Florence with kids

What works well

• The Duomo dome climb — genuinely thrilling for most kids old enough to manage 463 steps; the narrow spiral staircase and the view at the top read as an adventure, not a museum visit.
• Boboli Gardens — space to run, fountains, grottoes, and a real break from stone streets and quiet-voice museum rules.
• Piazzale Michelangelo — an easy win: a big view, ice cream nearby, no ticket, no need for indoor patience.
• Mercato Centrale — the ground-floor market and upstairs food hall give kids something to look at and choose from, unlike a formal sit-down restaurant.
• Gelato, generally — treat it as a genuine activity, not just a snack; see our gelato guide for how to pick a good one together.

What's tougher

• The Uffizi — long, warm, and built around quiet close looking; a full visit is a stretch for most children under about ten. If you go, aim for a tight 45–60 minute version focused on a handful of paintings rather than the full route.
• The Accademia — shorter and more manageable, and the David itself tends to genuinely impress kids with its sheer size, even if the surrounding gallery doesn't hold their attention.
• Long church visits — dress-code rules and quiet expectations make extended church-hopping days harder with young children than with none.

Practical family tips

Split the group if ages vary widely — one parent doing a focused museum hour while the other explores a park or piazza with younger kids works better than dragging everyone through everything together. Many museums offer free or reduced admission for children under a certain age (commonly under 18, sometimes under 6 for free) — check current rules on official sites, since age thresholds vary by museum.