8 Ways to Explore Tuscany With Kids

Think of Tuscany, and romance typically comes to mind. The vast olive groves, wending vineyards and hilltop castles have been a favorite couples’ escape for decades. But families with children need not be excluded from this pastoral scene. While the region might not top lists for great family travel destinations, our 9-year-old son had a bravissimo time on our June trip. Follow these tips to come up with an equally fun itinerary.

1. Climb the Tower of Pisa

We had no intention of visiting what is often referred to as a tourist trap, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, until our son told us it was on his bucket list. Through the eyes of a child, I could ignore the tourists surrounding the cathedral’s bell tower and see it for what it is: a true architectural wonder. The look of achievement on my son’s face after he climbed the uneven building’s 251 steps is something I will never forget.

2. Bike Lucca’s Walled City

The stunning city of Lucca in central Tuscany is best known for the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, a public square that was originally a Roman amphitheater. Filled with outdoor cafes and a few boutiques, it will likely not hold a child’s attention for long.

Rent bikes from Swift Rental, however, and it becomes an obstacle course travelers can cycle through before climbing the city’s dramatic 15th-century walls. The elevated pedestrian path along the fortification encircles the city and is wide enough to allow bikers, young and old, veteran and novice, to get around with ease.

3. Play at the Leonardo Interactive Museum in Florence

Little known fact: Florence has two da Vinci museums. The one clients want to visit with children is the Leonardo Interactive Museum, which is filled with the Renaissance man’s reproduced inventions. Better yet, kids are invited to try them all.

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The tactile and loud space is a child’s dream, especially for those who have had to talk softly through tours of the Uffizi Galleries and the Duomo. Here, they can flap the wings of da Vinci’s flying machine, operate a hydraulic saw, spin an Archimedean screw or examine an early printing machine. Do note, tickets allow only a one-hour visit, so it’s smart to warn kids that their time imagining themselves as Italy’s most famous polymath is limited.

4. Suit Up at the Museo Delle Armature in Monteriggioni

Located 30 minutes outside of Siena is a tiny village that’s considered one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Tuscany. The site was once an important stop on the Via Francigena, a pilgrimage stop along the Canterbury, England, to Rome route.

The tiny Museo Delle Armature allows visitors to walk the walled ramparts, and then try on a full medieval suit of armor while posing with a similarly outfitted mannequin. It’s great for a little travel education disguised as entertainment.

5. Join Kids Playing Soccer in a Local Park

Soccer is not just a sport in Italy, it’s a sacred pastime. Visitors will find children playing pick-up games in parks and fields in every little hamlet they visit. We encouraged our son to join a group at a park in the Chianti town of San Casciano in Val di Pesa.

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While he was apprehensive at first, the welcoming children immediately folded him into a team. The translation barrier was no match for the universal language of football, and my son loved making Italian friends along the way. Parent pro tip: Grab a perfect cappuccino at the lovely Blu Bar Bistrot before the match.

6. Participate in a Puppet Street Performance in San Gimignano

Buskers and street performers are a hallmark of Europe, and travelers will certainly encounter them in big cities such as Florence. But if clients spot one in a smaller town, a child has a better chance of becoming part of the act.

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That was the case for our son when we stumbled upon a puppeteer in the vein of Punch and Judy in San Gimignano, a town best known for its iconic skyline of medieval towers. Look for the puppeteer in the Piazza del Duomo.

7. Tell Time on Siena’s 14th-century Torre del Mangia Clock Tower

Siena’s Piazza del Campo is widely considered one of Europe’s greatest medieval squares, thanks in part to Torre del Mangia, a clock tower built in 1338 that is the third-highest in Italy. That alone will get most children’s attention, but if families want to make a game out of it, have kids practice telling time on the clock.

If they get the time right, parents can treat them to a climb to the top of this ancient skyscraper. Note: Tickets must be purchased in person from the Palazzo Pubblico.

8. Practice Italian While Ordering Gelato

Gelato is available on nearly every corner in Tuscany, so parents should prepare to spend some time ordering scoops. But why not allow kids to stretch their language skills by placing their orders themselves?

In between shopping for the city’s famous alabaster, stop by L’isola del Gusto Gelateria. Then say these three magic phrases: ciao (hello); Vorrei un gelato piccolo in cono, per favore (I would like a small ice cream cone, please); fragola, per favore (strawberry, please). Then watch them delight in the freshest strawberry gelato they have ever had.