fun things to do with kids in milan  italy   Travel for Kids
Italy
   
     
   

Milan

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

At first glance, Milan seems like a thoroughly modern city, but that’s the tip of the iceberg.  Two thousand years ago, Milan was the Roman city, Mediolanum and in the Renaissance, Milan was one of the most powerful city states. Exploring Milan with kids, discover the home of Leonardo da Vinci for over fifteen years – here in Milan, da Vinci did so many different things as a military engineer, musician, inventor, mapmaker, architect, sculptor, painter, kids can really see why he's a genius.

Milan Photo Album
 
  Duomo – Centro Storico
  Sforza Castle
  Public Gardens
Sforza coat of arms
 

Coat of arms – As you walk around Milan, look for ancient coats of arms on the outside of churches and castle walls, painted on ceilings, or in floor mosaics. The red cross on a white background is the symbol of the city of Milan. The snake/dragon swallowing a person is the coat of arms of the Visconti and Sforza. Additionally, the red cross or snake/dragon symbols is also paired with a black imperial eagle topped by a golden crown.

   

Tip: Milan has a fast metro (subway) and extensive tram system to take you throughout the city. Buy a day pass, Abbonamento Giornaliero Urbano, good for 24 hours (from the time it's stamped) for unlimited trips throughout the central zone. (Buy the day ticket at any Tabacchi shop.) Click here for more info.

   

Fun food

   

Gelato is delicious in Milan. Try limone (lemon), fragola (strawberry), stracciatella (chocolate and vanilla), cioccolato (chocolate), crema (egg cream).

     

Tip: Chiusa Domenica ("closed Sunday") –  Year round, not just August, many restaurants and cafes in Milan are closed on Sunday.  Your best bet is Chinese or Japanese restaurants that are often open on Sunday, as well as restaurants near the Duomo.

family hotels milan

Travel for Kids has plenty of fun things to do with kids in Milan, but you'll need a fun place to stay.

Here's our own Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels and apartment rentals in Milan, different styles and price ranges, in neighborhoods near to places you'll want to explore:

Milan family hotels
Milan family apartment rentals
kids books milan
     
Tony's Bread childrens books milan  
Tony's Bread
Tomie dePaola

In Milan, delicious panettone, a sweet bread, is a specialty – here's a sweet story about how panettone came about. There was a baker named Tony, who had a daughter, who fell in love with a clever nobleman ... (Picture book)

 

     
Leonardo da Vinci
Diane Stanley

Engaging bio of Leonardo da Vinci – his fascination with nature as a child, busy years working for the Duke of Milan, in which Leonardo painted, organized pageants, designed costumes and heating systems, and constructed "the Great Horse," an equestrian monument. Rich, detailed illustrations. (Picture book)

 

 
Leonardo da Vinci kids biography milan
     
i am leonardo da vinci  
I am Leonardo da Vinci
Brad Meltzer, Christopher Eliopoulos

Leonardo da Vinci wanted to create the perfect smile on the Mona Lisa, to find out how do birds fly or clouds form, design a bridge, study teeth and draw the human body, invent a tank, submarine, parachute, and discover why the sky is blue.
“I wanted to learn about everything!”
(Picture book)

 

     
The Second Mrs. Gioconda
E.L. Konigsburg

A captivating novel of Leonardo da Vinci and his sneaky apprentice Salai, two very different sisters (both duchesses), and the mysterious subject of the Mona Lisa painting, set in Milan. (Chapter book)

 

 
The Second Mrs. Gioconda kids fiction mona lisa da vinci milan
     
children historical fiction milan da vinci Leonardo's Shadow
 
Leonardo's Shadow
Christopher Grey

Leonardo da Vinci is painting the Last Supper, but it's going very slowly, and the Duke wants it finished before the Pope arrives in Milan. A suspenseful story of Leonardo, the man, the artist, the inventor, amidst the turbulent life and times of 15th century Milan. (Chapter book)

 

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