Looking for the perfect Italian city to explore with kids? Florence might be just what you need.
Italians love bambini unabashedly and is a very kid-friendly travel destination. They also are very pet-friendly and will be extremely accommodating to anyone traveling with either a pup or a toddler.
It’s not uncommon for restaurant staff, shop owners or passersby to rush over to help if they see you struggling with the pram or have a full out conversation in baby Italian with plenty of funny faces to match!
And while kids’ menus aren’t really a thing in Italy, Florence’s restaurants are always happy to accommodate picky eaters with “pasta in bianco” (pasta with olive oil and parmesan) or “pasta al pomodoro” (pasta in tomato sauce), even if they’re not on the menu.
As for sights and activities, Tuscany’s capital has got you covered with gardens, museums and plenty of kid-friendly activities just waiting for you and family to discover.
With that in mind, here is our list of some great things to do, see and eat with children in Florence regardless of the season.
Our fresh pasta making classes are nipoti (niece and nephew) approved. Photo: Coral Sisk.
Pizza, pasta and gelato making class in Florence
Looking for family-friendly cooking classes in Florence? Or craveable food tours in Florence for families?
We offer a fresh homemade pasta and gnocchi lesson in Florence that’s great for kids and a delicious way to bond together over generations of family recipes. We have a home kitchen option with a local culinary docent who welcomes travelers from around the world to pass down her family recipes. A truly special experience!
For a food tour for food lover’s of all ages, our Hidden Gem’s Florence Food Tour is a surefire way to keep the adults intrigued with food history and wine while the kids snack on focaccia, salami and gelato.
Come make pizza and gelato with us in a culinary studio away from the tour crowds! Our pizza and gelato making class in Florence will have you and your little ones making your own pizza dough from scratch as well as gelato and fruit-based sorbetti with a Florentine chef trained by one of the city’s leading gelato maestri.
Want to focus primarily on just gelato? We have a whole gelato food tour in Florence dedicated to gelato that involves a behind-the-scenes gelato making demo with a gelato maestro the kids love! And why not learning to make pizza at a pizzeria? We have a cooking class for just pizza in Florence that is sure to be a hit for the whole group.
Being hands-on, this experience is perfect for food enthusiasts big and small, allowing you to have a good time while tasting delicious fresh baked pizza. The lesson will conclude with a sit-down lunch of your pizza and gelato creations and recipes to take home.
La Specola is an eclectic natural history museum in Florence. Photo courtesy of the Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università di Firenze Facebook page.
La Specola
Florence’s Museum of Zoology also known as La Specola is part of the Florence Museum of Natural History. Full of creepy crawlies, stuffed animals, and amazing wax models of the human body dating back to the 18th century, it’s considered the oldest scientific museum in Europe and reopened in 2024 after a length renovation.
While the animals, minerals, plants and insects will delight children of all ages, you might want to skip the second half with its very detailed and at time pretty gory wax models - unless of course, your little one is a doctor in the making.
Address: Via Romana, 17
Opening hours: Tuesday- Sunday
Tickets: See website, subject to change
Galileo Science Museum
The Galileo Science Museum or Museo Galileo is dedicated to astronomer and scientist Galileo Galilei and housed in Palazzo Castellani, an 11th-century building in Florence’s city centre. Boasting one one of the world's largest collections of scientific instruments, it’s a great choice for older children who might have studied Galileo in school or are obsessed with space. The permanent exhibition features the telescope with which Galileo discovered the Galilean moons of Jupiter and an extraordinary collection of terrestrial and celestial globes.
The museum’s website suggest children under 7-8 might struggle to comprehend the exhibits, but it does provide a guided visits or educational workshops, which can be tailored to any age and are bookable online.
Address: Palazzo Castellani
Opening hours: Daily
Tickets: See website, subject to change
Standing to attention! Photo courtesy of the Museo Stibbert Facebook page.
The Stibbert Museum
The Stibbert Museum or Museo Stibbert is often overlooked for its more popular neighbors like the Uffizi Galleries and the Accademia Gallery, but if you’re looking to entertain the little ones, this is a great choice - especially if they are knight and armor enthusiasts.
Federico Stibbert amassed more than 50,000 items dedicated to all things ancient warfare from battle paintings to costumes, armor and antiques dating between the 15th century through the 19th century and all the way back to the Etruscans and Romans. And unlike most museums, many of the displays are out in the open, so kids can get up close and inspect the armor, see the details in the costumes, and imagine life in the grand Villa Montughi.
