Park of the Monsters (Parco dei Mostri) in the Garden of Bomarzo
Bomarzo, Italy
Monster Park 
Monster Park
About an hour drive from Rome is a hidden gem of monster (and I mean truly giant!) statues. We went to the Park of Monsters when my daughter was three (driving the long way to Assisi) and we absolutely loved it! It was a highlight of that particular trip to Italy. It’s an easy drive from Rome and would make a great addition to anyone driving towards Orvieto (which in and of itself is well worth a day trip/overnight) — or by driving the long way to Assisi, like we did.
The entrance comes without much fanfare, so it could be easy to miss, but what’s inside it definitely worth it. The huge statues did not fail to impress our daughter — or us. We had a great time wandering the paths and enjoying the monsters. The elephant, turtle, wrestling giants, and monster face/cave were definite highlights. Our daughter loved exploring the grounds and was fascinated by each of the statues. We were in the park for just over an hour — some families could easily take a bit less or a bit more time. There weren’t many people when we went, so it was a very intimate experience. There is a modest gift shop and cafe on site, as well. It’s a highly recommend from us when sightseeing in Italy!
Explora IL Museo Dei Bambini Di Roma
Rome, Italy
Explora 
Explora
In the heart of Italy is one of the best children’s museums we have ever visited. There are many hands-on experiences, exhibits to explore, and interactive activities for parents and kids. One of the things I liked the most about the museum is that entrance is by reservation, so they only allow a certain amount of kids/families in at a time. This allows them to reset the exhibits multiple times a day, which means everything is in place when you arrive. I often find children’s museums to be a mess because there are kids and stuff everywhere and it’s not easy to interact or play, but Explora is not like that! Because everything has been reset, you can dive right in and truly enjoy the exhibits with kids. It also felt a bit relaxing, out of the rush of Rome.
Our daughter, age three when we went, loved being able to run around and explore without us chasing after her to keep her out of the large crowds. The museum kept her interest the full reservation period (1 hour and 45 minutes). We booked online, but you can also book at the museum at least 15 minutes before a reservation time. The museum would be great for ages 2-5. We highly recommend it!
