Are you coming to Tuscany with your family and want to make sure there’s plenty to keep your kids entertained and engaged? Don’t worry – there is! I’ve posted a whopping 70+ Things to Do with Kids in Tuscany to give you some ideas and inspiration. But, I get messages asking which are the best.
Of course, the answer to that depends on your family – your kids’ ages, your family’s interests, your budget, etc.
Still, I have a few activities and places that come to the top of my head when I’m asked – because I’ve seen my kids enjoy them as well as countless other kids and families during my time as an active travel guide and vacation planner here in Italy.
So, after toodling around Tuscany for 2+ decades with families and kids, here are the top 10 things to do with kids here (all enthusiastically approved by my kids).
Table of Contents
Map of the Best Tuscany Activities for Families
Explore the Chianti Sculpture Park
The Chianti Sculpture Park (Parco Sculture del Chianti) is made up of unique works of art created by artists from around the world. My kids love exploring the artworks on the ~1 kilometer dirt path. Some are colorful, some are made of natural materials, and some you can go inside or interact with.
How to Get There: You’ll need to drive your own car. There’s a gravel parking lot right at the entrance.
Best for Ages: All ages. I’ve pushed babies in strollers here and let toddlers and older kids run around. Older kids and teens can use the app to learn about the sculptures and explain to the rest of the group.
Kid Logistics: You can bring strollers on the path but there are a couple of artworks you can’t reach with the stroller (no big deal). There are porta-potties, and the best place for diaper changes is on a bench. They sell water but if you want food or snacks, you’ll need to bring them. There’s a picnic area.
Helpful Tip: Download the app so you can learn about the sculptures as you visit them.
Things to See & Do Nearby: Be sure to drive by the village next door (Pievasciata) and look for more outdoor art (12 more pieces!) in the village and close by. We love the bell peppers and the man painting. You’re also near Siena, Monteriggioni, and Chianti villages like Gaiole, Radda, and Castellina.
Find more Outdoor Art in Tuscany
Ride Bikes on Lucca’s Walls
Lucca is a gem and a family-friendly small-ish city in Tuscany. One of the best things to do in Lucca as a family is rent bikes and ride on top of the city walls! I know, it sounds dangerous, but there are wide, paved paths like in the video above. If you have kids in your group who don’t ride yet, you can also get family bikes that fit multiple passengers.
There are places to stop along the way (cafes, small play areas), and you can also take the ramps down to the bigger playgrounds below.
The loops is over 4 kilometers, and it takes between 30-60 minutes, depending on how fast you ride and how many times you stop.
How to Get There: You can reach Lucca easily by car or train. It’s a practical and fun family day trip from Florence.
Best for Ages: All ages. Plus, after the ride, there are things to do in Lucca for all ages.
Kid Logistics: Lucca (and the walls) are stroller-friendly. You can change diapers in café and restaurant bathrooms, or use a bench and your portable changing mat.
Helpful Tip: Call ahead to reserve bikes and helmets. Then you can show up to your bike shop and start your ride right away (vs dragging your kids around to multiple shops). We’ve rented from Tourist Center Lucca Bike Rental, conveniently located just outside the train station.
Things to See & Do Nearby: In Lucca, older kids will love the Torre Guinigi climb (there’s a tree at the top!) and visiting one of Lucca’s playgrounds. Outside the city, you can visit a beach, or go to the nearby Pinocchio Park, Pisa, or Pistoia Zoo.
Play at the Beach
Tuscany has a gorgeous coastline that runs along the Tyrrhenian Sea from Versilia up north to Maremma down south. The beaches up north tend to be a little more developed (think beach clubs with perfectly-lined up umbrellas and lounge chairs), while the southern beaches down in Maremma are typically more wild and tend to have fewer services.
Wherever you choose, your kids are bound to have fun playing in the sand and splashing in the sea.
Read more about
Beaches Near Florence
Beaches Near Lucca
Forte dei Marmi with Kids
How to Get There: While you can reach some beaches easily by train (I’m thinking of Viareggio, just north of Pisa), it’s simpler to visit Tuscan beaches with your own car. You’ll have flexibility with timing and you’ll have a place to carry beach gear (which can be a lot with kids!).
Best for Ages: All ages.
Kids Logistics and Helpful Tip: Decide if you want to have the amenities of a beach club, and if so, try to book it in advance. As much as I like wild beaches, as a mom, it’s just easier to book a beach club – you’ll have access to bathrooms, showers, changing rooms, umbrellas and lounge chairs, and usually a restaurant or bar.
