Things to do in Florence with kids - 10 places to visit with educational and fun activities
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Visiting Florence with children: 10 multilingual fun activities to do in museums!

All the interactive activities of the MUS.E Foundation, in the civic museums and Florentine palaces, for families with children aged 4 to 12 visiting Florence.

Are you visiting Florence with your children? Don't let them get bored with too much “adult stuff”! Here are 10 Things to Do in Florence with Kids, a short list of activities organized by the MUS.E Foundation, which takes care of the valorisation of the heritage of the Florentine Civic Museums and Palazzo Medici Riccardi, designed for families with children aged 4 to 12, residents and non-residents, Italians and foreigners, with whom little ones can have fun while learning about some of the most important places in the city: magic, history, fairy tales, perfumes, painting and much more!

10 Things to Do in Florence with Kids

1. COURT LIFE: PALAZZO VECCHIO

Today, Palazzo Vecchio is a museum, however in the sixteenth century, it was the home of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, his wife Eleonora de Toledo and their eleven children. Children can explore the palace rooms and discover life as little princes: imagine the great banquets in the Great Hall, walk with their imagination on the flower-filled terraces like gardens and experience the magic of a real palace!

  • Age: 4-10 years
  • Languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, German
  • Times and days: 11.30 am, from Monday to Sunday
  • Price for non-residents: €5 Book or purchase the visit: *The Museum entrance ticket or holders of Firenzecard must be added to the cost of the activity.

2. IN THE WORKSHOP: FRESH PAINTING - PALAZZO VECCHIO

“Of all the other ways that painters do, painting on the wall is the most masterful and beautiful”, said Giorgio Vasari. In fact, painting a fresco requires great skill because you can't make mistakes; you need to know the materials and colours well. In this workshop, adults and children will be able to test themselves and follow all the phases to create a small fresco, which at the end of the activity, they will be able to take home as a souvenir of their artistic experience!

  • Age: 8+ years
  • Languages: Italian, English, French
  • Times and days: Mon-Tue-Wed-Fri h2.30pm/4.30pm | Sa-Sun 4.30pm
  • Price for non-residents: €5 Book or purchase the visit: *The entrance ticket to the Museum, or holders of Firenzecard, must be added to the cost of the activity.

3. STORIES AND LEGENDS AROUND THE MEDICI COAT OF ARMS: PALAZZO MEDICI RICCARDI

The Medici coat of arms is one of the most famous symbols of Florence and decorates much of the city's architecture, particularly the ancient family residence, Palazzo Medici Riccardi. A special animated video will tell the adventures and secrets hidden behind the coat of arms and the characters of the Medici family. After the video, children will be able to explore the most fascinating places of the palace, immersing themselves in a story that is still legend today!

  • Age: 4-10 years
  • Languages: Italian, English
  • Times and days: 3 pm, Saturday and Sunday
  • Price for non-residents: €4 Book or purchase the visit: *The Museum entrance ticket or holders of Firenzecard must be added to the cost of the activity.

4. AN ALL-BLUE WORLD – STEFANO BARDINI MUSEUM

The Stefano Bardini Museum is a little treasure to discover! It was once the shop of the famous antique dealer Bardini, known as the "prince of antique dealers" for his extraordinary taste and talent. During the activity, the children will explore the museum rooms, admiring the large and small masterpieces that Bardini has carefully chosen and arranged in a truly special way, painting the walls a beautiful "Bardini blue", the colour of the sky. In the end, there will be a creative moment entirely dedicated to this magical colour: Blue!

  • Age: 4-7 years
  • Languages: Italian, English
  • Times and days: Monday at 3.30 pm or Sunday at 12.30 pm
  • Price for non-residents: €5 Book or purchase the visit: *The entrance ticket to the Museum, or holders of Firenzecard, must be added to the cost of the activity.

5. TALE OF THE TURTLE WITH THE SAIL – PALAZZO VECCHIO

Duke Cosimo was very fond of the symbol of the turtle with the sail, which can be seen everywhere in the halls of his palace. It will be a nice turtle who will tell the children a special fairy tale about little heroes, slowness and speed, wisdom and prudence. After the story, the children can have fun with a "turtle hunt with sail" exploring all the corners of Palazzo Vecchio!

