Bologna with kids: 8 unforgettable family-friendly activities

Bologna is a city full of surprises—especially for kids!

From hands-on gelato workshops to meeting farm animals, exploring interactive museums, and even stepping inside a dinosaur’s mouth, there's something for every little adventurer.

If you're visiting Bologna with your family, here are 8 amazing activities that will make your trip unforgettable.

Learn the secrets of gelato at Carpigiani Gelato Museum

When I was a kid, I used to spend my summers in the mountains with my grandparents.
I was so picky that I only wanted to eat hot gelato! (Yes, my granddad had a good laugh about it.)

Luckily, my taste changed over the years, and now I can't live without gelato.

If your kids love it too, Bologna has the best gelato in the world—and an entire museum dedicated to it!

What to expect at Carpigiani Gelato Museum?

• Learn about the history of gelato, from ancient times to today
• Join hands-on workshops to create your own gelato
• Taste delicious and unique flavors

But if your kids are wannabe chefs, why don't complete their training with our pasta making class in Bologna?

📍 Where: Via Emilia, 45, 40011 Anzola dell'Emilia BO
👦 Best for kids aged: 6 - 18
www.gelatomuseum.com

Meet donkeys and pigs at Dulcamara farm

Titullo, Pallino, Ramona, Platero.
No, they're not hidden characters of A Midsummer Night's dream.
Those are the names of pigs and donkeys that you can meet at Dulcamara.

Up on the hills, just 20 min from Bologna city centre you find an amazing farm for kids and adults.

Dulcamara also offers a petting zoo, a restaurant, and even a small agriturismo with rooms and a camping area. A perfect spot for a family escape!

Kids can learn to recognize aromatic herbs and forgotten fruits.
They can approach horses and saddle up, press with their feet during harvest, or just relax and play in a quiet park.

​You can also start from Dulcamara for trekking and enjoy scenic walks through fields, rivers, and caves.

📍 Where: Via Tolara di Sopra, 78, 40064 Ozzano dell'Emilia BO
👦 Best for kids aged: 2 - 14

www.coopdulcamara.it

Get lost in books at Biblioteca Salaborsa

My secret oasis to relax.
Just near the vibrant life of Piazza Maggiore, you find Bologna's most important public library.

It's my mandatory stop after a Bologna food tour, to get a coffee, some silence and a quick look at music magazines.

But Biblioteca Salaborsa can be amazing for kids too.
A full section is dedicated to them, from 0 to 99 years old.

If you have a baby there's a room for you with rugs and cushions and a corner where mothers can breastfeed.

Books about fear, friendship, food, and nature can be found on the shelves.

The library also has a terrace with a small vegetable garden.
Before the summer harvest, kids can read books about courgettes, aubergines and tomatoes.

📍 Where: Piazza del Nettuno, 3, 40124 Bologna BO
👦 Best for kids aged: 0 - 99

www.bibliotecasalaborsa.it/ragazzi/

Learn Bologna’s history in a fun way at Museo della Storia di Bologna

Historical museums sound boring just from the name.

And how hard is it for a kid to walk through rooms full of bows and arrows, mummies and swords and follow the only rule of NOT TOUCH ANYTHING?

Fortunately, Museo della Storia di Bologna is different.

An old map of Bologna welcomes you at the entrance and it's probably one of the few things you can't touch.

From the origins of Felsina, the Etruscan name of Bologna, to the development of portici and towers, from the underground canals to the piano that Mozart played: Bologna is narrated in an unconventional and interactive way.

A great indoor activity for rainy days or hot summer afternoons!

📍 Where: Via Castiglione, 7, 40124 Bologna BO
👦 Best for kids aged: 4 - 18

Take a nature break at the Botanic Garden

Need a break from the city's hustle and bustle?
Bologna’s Botanic Garden is a peaceful oasis.

Walk around the garden with secular trees, a pond and a rock garden.
Look for tropical food plants like tamarind, pepper, cocoa, and ginger, and visit the old herbarium.

Bring your kids by hand in the small greenhouse with carnivorous plants: you want to eat in Bologna, not to be eaten.

📍 Where: Via Irnerio, 42 - 40126 Bologna
👦 Best for kids aged: 0 - 99
https://sma.unibo.it/ortoerbario

Meet Fagiolino and Sganapino: traditional puppet theatre

When I was a University student I used to work at a small theatre.
Every Sunday afternoon it was Burattini (puppets) time.

The first puppet show in Bologna appeared in the 17th century and became pretty popular.

You can see some old examples of wood-made burattini at Museo Davia Bargellini in Strada Maggiore.

But if you want to amaze your kids bring them to Burattinificio Mangiafoco: in this small theatre, Margherita brings to life old fascinating stories.

Check also the program of Teatro Testoni - La Baracca, the only theater in Bologna dedicated to the young ones.

📍 Where: Via Giovanni Paolo Martini, 26, 40134 Bologna
👦 Best for kids aged: 0 - 12
burattinificio.it

Step inside a dinosaur’s mouth at Museo Geologico Cappellini

Make tortellini together!

Want your kids to have a memory they’ll cherish forever?
Let them make their own pasta with a real sfoglina (pasta master) in a cooking class in Bologna!

• Learn how to roll fresh pasta and shape perfect tortellini
• Enjoy a delicious homemade meal after the class
• Take home unforgettable family moments