Sorry if this question has been covered in previous posts but we are traveling and I have limited time to search the boards. My husband and I just finished three days in Venice with our three children ages 9, 11, & 12. We did lots of touring which was great, but one of the highlights was the mask making class at Ca' Macana in Dorsoduro. The kids really got into it and later they asked me if we were going to do anything else like that while we were travelling. We are considering biking in Lucca as a day trip combined with Pisa. We will be in Florence for 5 days. Any other ideas for more interactive activities? I have seen that cooking classes are pretty popular in Florence...anything that would be appropriate with kids. My kids are all interested in cooking. Any other ideas? Appreciate all your experience!!

Fun things to do with your kids in Florence, Italy. The best must do's (Uffizi, the Duomo), hidden treasures (Galileo's finger), children's favorites (Boboli ...

travelforkids.com/Funtodo/Italy/florence.htm

Museums Gardens and Pizza Cooking Classes would be my top 3

and were with my son he had a blast...

Knowing how to make REAL Pizza from scratch really

gave him a leg up with his peers at parties etc...

So might do tht for sure...

www.lucca.info was awesome only place to bike

ON TOP of city walls VERY cool.

http://www.liguriaguide.com/cinque-t...dellamore.html

an hour or so from Lucca on the Med coast by train

spectacular hiking if time...

http://www.ferrari.com/English/about...y/The_Factory/...

Male children of all ages enjoy this

between Venice and Florence

I certainly did...

The Museo di Storia della Scienza has been renovated and renamed the Museo Galileo. This is where you will find Galileo's finger among exhibits of his scientific instruments. Parts of the museum are more hands on than others.

http://www.museogalileo.it/en/index.html

The Palazzo Vecchio has a fresco workshop which I took with my daughter; you can take your (rather heavy) fresco home.

Your kids are old enough to enjoy the "secret passages" tour of the Palazzo Vecchio, where you go up the hidden staircase of the Duke of Athens, into the studiolo and the rafters. Both activities were available in English when I was there.

Hi lisa,

I can't immediately think of any really hands on activities in Florence, but things my slightly older kids liked were touring the market [who can guess which part of the animal THAT comes from!] and the music museum in the Accademia.

in art galleries you might also get them to play the game that we STILL play [and my kids are 21 & 24] -the "spot the ugliest baby" competition . there are some real corkers, even in paintings by renowned old masters. our present "1st prize" is held by a madonna and child in a monastery in Siena.

other people might find this slightly ? off colour, but it really made the kids look at the pictures rather than just sliding past, and it leads to conversations about how the relative sizes of the figures are wrong, why they might have painted the babies like this, etc etc.

Regarding qwovadis' suggestion of visiting the Ferrari factory... It's not possible to get a reservation to tour the factory unless you own a Ferrari (you'll be asked for vehicle ID info) or are looking seriously to purchase one (your dealer would make the reservation for you).

Here's one pizza (and gelato) making class in Florence:

http://www.florencetown.com/eng/flor...to-making.html

Before you make plans for hiking in Liguria, check the recovery/repairs to the area towns and trails following last month's devastating floods. Things may be in good shape by next summer. Or not.

http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en/for-kids-only/

The paint/weave/make pots like the cave dwellers might be fun.
http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en/ever...o-the-museums/

http://www.firenzeturismo.it/en/apt-for-kids/