldoni: In addition to the museum located inside, this theater organizes various children’s entertainment activities, including puppet shows.
• Teatro ai Frari: Like the previous venue, it offers puppet shows and other cultural activities for children of all ages.

A unique visit that children particularly love is the famous Acqua Alta Bookstore. Inside, they’ll not only enjoy the unique way the books are stacked (forming staircases or a gondola) or the special exit designed for swimming out in case of flooding, but also the cats that, they say, guard the old books to keep them safe.

This bookstore is located in the Castello district, amidst an intriguing labyrinth of narrow streets and canals. The main entrance is on a small square called Campiello del Tintor, on Calle Longa Santa María Formosa. In my opinion, it’s a must-visit if your stay in Venice is going to last more than two days.

All children need downtime to play, run around, and relax. If you don’t take this into account, it’s quite possible the trip will end with a tantrum.

Luckily, Venice has some gardens that are perfect for kids and, in some cases, equipped with play areas for the little ones. These are the ones I recommend most:

• Giardini Reali: just 50 meters from St. Mark’s Basilica, this small park is perfect for a picnic or enjoying an ice cream while sitting down. Although it doesn’t have swings, children can entertain themselves by watching the fish in the pond.
• Giardini della Biennale: This is the city’s largest green space. There, children can enjoy the playground, with activities for the whole family. If you’re lucky enough to visit during the Biennale, the park fills with stalls and art exhibitions.
• Savorgnan Park: Located near the train station and the fascinating Jewish ghetto, this park is ideal for the hottest days. Its shaded areas seem tailor-made for sitting down and having a bite to eat.

It’s not easy to decide when is the best time to visit Venice with children, especially since your options are very limited by the school calendar.

If you have a choice, I recommend spring. For starters, there are usually fewer tourists, and strolling through the city is much more comfortable—not to mention that the lines to enter monuments are much shorter.

On the other hand, the weather is mild, without the cold and rain of winter and without the intense heat of summer.

There are several modes of transportation for getting around Venice, almost all of which involve water. Generally, most tourists tend to get around on foot or by vaporetto. With the latter option, children under 6 ride for free, and strollers can be brought on board at no charge.

If the child is very young, it’s best to bring a baby carrier. Although in open areas like St. Mark’s Square there are no problems getting around with a stroller, many parts of the city are full of stairs and bridges without ramps.