Turin for Kids
…a city tailored for children
by Virginia De Faveri
After the radical transformation of the city, from an industrial city to the centre of Italian culture, Turin presents itself as one of the most child-friendly cities of the nation. Legambiente, an association, has recognized this aspect of the city proclaiming it in 2007 as: “A city tailored for children.”
There are many things to do and see in Turin for kids, places to learn and opportunities for family activities in Turin, even with the little ones! The efficient organization of public transportation provides simple, fast and cheap movement around the city. And for those who want to get to destinations outside of the city, there are opportunities for car sharing, train or bus travel.
Turin is a very interesting and liveable city…there’s something for everyone! Let’s find out more about the city and how to find the best places to spend nice days together with children. Here you will find the “must-see” attractions, where to play outdoors, museums to visit and other places for family fun.
Turin for Kids
There are many places to visit in and around Turin. If you come with children, these are the places you really shouldn’t miss…
Il Museo A come Ambiente (MAcA museum): If you think museums are boring, you are wrong! A come Ambiente is a modern, interactive and challenging museum, dedicated to environmental education. Every weekend it proposes a playful theme laboratory to stimulate curiosity and to learn more about nature. Suitable for all ages, it is located in the middle of Parco Dora, 20 minutes from the city center by public transport. http://www.acomeambiente.org/
Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum): According to experts, the Egyptian Museum of Turin is the most important Egyptian museum in the world after that of Cairo’s. Everything points towards the discovery of the Egyptian world: customs and traditions. Admission is free for children under the age of 6 and, every weekend, special visits are organized for families. The Museum is conveniently located in Turin’s historic city centre, a 5 minute walk from Piazza Castello.
Astronomical Park: Located in Pino Torinese, 45 minutes from the center by public transport (20 minutes by car), the Park combines the historic Astrophysical Observatory and Infini.To. The latter is a modern science center that consists of the interactive Museum of Astronomy and Space and a Digital Planetarium – among the most advanced in Europe. Here you can enjoy the charm of the stars in the nighttime observations and learn a lot about space: the first weekend of every month, the museum devotes special events and promotions to families. Take a look at their events calendar!
http://www.planetarioditorino.it/infinito/
Parco Arte Vivente (PAV): A unique structure, the Park of Living Art combines art and nature. The museum is divided into an outside and
inside section, where you can observe numerous installations of Modern Art by artists from all around the world. Every Sunday afternoon, workshops suitable for the whole family are organized. PAV is accessible by public transport from the city center in less than 20 minutes. http://www.parcoartevivente.it/
Zoom Torino: Are you ready to stare nature straight in the eyes? Zoom offers the opportunity to spend an exciting day with the family meeting animals from all over the world. You can enrich your experience by placing yourselves in the shoes of the Biologists who look after the present species, to feed the lemurs and giraffes, or spend a night under the stars among the sweet animals of this zoo. Zoom Torino is located in Cumiana, which can be reached in an hour via public transportation. Zoom also offers transportation services, food and accommodation.
compliments of Zoom Torino
Gardens and Parks in Turin
compliments of Torinobimbi.it
Turin is full of green spaces, parks and gardens where you can ride bikes, play or simply relax and people watch on the park benches. Here are a few places to visit:
- Parco del Valentino: An elegant park near the Valentino Castle, seat of the Faculty of Architecture, shady and equipped with a beautiful playground.
- Royal Gardens: Access to this piece of history is from Piazza Castello, passing though the entrance of the Royal Palace. The area is located behind the Royal Palace and, beyond the gardens, there’s a games room open on Saturdays.
- Gardens of Piazza Cavour: Small, but beautiful and ideal for a few minutes of rest, they are close to the Museum of Natural Science.
- Parco Rignon: Delimited by Via Philadelphia, it is a place where there is an atmosphere of joy and familiarity between the playground and the bocce area.
- Parco Ruffini: A large park dedicated tomany types of sports!
- Parco della Tesoriera: 75,000 square meters of magic around an eighteenth-century villa where visitors can play and enjoy the enchanting scenery.
Visiting Turin with Kids: Here’s Other Family Activities in Turin
From a cultural point of view Turin, is full of places to visit, where visitors can learn while having fun…places that are able to surprise young and old! Here are some suggestions:
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Turin’s Surroundings – Day trips from Turin
The province of Turin is what really completes the wealth of this city. Besides the majestic and elegant buildings of Turin, the capital city of Piedmont is surrounded by the natural wonders of its province.
