Not just the Colosseum. And not just the Forum or the Spanish Steps. Visiting Rome with children in tow doesn’t have to be about complaints like “promise this is the last church today” or exhausting hikes between a museum and an art gallery. The Eternal City isn’t an amusement park, but there is plenty of entertainment if you know where to go. The most interesting part is that many of the experiences that will win over young tourists in Italy’s capital city are bound conquer their parents too. There are plenty of options that will allow you to organize a personal tour of the city based on the tastes of everyone in the family. You can alternate a tour of the Planetarium with the magni cent parks dotting the city, like Villa Torlonia, Villa Ada and, naturally, Villa Borghese, where you can stop for brunch al fresco and then watch a movie at the Cinema dei Piccoli, a 1934 building peeking out from lush surroundings. From the broad array of options, we have chosen three “green-light” addresses for shared fun.
VIGAMUS MUSEO DEL VIDEOGIOCO
Via Sabotino 4, Tel. +39 06. 45475940 www. vigamus.com As if you didn’t complain enough about videogames at home. That the kids are always in front of the PlayStation, sprawled out on the sofa with a remote control, or bent over their handheld Nintendos even when you’re all out to dinner together. The surprise strategy is to bring children to Italy’s only museum devoted to understanding how digital games work. Kids can understand where these devices originated and adults will recall the now-prehistoric ones they used to use. In any case, you’ll emerge from this state-of-the-art structure with one less demon to exorcize, because you’ll discover their history and evolution, remember the main gures and discover the anecdotes surrounding them. Between consoles and period “retrogames” there are over 150 original pieces.
EXPLORA. IL MUSEO DEI BAMBINI DI ROMA
Via Flaminia 80/86, tel. +39 06 3613776 www. mdbr. it
The museum, boasting over 72,000 square feet, attracts about 150,000 visitors annually, with an average of about 500 admissions a day. The large structure, which also has an equipped green area, also offers paths to explore. There’s the one that allows you to discover how the wind works and measure its power. Then there is the interactive path that was at Expo 2015 and has now come here. It is called Feed Your Mind! and examines the secrets of nutrition. There is a space devoted to the importance of recycling and one with water games. Need anything else?
BIOPARCO
Viale del Giardino Zoologico 20, tel. +39 06 3608211
www. bioparco.it
Once upon a time there was a zoo. Now there is this wonder: nearly 30 acres at the northern end of Villa Borghese, home to about 200 animal species, from mammals to birds, amphibians and reptiles from around the world. An afternoon with a Japanese macaque or a white-handed gibbon will probably also make you appreciate how well-behaved your children are. Don’t underestimate the worth of that.
