{"id":8693,"date":"2021-07-05T11:22:58","date_gmt":"2021-07-05T10:22:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/walks.friday.ie\/?p=8693"},"modified":"2025-05-21T10:17:40","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T09:17:40","slug":"vatican-with-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/vatican-with-kids","title":{"rendered":"Vatican With Kids: Amazing Art, Myths, &#038; Activities for a Fun-Filled Visit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Vatican is (in)famously large and crowded. Depending on your love of art and tolerance for hordes of fellow visitors it can either be the highlight of your trip to Italy or, if you are thinking of the Vatican with kids, one of the most grueling days of sightseeing you ever undertake.<\/p>\n<p>Traditionally, bringing visiting the Vatican with kids &#8211; especially in high season, when the entrance line runs over two hours and the galleries are shoulder to shoulder &#8211; was one of the last options on the list of things to do in Rome for kids. Even if you come in the low season and your little ones have a budding interest in art, the sheer size and scope of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/the-vatican-museums\">the Vatican Museums<\/a> can be overwhelming.<\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-16784\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/7-Rome_Pristine-Sistine-2x3-0006.jpg\" alt=\"Visiting the Vatican Museums with kids\" \/>\n<p>This is even true for seasoned artists and critics so the Vatican with kids can seem like guaranteed boredom. But it doesn&#8217;t have to be like this. There are actually plenty of things to do in the Vatican with kids. The secret is preparing them for the visit and engaging them when they are there.<\/p>\n<p>In order to find out keys to having a successful visit to the Vatican with kids we went to the experts &#8211; our guides &#8211; for tips. They have years of experience leading tours through the Vatican and in that time have become old hands at helping their youngest guests enjoy and appreciate art. Here are their top tips for the best things to see and do in the Vatican for kids.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/vatican-with-kids\/#Teach_them_the_stories_behind_the_art\" >Teach them the stories behind the art<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/vatican-with-kids\/#Start_early_to_see_the_Vatican_with_kids\" >Start early to see the Vatican with kids<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/vatican-with-kids\/#Give_them_an_assignment\" >Give them an assignment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/travel-tips\/vatican-with-kids\/#Remember_theyre_just_kids\" >Remember, they&#8217;re just kids<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Teach_them_the_stories_behind_the_art\"><\/span><strong>Teach them the stories behind the art<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"size-full wp-image-16783 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/7-Rome_Pristine-Sistine-2x3-0017.jpg\" alt=\"Belvedere Torso in the Vatican Museums\" \/>\n<div>\n<p>The Greek myths, which are the basis for all Roman mythology, make up one of the finest bodies of storytelling in the world. While the original versions include a fair amount of sex and violence, there are various kid-friendly anthologies, like the classic <i>D&#8217;Aulaires&#8217; Book of Greek Myths<\/i> that introduce youngsters to the colorful characters and gripping dramas of this world while softening the more adult themes.<\/p>\n<p>With a grounding in the Myths, children will feel the thrill of recognizing a statue of Hermes\/Mercury, feel the pang of tragedy in the contorted limbs of <em>Laocoon<\/em>, and marvel at the physique of the <em>Belvedere Torso<\/em> (which probably belonged to Hercules). Instead of seeing old statues and paintings, they will see stories, and if you read up on your myths along with them so will you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The best part about learning the myths is that they aren&#8217;t useful only the Vatican. One of the best things to do in Rome for kids to is move through the city identifying all the various references to the Myths, and there are tons. From the temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum to the depiction of Oceanus in the Trevi fountain, a knowledge of Greek Mythology will make the city come alive.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Start_early_to_see_the_Vatican_with_kids\"><\/span><strong>Start early to see the Vatican with kids<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_8695\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/vatican\/vatican-for-kids\/attachment\/7848994650_5b3b8fdd41_z\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8695\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8695\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8695\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/7848994650_5b3b8fdd41_z.jpg\" alt=\"| Photo by Bruno, via Flickr. https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/_pek_\/7848994650\/in\/photolist-cXA9DY-8VjQJ1-9TWGdc-bwW3Jp-cV88gb-Bws6CK-sx5Gy-fK7j7a-vPfE7-3Qmgx9-efGmro-bic9cH-efGmjj-4sSbJp-4sWgpA-dg2yWS-pSbiUY-qa6wKT-bpg4cm-bBSHmv-48YMt8-s3uft-gF4umA-3KxvAU-bnwsif-3Ky561-4NKdvX-3KtJje-4sWcbd-3Qh48g-5ygAds-3KsULn-JJiYS-5ycc1z-5ycect-5ygAHC-5ycaAZ-5ygAT9-5ygACw-5ycegP-5ygyyq-5ygxuA-5ygxQh-5ycbcH-5ycdAF-5ycdi8-5yce3v-5ycert-5ygzhq-dmdDZk\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-8695\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An early start is the best start if you want to see the Vatican with kids. Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/_pek_\/7848994650\/in\/photolist-cXA9DY-8VjQJ1-9TWGdc-bwW3Jp-cV88gb-Bws6CK-sx5Gy-fK7j7a-vPfE7-3Qmgx9-efGmro-bic9cH-efGmjj-4sSbJp-4sWgpA-dg2yWS-pSbiUY-qa6wKT-bpg4cm-bBSHmv-48YMt8-s3uft-gF4umA-3KxvAU-bnwsif-3Ky561-4NKdvX-3KtJje-4sWcbd-3Qh48g-5ygAds-3KsULn-JJiYS-5ycc1z-5ycect-5ygAHC-5ycaAZ-5ygAT9-5ygACw-5ycegP-5ygyyq-5ygxuA-5ygxQh-5ycbcH-5ycdAF-5ycdi8-5yce3v-5ycert-5ygzhq-dmdDZk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bruno<\/a>, via Flickr.