  • Age: 4-7 years
  • Languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish
  • Times and days: 10 am, from Monday to Sunday
  • Price for non-residents: €5 Book or purchase the visit: *The entrance ticket to the Museum, or holders of Firenzecard, must be added to the cost of the activity.

6. TO MAKE A CITY IT TAKES A FLOWER – PALAZZO VECCHIO

The name of Florence comes from "Florentia", the Roman colony born on a splendid expanse of flowers along the Arno River. We don't know if this story is true or just a legend, and it's difficult to understand which flower has represented the city since its birth: a lily, an iris? The story will unfold among the flowers to help children rediscover the symbol of Florence, which they often see but observe little, and to understand how the city is just like a precious flower, to be protected and cared for with love.

  • Age: 4-7 years
  • Languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, German
  • Times and days: 10 am, from Monday to Sunday
  • Price for non-residents: €5 Book or purchase the visit: *The entrance ticket to the Museum, or holders of Firenzecard, must be added to the cost of the activity.

7. AT THE MEDICI HOME IN THE 15TH CENTURY – PALAZZO MEDICI RICCARDI

The palace was born as a private residence of the Medici family in the 1440s and became the fulcrum of the family's life until the move to Palazzo Vecchio in 1540. Cosimo the Elder lived here; Lorenzo and Giuliano spent their days here; Alessandro de' Medici, first Duke of Florence, settled here. From the street bench and the original loggia (later incorporated into the building) to the refined internal courtyard and the domestic vegetable garden that will become a garden, up to the apartments and the chapel, the itinerary will allow children to rediscover - thanks to texts, images, artefacts, sounds and perfumes – “fragments of a Medici discourse” which is still, rightly so, magnificent today.

  • Age: 8-12 years
  • Languages: Italian, English, French
  • Times and days: 3 pm, Saturday and Sunday
  • Price for non-residents: €4 Book or purchase the visit: *The Museum entrance ticket or holders of Firenzecard must be added to the cost of the activity.

8. DAILY LIFE IN SANTA MARIA NOVELLA – SANTA MARIA NOVELLA COMPLEX

The Santa Maria Novella complex offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in the life of the Dominican friars of the 13th century, reconstructing their daily life made up of rules, timetables and tasks while admiring the artistic masterpieces kept in the convent. Visitors will be able to experience the monastic rhythm of life firsthand: prayer in the majestic church, visually rendered in the works of Giotto, Masaccio, Brunelleschi and Ghirlandaio; the common meal in the refectory; the meetings in the Chapter room; studying in the library; the silence of the cloister; assistance in the infirmary and rest in the dormitories, thus capturing the profound historical and artistic importance of the complex.

  • Age: 8-11 years
  • Languages: Italian, English, French
  • Times and days: 3.30 pm, Saturday and Sunday
  • Price for non-residents: €5 Book or purchase the visit: *The entrance ticket to the Museum, or holders of Firenzecard, must be added to the cost of the activity.

9. SCENTED TALE OF NATURE – PALAZZO VECCHIO

It is surprising to think that in a stone palace like Palazzo Vecchio, Nature can play such an important role! Yet, the presence of nature is evident, as desired by a Duke and Duchess, who are deeply linked to the land and passionate about hunting, fishing, horses, and gardens. This tale, enriched by the magic of perfumes, will evoke memories and bring to life the splendid nature painted in the rooms of the Palace.

  • Age: 4-7 years
  • Languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish
  • Times and days: Mon-Tues-Wed-Fri 2.30pm/4.30 pm Sa-Sun 4.30 pm
  • Price for non-residents: €5 Book or purchase the visit: *The entrance ticket to the Museum, or holders of Firenzecard, must be added to the cost of the activity.

10. ARTMACHINE – Twentieth Century Museum

The route is conceived as a real "journey through time", to discover the languages, techniques and principles of the arts of the twentieth century. Children will be guided on an itinerary that explores the many artistic expressions of the 20th century, animated by the dialogue between tradition and innovation, ancient and modern, abstract and concrete. The meeting with great artists and their works will become an opportunity for personal re-elaboration, allowing children to create and take home a special "collection" inspired by their experience.

  • Age: 8-12 years
  • Languages: Italian, English, French
  • Times and days: 9.30 and 10.45, Saturday and Sunday
  • Price for non-residents: €5 Book or purchase the visit: *The entrance ticket to the Museum, or holders of Firenzecard, must be added to the cost of the activity.