Where the Playgrounds Are in Rome

Parents can gain more time for the things they want to see if they allow plenty of time for kids to run off steam in parks and playgrounds. And, especially on weekends, these parks are Rome’s living room, where people gather to enjoy gardens, shows and entertainment.

Playgrounds

Nearly every corner of the city has at least one playground. On Oppian Hill, above Nero’s Golden House, is a playground with a handy outdoor café. On the other side of the Tiber River, there is a playground in front of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, as well as in the park that surrounds Castel Sant’Angelo. Don’t overlook the inside of this grandiose tomb-turned-papal fortress-turned-museum. It’s a treasure trove of armor and curious old weapons, with enough of the castle stuff—guard posts, stacks of cannonballs, passageways and lookouts—to keep even antsy little boys occupied while parents admire the opulent frescoes and furnishings.

Villa Borghese and Bioparco

There are several playgrounds at Villa Borghese, the vast park just beyond the top of the Spanish Steps. Here are rowboats and bikes to rent and pony rides for kids, the latter near Porta Pinciana. Tempt the kids to visit the Botanic Garden by promising them a section made entirely of fragrant plants and a cool Japanese garden.

Bioparco, at the far side of Villa Borghese, is Rome’s zoo, housing about 200 species of animals. Its modern emphasis is on conservation and research, and its exhibits are a continuing work-in-progress as it moves more toward helping visitors understand the relationship between man, animals and their shared environment. On weekends a cute little train circles the zoo.

• The Ovato (or Oval) Fountain at Tivoli's Villa D'Este
• Antmoose

Children’s shows

Several parks have shows for children, including Villa Borghese, where you’ll find the Cinema dei Piccoli, the smallest cinema in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records. Cartoons are shown to an audience of 63 people Wednesday to Friday at 5 p.m. and 6.30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. (Viale della Pineta, 15, Tel. +06-855-3485). On Janiculum Hill every afternoon (except Wednesday) is a traditional puppet show, and Villa Celimontana has an open-air theatre where performances are held in the summer.

Tivoli’s Villa Adriana

A good day-trip to break up a longer stay in the city is to Tivoli, where the emperor Hadrian built himself Rome’s biggest villa and surrounded it with gardens. Villa Adriana is a fine ruin to explore, and the gardens are glorious and filled with places to play. There are fountains to splash in, lots of venues for hide-and-seek and ruins where no guards shoo kids off the stones.

My daughter, a little too old for kiddy playgrounds and pony rides, was completely captivated by the villa and park, in which she created her own world of make-believe populated by gladiators and Roman damsels. Stop at a market or salumeria for a picnic lunch, take a cab to Tivoli (about 30 minutes from Rome), and arrange for a pick-up later. It’s open daily 9 a.m. to dusk.