<\/p><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Getting children out of bed may not always be easy but if you&#8217;re hoping to teach them something, the best time to do it is the morning. On any given day there are plenty of distractions in the Vatican for children so getting in when the doors open and out as soon as the crowds begin to ramp up is an important part of any fruitful experience. Ideally, make sure they get a good sleep the night before so they aren&#8217;t drowsy or tired.<\/p>\n<p>Even if the finer points of fine art sail over their heads &#8211; let&#8217;s face it, it happens to the best of us &#8211; the colors of the Raphael Rooms and <a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/top-attractions\/visiting-sistine-chapel\">the Sistine Chapel<\/a>, as well as the mythic stories of derring-do represented in many sculptures, are sure to strike their fancy. The key is making sure that they are feeling fresh and excited to experience these things \u2014 something you&#8217;ll have the best chance of getting in the morning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Give_them_an_assignment\"><\/span><strong>Give them an assignment<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div>\n<div id=\"attachment_8696\" style=\"width: 1010px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/vatican\/vatican-for-kids\/attachment\/romevatican-23-copy\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8696\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8696\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8696\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/RomeVatican-23-copy.jpg\" alt=\"Whose taking notes? Yes - there will be a test later.\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/RomeVatican-23-copy.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/RomeVatican-23-copy-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-8696\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Who&#8217;s taking notes? Yes &#8211; there will be a test later.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>We know &#8211; no young person in their right mind likes homework when they&#8217;re on vacation but this is an old tour guide trick that works for children and adults alike.<\/p>\n<p>Before you enter the Vatican Museums set your kids the task of compiling a &#8220;favorite list&#8221;. It can be very general, or based around a certain theme, e.g.\u00a0sculptures, paintings, animals, gods, monsters, heroes, villains, you name it. If you are familiar with the <a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/sicily-tours\/mt-etna-tours\"><strong>Vatican Museums<\/strong><\/a> already you could also set out a game of &#8220;I Spy&#8221; and give them certain sights that they have to tick off during the visit.<\/p>\n<p>It helps to give them a notepad and a pencil so they can take notes or even sketch if the inspiration strikes. They don&#8217;t have to be artistically talented to play at being an artist for a day. Great art inspires people of any age and a visit to the Vatican, for kids, is the perfect way to fire their\u00a0creative juices.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pro tip:<\/strong> List making\u00a0isn&#8217;t just an activity for kids in the Vatican. If you keep your own, not only will you be leading by example, you&#8217;ll be surprised how much it enhances your own experience.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Remember_theyre_just_kids\"><\/span><strong>Remember, they&#8217;re just kids<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It can take a lifetime to develop an appreciation for great art and even when you do, it might not all be to your taste. Don&#8217;t expect young people to be as enthralled by the Vatican Collections as you are. Consider your first visit an introduction to art and a chance to teach them a few things about what goes into a masterwork. If you focus on stories, colors, and what they like, as opposed to what the art critics say they should like, you can&#8217;t go wrong.<\/p>\n<p><em>For more in-depth info on how to make the most out of your trip to the Vatican with kids, read our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/vatican\/visiting-the-vatican-museums-part-1\">Guide to the Vatican Museums.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/vatican\/vatican-for-kids\/attachment\/8-lugares-de-italia-que-22\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-8702\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8702\" src=\"https:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/8-LUGARES-DE-ITALIA-QUE-22.jpg\" alt=\"Visiting the Vatican with kids can feel like the Fire at the Borgo by Raphael. But it doesn't have to be like that. Read our blog to find out the best things to do in the Vatican for kids. \" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/8-LUGARES-DE-ITALIA-QUE-22.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/8-LUGARES-DE-ITALIA-QUE-22-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here are the top tips from our expert guides on how to find and enjoy the plethora of things to do at the Vatican for kids.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":8704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[68,63,19,211,284],"ppma_author":[196],"class_list":["post-8693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-art","tag-trip-planning","tag-vatican","tag-vatican-city","tag-vatican-museums"],"authors":[{"term_id":196,"user_id":88,"is_guest":0,"slug":"chiarar","display_name":"Chiara R.","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Chiara-Rossi.png","url2x":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Chiara-Rossi.png"},"user_url":"","last_name":"R.","first_name":"Chiara","job_title":"","description":"Born and raised amidst the ancient ruins and charming cobblestone streets, Chiara is the ultimate insider when it comes to all things Rome. Whether she's unraveling the secrets of the Colosseum or exploring the trendy neighborhoods of Trastevere, Chiara's always immersing herself in the world of fashion, food and travel, and she loves sharing her life and insights to the world through her writing."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8693"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8693"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22835,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8693\/revisions\/22835"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8693"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=8693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}