I offered to search this forum for a friend of mine who is going to Venice with his wife and kids for a long weekend leaving on Friday. <BR> <BR>I started but did you know Venice features in at least 150 posts in the last 2 months alone!!! Life is too short! <BR> <BR>Can anyone help? Places to eat, things to see. Kids are 11 and 7 (girl and boy) Papa is ino architecture and buildings. Others are along for the ride.

Sheila: <BR> <BR>Try two different more limited searches: <BR>Do one on "Venice restaurants" or "Venice trattorias" and do one on "Venice and kids". You might get lucky.

I've done the kids/ children one with no hits. I'm wading through the others. <BR> <BR>Anyone with direct experience, tash enough to take children to a city, mostly under water, please feel free to subit direct evidence. Pretty please.

I have taken a two day Venice visti with my 6 and 8 year old. Some of the things to do with them are not a mystery: <BR> <BR>1. Take them on a gondola ride (many gondoliers will let the kids help power the boat in the quiet canals) <BR>2. Have a drink in St. Marks Square while the kids can run and chase the pidgeons. (Buy a staw hat for the younger child before the ride to look like a gondolier) <BR>3. Take a tour of the Doges Palace and the Prison; but show them the Bridge of Sighs before the tour so they get a sense of history and the drama of crossing the bridge of sighs. <BR>4. Take a boat trip to the Island of Murano where they can watch glass being made by hand. Most motor boat captains will also let the kids "steer" the boat on the way over. <BR>5. Have lunch along the grand canal near the Rialto Bridge; the view of the water traffic is endless entertainment for all ages. <BR>6. When visiting museums, go to the museum shop first, buy postcards of the paintings or sculpture and set the children off on a treasure hunt while the adults can relax and enjoy the museum. <BR>

I seem to recall someone on this forum saying their kids really loved the Museum of Maritime history. <BR> <BR>We had the best pizza of our trip in Venice, at pizzeria Bora Bora not far from the Rialto bridge. Seems like this is a place the kids would like.

I've only been to Venice without kids, but I second the idea of the Museum of Maritime History -- it's interesting for adults, too. If they go there, they shouldn't miss the nearby annex, the "Officina Remi" (included in admission price), which has a variety of boats, including the last official ceremonial boat of the republic. <BR> <BR>If they're well-behaved kids, and the parents don't mind an admission charge, I'd suggest the interior of the Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, which has really delightful paintings by Carpaccio full of decorative dragons, dogs, etc. <BR> <BR>Other suggestions: Gelateria Nico on the Zattere (the long promenade along the south edge of Dorsoduro); a ride up to the top of the tower of San Giorgio Maggiore for a great view; the gondola workshop on Rio San Trovaso (Dorsoduro). <BR> <BR>But, really, just walking around the whole city is pretty amazing for an adults, much less for children. It shouldn't be hard to keep them entertained.

Sheila: One more suggestion on the searches -- try putting in the words "Venice" and "family" -- I know there was a post in the past month or so about good family-friendly restaurants in Venice.

Thank you; you are all wonderful <BR>

Thank you. You are all wonderful <BR>