EllenAK

I am taking my 12 yo daughter to Italy. We are staying in Venice for 2 nights, Florence and Rome for 5 nights each. Need to balance culture and history with activities a pre-teen would enjoy. Any ideas would be appreciated!!

ira

Hi ellen,

You have 3 great cities to just wander in.

I suggest you plan one (no more than 2) cultural stops per day and leave the rest of the day open.

Ostia Antica is an archaeological site near Rome that I thnk she would enjoy.

Take the no. 7 bus from the train station up to Fiesole. It's a nice ride and a pretty hill town.

Byrd

EllenAK,

The things that popped into my mind are all pretty obvious, so you've probably already thought of them, but...

A gondola ride- make sure your gondolier sings.

A glass-blowing demonstration on Murano, and maybe buy some pretty beads.

The top of the Campanile is a grand experience for any age.

A day trip from Florence to see the Tower in Pisa.

The Trevi Fountain in Rome, and coin-throwing ritual. Maybe you could rent "Three Coins in the Fountain" and/or "Roman Holiday" before you go?

And, of course, gelato! Keep track of the best, favorite flavors, most unusual flavors, etc.

If she is into writing or photography, a journal (illustrated with pictures) might be fun for her.

Whatever you do, you will have a wonderful time to remember.

Byrd

Iregeo

Hi Ellen. We did this trip last year with our 11 year old. If you search some of my old posts, they may give insight regarding some child oriented things. From memory, some of my son's favorites were as follows:

Rome: the Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, the Forum, the Vatican and St. Peters, keeping track of the number of ancient water fountains found around the city, counting the number of Spanish Steps, tacky souvenir shopping, gelato and being the family photographer;

Florence: the duomo, climbing the duomo, Piazza della Signoria, feeding pigeons, a carriage ride through the city, the David, internet access at the hotel, gelato, tacky souvenir shopping and being the family photographer;

Venice: our gondola ride, St. Mark's Square, chasing the pigeons, the Doges Palace, walking everywhere, gelato, tacky souvenir shopping and being the family photographer!

There's also a book specifically about things to do with a kid in Rome -- perhaps by Fodors -- with some innovative ideas.

Don't worry, theres plenty to do and you'll both have fun!

MFNYC

Italy is very kid friendly. When we first arrived with our kids, we were all exhausted from the red eye. Once we got on the water taxi to the hotel, all of us perked up. I had cameras for everyone, and everyone was snapping photos. Venice is so magical, just being there and wandering around is entertainment for everyone. In Venice we all liked touring Doges Palace. We also went to Murano on our own, and found a small local shop with 3 glass blowers at work. It was fascinating to watch these men go about their craft. My kids were in heaven with the food, especially all the flavors of gelato. We only spent an overnight in FLorence to visit a friend, but did walk around and took the kids to the science museum (which is small but quite interesting). There's so much in ROme, my kids enjoyed the colliseum, we also did a day trip to Pompeii which is great, they actually went up and down counting the spanish steps on several occassions (but never got the same answer). Borghese Gardens is a nice place to relax, and maybe have a picnic, the gallery there is also phenominal (one of my favorites), not too big, so easier to absorb the info (we rented audio guides at most places). We also took them to the capuchin (sp?) crypts with all the decorations made from human bones. My daughter (also 12 at the time) could easily have spent days just shopping, but that wasn't in the plan. You're all going to have a great time.

mendota98

Hi EllenAK, my 11 yo daughter loved shopping in the outdoor stalls in Pisa(near the tower), the San Lorenzo market in Florence and in Rome from the street vendors near the bridges by the Vatican. She bought an imitation backpack, handbag, scarf, etc.

Also in Florence she loved climbing to the top of the Duomo , taking the train to Pisa and Rome and viewing the shops on the Ponte Vecchio .

In Rome she enjoyed touring the ancient ruins, but her favorites were the Vatican Museums ,St. Peter's and a day trip to Villa d'Este.

For food cheeze pizza and gelato.

Good luck,

==Mike

spootiskerry

Hi Ellen,
I, too, am taking my child (13-year-old son) to Italy. We will be there from June 15-23, then on to So. France. We contacted an archaeology professor who has kindly allowed us to attend one of his grad seminars and field trip, so we are joining them on a trip to Ostia Antica one day. My son wants to be an archaeologist so this is a great opportunity for him. We plan to go to Pompeii, of course, and thought about heading to Basilicata to see the sassi (ancient homes 7000 years old carved in the terrain). That's where the Passion of the Christ was filmed also. We're kind of winging it, so I'm glad you posted your request. We're browsing! If you'll be there at the same time as us, e-mail me off-line. [email protected]

Shelley

sandi_travelnut

EllenAk- I took my then 12 year old son to the places you mentioned and we had a great time. I can send you my trip report if you'd like.

sandi_travelnut

In Florence, do not miss the amazing Museum of Science (Museo di Storia della Scienza- Piazza dei Giudici 1) that we found out about on this board. If you are travelling with kids between about 11-up you must go to this museum. It?s around the corner from the Ufizzi by the river. It contains Galileo?s telescopes, globes, instruments he used to measure the distance between planet, the lens that was used in which he discovered the moons of Jupiter?even the bone of his index finger! Needless to say, adults and children will be truly amazed.