- La Venaria Reale: It’s a must-see if you visit Turin. Beautiful and majestic, the former Royal Residence of the House of Savoy is a Baroque masterpiece and was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1997. To enjoy most of the visit, children can rent a “magic pen”, a kind of audio guide. The grandiose estate with royal history is surrounded by large gardens which can be visited aboard the train “Arrow of Diana” or with a coach. There is no lack of gondolas and magical wooden houses in which to play. The Royal Palace can be reached in 30 minutes by public transport from Turin’s city center.
- Basilica di Superga: The most suggestive hill of Turin! At the top is the Basilica of Superga, visible from the center of Turin. Built by the Architect Juvarra, today Superga is an evocative and historicalsite. In fact, The Basilica of Superga was commissioned by Duke Vittorio Amedeo II after a vow he made to the “Madonna delle Grazie” in 1706…when Turin was under siege by the French-Spanish army he vowed to build a church if they claimed victory. Another historic, but tragic, tie goes back to May 4, 1949 when a plane carrying the famous Grande Torino football team crashed nearby.
Superga can be reached from the city center via the historical tramway to Sassi-Superga. In addition to the Basilica, leave some time to visit the Royal Apartment and the Family of Savoia’s Royal ornate marble tombs.
http://www.basilicadisuperga.com/en/
- Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi: Located outside Turin, 40 minutes from the center by public transport, the former Royal hunting lodge is another one of the elaborate works of Juvarra. The interior of the Royal residence itself is definitely worth a visit. For families, different activities are proposed during the first and third Sunday of each month and, the afternoon of the fourth Sunday, workshops for children are organized.
Stupinigi compliments by PaesiOnLine
compliments of Palazzina di Caccia Stupinigi
http://www.ordinemauriziano.it/palazzina-di-caccia-stupinigi
- Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art: Every third weekend of the month a weekend for families takes place in this beautiful XVII century castle. Rivoli is half an hour away from Turin by public transportation.
Castello di Rivoli
http://www.castellodirivoli.org/en
- Museum of Taste: An hour’s drive from the center of Turin, in Frossasco, you can learn all you need to know about food. The Museo del Gusto Argal travels from prehistory to nutrition in space and if you’re curious you can also taste the dishes of the School of International Cuisine.
- Scopriminiera: An hour’s drive from Turin, it is in Val Germanasca with its mines Gianna and Paola. It is the richest talc mining complex in Europe and, thanks to the guided tour of the Scopriminiera Museum, you can discover the structure and what life was like inside a mine.
There’s Also An App: Be.Bi
Save the Children, in partnership with the Society of San Paolo and the City of Turin, has created Turin Be.Bi (Wellness Children), an atlas of Turin dedicated to children. Be.Bi is the first geo-referenced territorial mapping of services and offers for children (for ages from 0-6 years).
The CEO of Save the Children Italy, Valerio Neri, says “The knowledge of real, accurate and local data is the only way to address the problems and make real projects. For some time we have decided to deal also with Italy because the situation of children is getting worse, with 13% of children in poverty. For this project we chose Turin because it is a city that is best from the point of view of childhood, but even here there are problems and there is still much that can be done. ” The Atlas is a valuable tool, periodically updated: useful, free and easy to use.
http://www.torinobebi.it/index_en.html
No worries!
“And if anything happens during our trip”?!…This is the worry of every mother. It’s true. You never know when incidents may happen with small children. Infant Regina Margherita Hospital doesn’t lack in attention and will be ready for any eventuality. We hope it isn’t necessary, but you never know so here’s important contact info for medical centers in Turin:
- Regina Margherita Sant’anna, Corso Spezia, 60 (Emergency Room: 011/313 41 96)
- Regina Margherita, Piazza Polonia, 94 (Emergency Room: 011/313 50 54)
Things to do in Turin with Kids, other useful links:
http://kidsarttourism.com/a-spasso-con-kat-a-torino/
http://blog.turismotorino.org/scopri-torino-provincia/museo-dei-xche-per-bambini/
http://www.quantomanca.com/musei-per-bambini/Piemonte
http://ambientecultura.it/events/il-museo-dei-piccoli/
So now you can discover Turin for kids!
Turin For Kids Guest Blog Post by: 
Virginia, a young University student in Turin and curiosity lover. She lives to write with wonder about the marvelous little things that she sees in this world. https://it.linkedin.com/in/virginiadefaveri
