MANY CALL ITALY THE MOST WELCOMING COUNTRY in the world to children. Italians adore their own children and will roll out the red carpet for yours on sight.

If you take a baby through a city market, I’m warning you, you’re going to have a slow go of it. Inevitably, signoras will be leaning down to pinch their cheeks. You may even have the shock of seeing Roman waiters, notorious for their rudeness, drop their “I’m-a-very-important-person–too-busy-to-deal-with-you-attitude” and bending over backwards to bring treats.

Along with its welcoming spirit, Italy has an infinite number of places children will love. Little ones are awestruck by its fountains and castles. School-age kids get to see their history books come alive and will get giggles and thrills from all the nude statues. There are parks or beaches to frolic off the energy. Then there’s pizza and gelato. Winning combinations all around.

If you’d rather leave the planning to others, group adventure trips (with companies such as Backroads or Country Walkers) are there to take the pressure off, and they offer family trips so the kids can make new friends during the week. Also, if you’re thinking of bringing the kids to one of the major archaeological sites like the Roman Forum or Pompeii, save yourself and get a children’s guide.

For expert help setting things up, check out Ciao Bambino (www.ciaobambino.com). The company was created by Amie O’Shaughnessy, a mom herself, who’s traveled to Italy often, and along with her staff, checks out properties and chooses the best of the child-friendly. You can go to the website and find them rated according to what age ranges they’re best for, from “Baby Ready” to “Cool for Teens.” The company can also help you find kid-friendly restaurants and sites, guides, special tours and activities, playgrounds, and English speaking babysitters in any region.

Amy’s advice for one of the best places to land if you’re traveling with young children is a rural resort in Tuscany. These are converted villa or farmhouse estates, which are well set up with cribs, laundry, and a pool for older kids to mingle with travelers their own age. They’re well located for day trips to charming towns nearby, but you may just find yourself staying put for at least one idyllic restful day at what will feel like your Italian home.

Some fun places for kids:

Rome

• Borghese Gardens, www.turismoroma.it

  Sixty-five acres of manicured green, shadowed by umbrella pines. In the Porta Pinciana area, you can rent surrey-style pedal carts, roller skates, plain ol’ bikes, or even give your child a pony ride treat. There are paddleboats available at the park pond, a mini-cinema (www.cinemadeipiccoli.it), a puppet theater (www.sancarlino.it), and a tiny tram that takes you to the Bioparco, a huge zoo. That about covers it.

• Gladiator School, www.gruppostoricoromano.it

  Kids (ages seven and up) get a taste of what life as a gladiator was like, with a costume, wooden sword, two hour lesson, and entrance to the Gladiator Museum on Via Appia Antica.

Florence

• Museo dei Ragazzi–Palazzo Vecchio, www.musefirenze.it

  Costumed characters lead kids through this palace where the Medici lived, for entertaining adventures that may include interactive storytelling, treasure hunts, and fresco workshops. There are a few programs to choose from, for children ages four and up. Reservations necessary.

Venice

• Lion Hunt with Context Travel, www.contexttravel.com

  Children easily slip into the fairytale aspect of Venice (Walt Disney’s favorite city), and all the boating makes for easy entertainment. For more focused fun, Context Travel offers Lion Hunt tours, which begin at Piazza San Marco and take families on an interactive walking tour, as children enjoy discovering all the different lions, the symbol of Venice, and much more. Itineraries are custom-designed according to ages and interests.

  If you’re in Venice for more than a few days, and with kids that like biking, vaporetto to Sant’Erasmo, an island that lies between Burano and Murano. It’s covered with vegetable gardens and orchards that have supplied Venice markets for centuries. If you get there in June, lucky you: there will be fields of purple artichokes in bloom. The bike loop around the island is 3.5 miles/5.5 km, and you may want to join Venetian families at the tiny beach for a swim—this is where the locals come to escape the Lido crowds.

RECOMMENDED READING

Florence and Tuscany with Kids by Ariela Bankier

This is Rome and This is Venice by Miroslav Sasek

Mission Rome: A Scavenger Hunt Adventure by Catherine Aragon