Address: Via Federico Stibbert, 26
Opening hours: Daily, except Thursdays
Tickets: See website, subject to change
Florence’s fountain shaped like a dragon (or a snake)Photo: Wikipedia Commons.
The Garden of Parnassus
The Garden of Parnassus or Orti del Parnaso is one of Florence’s lesser known, but no less spectacular gardens. The garden’s name refers to Mt. Parnassus in central Greece and it features a giant and ferocious snaked-shape fountain that winds its way down a flight of stairs. Created in 1990 by Marco Dezzi Bardeschi, it overlooks a magnificent view of Florence, capturing the city in its icy glare and is said the myth of the Python, a monstrous snake son of Gaia, whose noxious breath could putrefy all the plants.
As a bonus, this garden is right next to Florence magnificent Horticulture Garden, which with its Art Nouveau glass palace cast iron and glass, is another great spot for kids with a dedicated children’s park on one end.
Address: Via Trento 11
Opening hours: Daily
Tickets: Free
Florence’s Botanical Gardens
Founded in 1545 when Grand Duke Cosimo dei Medici purchased the land from the Dominican sisters, Florence’s Botanical Gardens or Giardino dei Semplici is a marvel for all senses. A living open-air museum, the gardens’ biodiversity is remarkable, from prehistoric ferns to edible plants, and medicinal and melliferous flora, around which students gather to study the intriguing life of bees.
For kids, the parrots in the trees of the Prato delle Colonne are a sure fire winner, but so are all the statues and the garden map, which you can use for an impromptu plant hunt.
Address: Via Pier Antonio Micheli, 3
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday
Tickets: See website, subject to change
Boboli Gardens
More than a garden and more than just the ‘green lungs’ of Florence, the Boboli Gardens are one of the greatest open-air museums in Florence, hosting centuries-old oak trees, sculptures, fountains, while offering peaceful shelter from the warm Florentine sun in summer, an array of beautiful colors in the fall and the smells of blooming flowers in the spring.
After restaurants and museums the gardens feel incredibly open and freeing for the little ones, especially if the weather is picnic accomodating. There are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore and enough space that they can run wild without disturbing other people.
Address: In front of Palazzo Pitti
Opening hours: Daily
Tickets: See website, subject to change. At time of writing, children tickets are free
Hearty traditional Tuscan fare at La Casalinga. Photo courtesy of La Casalinga Facebook page.
La Casalinga
Translating to ‘The Housewife’, La Casalinga promises unfussy and homely food with plenty to tempt big and little kids alike. Come here for all the family-style Tuscan hits, including hearty minestrone with rice and black cabbage and the oven-roast guinea fowl (‘faraona’). Homemade apple cake is a great way to finish.
Address: Via dei Michelozzi, 9R
Opening hours: Monday- Saturday
Website: trattorialacasalinga.it
Osteria de' Pazzi
This restaurant definitely has the feel of an old Italian eatery, like something you’d see in a black and white film. The staff is friendly and you and your kids will feel like family as you tuck into classics like ribollita, a Tuscan vegetable soup, risotto with artichokes when in season and potato gnocchi. Otherwise, a simple pasta bolognese is a great choice and the staff will always make accommodations for picky eaters.
Address: Via dei Lavatoi
Opening hours: Closed Monday
Website: osteriadeipazzi.com
Unpretentious food and an ever-changing menu at Trattoria Sabatino. Photo courtesy of the Trattoria Sabatino Facebook page.
Trattoria Sabatino
An affordable and down to earth restaurant, Trattoria Sabatino has been in the family since 1956. The dining room is simple and homelike, but there is plenty of space for family groups and simple pasta options. Tuck into roast beef, a great Bistecca Fiorentina and plenty of sides, while the kids can settle for ravioli in tomato sauce, tortellini or roast chicken. The tortelli di patate al sugo (tortelli with potatoes and sauce) is also a great choice!
Address: Via Pisana
Opening hours: Closed weekends
Website: trattoriasabatino.it
Il Pizzaiuolo
Kids love pizza! Why not take them to a traditional pizzeria with lots of Neapolitan character? The great thing about Il Pizzaiuolo is they have red sauce classics American kids are used to like spaghetti al pomodoro or meatballs with lots of red sauce. Il Pizzaiuolo is great for adults too as they spin some of the best pies in Florence. Lots of fun starters involving mozzarella, burrata, fried pizzette and more.
Address: Via dei Macci, 113R
Opening hours: Open lunch & dinner, daily
Website: https://ilpizzaiuolo.it