Things to See & Do Nearby: Depending on the beach you visit, you may be close to cities like Pisa and Lucca or to family-friendly theme parks like Cavallino Matto or Aqua Park Cecina.
Take a Kid-Friendly Cooking Class
If you have any aspiring chefs in your group, book a cooking class! There are so many offered in Tuscany, and many of them are kid-friendly.
My son loved a class we took at Toscana Mia, in the Tuscan countryside, and I’ve also really enjoyed family cooking classes at Let’s Cook with Jacopo and Anna.
How to Get There: Depends on the location. Book an in-city class if you don’t want to worry about transport. Or, head to the Tuscan countryside with your own car.
Best for Ages: I think elementary-age and up get the most out of Tuscan cooking classes, but many welcome toddler-age kids too – they can help knead dough, mix ingredients, etc.
Kids Logisitics: You’ll have access to a bathroom if you need to change diapers.
Helpful Tip: If you have different interest levels in the cooking class, try to book a class that has an outdoor area for kids to play in or something else they can do if they lose interest.
Things to See & Do Nearby: You can combine your cooking class with a visit to a local market.
Honorable Mention: Learn all about Southern Tuscany’s famous pecorino (sheep’s milk) cheese at a farm near Pienza.
Read more about Toscana Mia Cooking School
Visit the Giardino dei Tarocchi (Tarot Garden)
Tuscany’s Tarot Garden is deep in the Maremma, so it’s not really a place you just happen to drive by – you need to go out of your way to get there. You’ll be happy you did!
This whimsical, colorful sculpture garden is the work of artist Niki de Saint Phalle and it’s a gem. Everyone in your family will find something to love in her quirky and interesting sculptures.
How to Get There: You’ll need to drive your own car or visit as part of an organized group tour.
Best for Ages: All ages!
Kids Logisitics: It’s a very kid-friendly park. You can bring your stroller to part of it, there are diaper changing tables in the toilets, and there’s a café and picnic area. It is crowded though – always.
Helpful Tip: Book your tickets online as soon as you know your dates – it can sell out.
Things to See & Do Nearby: Visit the hilltop village of Capalbio and spend time at one of Maremma’s gorgeous beaches.
Read more about
Visiting Tuscany’s Tarot Garden
Capalbio with Kids
Explore Family-Friendly Florence
We have plenty of things for kids in Florence, like:
- Family-friendly museums like the Leonardo da Vinci interactive museum or the Stibbert Museum
- Easy opportunities to see famous art like Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia
- Amazing gelato!
- Places to run around and check out amazing views
- Towers to climb – our favorite is Giotto’s bell tower
How to Get There: Florence is easy to reach by train, but you can also reach it by bus or your own car.
Best for Ages: Any age!
Kids Logisitics: Florence has a compact city center, and you can use your stroller. Diaper changes are best done in restaurants or cafés. You can find anything you need here – from diapers to clothing to a new stroller.
Helpful Tip: If you’re visiting in the summer, know that Florence gets toasty! Try to avoid exploring mid-day and try some of our other Tips to Beat the Heat in Florence.
Things to See & Do Nearby: Florence is connected to other nearby Italian cities by train (Pisa, Lucca, Bologna), and you can also head into the countryside with your own car.
You may want to check out
Florence with Kids
Our Favorite Family-Friendly Museums in Florence
Where to Find the Best Gelato in Florence
Boboli Gardens with Kids
Piazzale Michelangelo with Kids
Best Day Trips from Florence with Kids
What to Do With Your Kids on a Rainy Day in Florence
Go to a Soccer Game
Soccer – or calcio in these parts – is a huge part of Italian culture. So if you want to immerse your kids in Italian culture, why not attend a soccer game? There are Serie A teams in Tuscany – Florence’s Fiorentina and Empoli – but lower division games can be just as much fun (especially if you have little ones and don’t want to deal with crowds).
You can watch Serie B squad Pisa play, or even lower divisions or school-age kids.
How to Get There: It’s usually easiest to arrive for Serie A matches with public transport, while lower divisions can be reached using your own car (or even a taxi).
Best for Ages: You could take younger kids to lower divisions, but it will be most fun if your kids know what they’re watching. Our kids first went to the stadium in Florence at age 3.
Kids Logisitics: Italian soccer stadiums (big matches) aren’t super kid-friendly. Don’t bring your stroller, and be prepared to get creative with diaper changes.
