What to do with kids in Rome? Rome can look chaotic, and stressful if you are on the road but there are a lot of quiet, lovely and interesting places, where to enjoy your time with your family.
The Botanical Garden in Trastevere
The Botanical Garden of Rome is one of the most beautiful hidden gems in Trastevere. You would never expect to find such an extensive green area in the heart of Trastevere.
Once it was the garden of the Corsini Palace. Extended at the feet of the Gianicolo Hill, now it belongs to the Department of Environmental Biology of the Sapienza University of Rome. The unique thing about this serene space is that it is not only a botanical garden, but also an archeological area. Situated on the Septimius Severus Baths, the location has been characterized with the presence of architectural discoveries of considerable historical and artistic interest. It includes endless species of plants, trees, flowers, and also a butterfly house (Butterfly Eden) with activities for kids. It’s a dream place to visit, especially in the spring. There are four Greenhouses on the grounds, the Corsini Greenhouse, the Monumental Greenhouse, the French Greenhouse and the Tropical Greenhouse. It is home to 60 different types of coniferous trees, including sequoias and pines, and 35 different types of palm trees. Designed by Ken Nakajima in 1993, the Japanese Garden layout displays a modern application of traditional Japanese garden rules, with its calming waterfalls, beautiful magnolia trees and delicate shrubbery. In the Rose Garden atop a small hill you can visually see how the attributes of flowers have changed throughout the centuries due to artificial selection.You can take a trip back in time to the beginning of medicine at the Medical garden. The Living Chapel, a project originate by Australian-Canadian music composer Julian Darius Revie, inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclica Laudato Si’ and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to encourage worldwide acts of ecological restoration.
Orto Botanico
Largo Cristina di Svezia, 23 A
https://web.uniroma1.it/ortobotanico/
Bioparco in Villa Borghese – the Zoo of Rome
The Bioparco is the Zoo of Rome and it is located in the park of Villa Borghese. It is 17 hectares wide and features over 200 species of animals!
https://www.bioparco.it/en/home/
The Rome Zoological Garden was inaugurated over 100 years ago, on the 5th of January 1911, by the architect Carl Hagenbeck, who revolutionized the concept of zoos by replacing cages with open spaces and moats. At the time, the zoos had a purely recreational purpose, the only goal was the entertainment of the public through the display of rare and exotic animals. In 1935 it reached the current surface of 17 hectares that also included a reptile house and a large aviary with a geodesic structure, unique in Europe.
What is left of the initial Bioparco almost a century later?
Here is a paradox of Rome, a city where everything settles but nothing is destroyed.
The guidelines of the urban layout seem to remain unchanged and the architecture, intended as a theatrical setting, is still there.In 1994 the idea of transforming the zoo into a Bioparco arose and in 1998 the project came to life, subsequently transformed into a Foundation in 2004, which represented a radical change and a natural evolution of the concept of a Zoological Garden.
From an animal museum without any purpose, now the Bioparco is a structure with objectives in the Conservation of endangered species, the education of biodiversity and scientific research.All this is in line with the World Zoo Conservation Strategy, drawn up by the WAZA (World Organization of Zoos and Aquariums) together with the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and adopted by the WWF International, which defines the guidelines for a so-called “modern” zoo.
Villa Borghese Gardens
Villa Borghese is the most popular park in Rome and is considered its green lung.
The Villa Borghese Gardens are located on the Pincian Hill, close to Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo. The Gardens cover an area of 80 hectares and were developed in 1606 by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, who wanted to turn his former vineyard into the most extensive gardens built in Rome.
In the same period, the Cardinal commissioned the Casino o Villa Pinciana Borghese. The construction of the palace took place substantially in one year, from 1612, while the arrangement of the gardens lasted until about 1620. The Villa Pinciana was built to be a museum, a place of culture, for the exhibition of exemplary images of ancient and modern art, for music, studies in a small library, but also for the contemplation of nature (with rare plants and animals), of fossil specimens and finally of the modern technology of the time (e.g. automata, mirrors, bizarre lenses and peculiar clocks). The Villa administered a farm with vineyards, vegetable gardens, hunting, stables, sheds, an ice house, a wine cave and even silkworm culture. The rarest plants, imported from Holland or the New Indies, and a zoological garden completed the Theatre of the Universe desired by Cardinal Scipione.
Today this elegant building houses the Museum Galleria Borghese, which contains one of the largest private art collections in the world. The gardens were completely redesigned in the naturalistic English style in XIX century and became a public park in 1903.
WHAT TO DO WITH KIDS
There are plenty of things to do with children in Villa Borghese like hiring a bike, an electric pedal car or to scout on a Segway, to hop on the Villa Borghese Train, to take a pony ride.
Boat rental in the Villa Borghese pond
Renting one of the picturesque rowing boats and crossing the pond is a suggestive experience. A boat ride on the calm waves of the water allows you to get near to the Temple of Aesculapius and admire the architectural details that characterize it in all its charm.
Casina di Raffaello
The Casina di Raffaello is an evocative building in the gardens of the Villa Borghese. Although it has no connection with the famous artist, it has beautiful frescoes and is worth a visit. It also houses a municipal playroom for children aged 3 to 14 with various activities. The workshops are open to everyone.
https://www.sovraintendenzaroma.it/i_luoghi/ville_e_parchi_storici/ville_dei_nobili/villa_borghese
Explora – Museo dei Bambini
Explora is a museum for our young visitors, where they are playfully introduced to science and history combined. The place is interactive so they can work with the different materials and tools around. Explora lives by the motto “Learning by Doing” and this museum is something that not only kids, but also the adults, will surely enjoy. The museum is very child-friendly especially because of their age-appropriate approach. There is an area suitable for 0-3 years old, 3-6 years old and 6-12 years old. This way, it is made sure that children will enjoy the activities because it is suited for them. The activities are focused on the environment, communications, economy and new technologies. Because it is interactive, children can feel free to discover things for themselves.
There are English speaking staffs that are on stand-by though, if ever you need help, as the exhibits are in Italian.
Via Flaminia 80