Helpful Tip: If your kids want to wear a jersey, make sure the jersey is for the home team (where you’ll be sitting).
Things to See & Do Nearby: Explore the city or town you’re in!
Learn more about
Tips for Taking Kids to an Italian Soccer Game
Going to a Soccer Game in Italy
Climb the Torre Grossa in San Gimignano
If your kids have energy like mine do, you’ll want to work a tower climb into your itinerary. Torre Grossa (the ‘fat’ tower) in San Gimignano, is a fun one to climb with kids because it’s not too challenging (just over 200 steps), the views are spectacular (countryside and other towers in San Gimignano), and there are more fun things to see and do in San Gimignano for children.
How to Get There: Depending on where you’re located, you can reach San Gimignano by car, train, or bus. Note that parking is a little outside of town, so expect to walk 5-10 minutes to reach the entrance to town.
Best for Ages: True, babies won’t really appreciate the climb. But, technically they’re aloud to go up with you (I’d bring a baby carrier).
Kids Logisitics: You can leave your stroller at the base of the tower. You can use a stroller in San Gimignano (I do), but know that there are a couple of steep climbs in town. I haven’t found diaper changing tables in the public toilets in San Gimignano.
Helpful Tip: A visit to the torre’s palazzo is included. My boys like to look at the rifle, crossbow, war helmet, and dagger.
Things to See & Do Nearby: Be sure to explore San Gimignano and get gelato at Gelateria Dondoli, one of the Best Gelaterie in Tuscany. San Gimignano is near Volterra, Chianti Villages, and Monteriggioni.
Learn about Siena’s Palio
Siena is home to an incredible twice-yearly bareback horserace that takes place in its picturesque main square, the Piazza del Campo. Everyone (yes, everyone) in Siena is emotionally involved in the races, which are run each July 2nd and August 16th.
I’ve been to the actual race (I stood with the hordes in the middle of the piazza – it’s hot and there are no potty breaks!), and I wouldn’t recommend it with kids unless you’re able to get a pricey spot in the stands or in one of the buildings on the square.
Luckily, even without attending the race, you can still soak up the Palio joy and energy any time of the year. If you’re in town in the week or so around the race, you’ll see festivities and traditions taking place (the neighborhood’s horse is blessed in the neighborhood chapel). Otherwise, your kids can roam the contrade (neighborhoods) and choose their favorite symbols.
How to Get There: Depending on where you are, you can reach Siena by bus, train, or car. If you’re using public transportation, I actually prefer the bus, because it drops you off a little closer to the action in the city center.
Best for Ages: My preschooler and elementary-age boys love the Palio ‘scene,’ and younger kids can run around the Piazza del Campo and play at Siena’s playgrounds.
Kids Logisitics: Siena is stroller-friendly. The best diaper-changing spots are in restaurants or cafés you use or you can use your portable changing pad outdoors.
Helpful Tip: If you or your kids are craving some green space, walk downhill (yes, you need to come back up) to the Orto dei Pecci. Kids can play in the grass and say hello to the ducks.
Things to See & Do Nearby: Siena isn’t far from Monteriggioni, Chianti villages, or the Chianti Sculpture Park.
Read more about Siena with Kids
Visit the Pinocchio Park
This retro-style Pinocchio theme park is in the small village of Collodi, and it’s the perfect place for kids to run around for a few hours. If you can, read the book or watch the movie before your visit.
There’s plenty to do at the park, like running through the bamboo forest, ziplining across the river, playing at the playgrounds, watching a short play (in Italian), crawl inside the huge dogfish’s mouth, and participating in workshops.
How to Get There: You’ll need your own car to get to the Pinocchio Park.
Best for Ages: All ages, but little kids will appreciate it the most. There’s something for everyone in your family – like ziplining for the bigger kids.
Kids Logisitics: The park is stroller-friendly and there are toilets with changing tables. There are picnic areas so you can bring your own food if you want to.
Helpful Tip: The tickets are pricey, but they include the Garzoni Gardens and the Butterfly House, so allow enough time to check out at least two of them.
Things to See & Do Nearby: Collodi is also home to the Butterfly House and Garzoni Gardens (included in your Pinocchio Park ticket). Nearby, you’ll find the Pistoia Zoo
Read more about Visiting Tuscany’s Pinocchio Park
That’s it – our family’s top 10! I hope you enjoy one (or more!) of these family-friendly activities in Tuscany as much as we do!
