What to Do in Venice with Kids During Carnival
family-friendly tips
Who doesn’t love dressing up and pretending to be someone else!?
Humans have always felt this attraction: since prehistoric times, but especially during its golden age, the Carnival of Venice was a truly spectacular celebration, involving the entire city and attracting crowds of visitors. Much like today—although in the past Carnival was perhaps less elegant and decidedly more unrestrained. People gave free rein to their impulses in a loud and sometimes rough way, because—as the saying goes—at Carnival, every joke is allowed!
Today, while still a great deal of fun, the Venetian Carnival is more controlled and refined.
How to find the perfect costume?
But is Venice at Carnival time suitable for children as well? The answer is yes! provided you experience it at the right pace and choose activities that are truly kid-friendly. Let’s not forget, however, that this isn’t Rio de Janeiro: in winter, Venice is cold!
During the day, the city turns into a real open-air theatre, perfect even for younger children… as long as they are dressed warmly. The ideal costume therefore needs to be cozy too: princesses will need heavy cloaks, and even Spiderman will have to plan for some good padding!
Strolling between St Mark’s Square and the nearby calli, throwing confetti and streamers, becomes a continuous game: around every corner you might meet a mysterious character or a funny mask ready to pose for a photo. Many visitors come precisely for this, to take pictures and appear on Instagram!
If you’d like to relive the atmosphere of 18th-century Venice with the whole family, you can also rent period costumes and perhaps treat yourselves to a professional photo shoot: a truly special memory.
Where to go to have fun with children during Carnival?
During Carnival, all of Venice becomes a huge stage, but the heart of the celebrations is undoubtedly St Mark’s Square, where events and performances take place on the main stage. This is where the Procession of the Maries is held, artists and street performers put on shows, concerts and theatrical performances are organized, and the most beautiful mask of the year is chosen.
Carnival, however, is also a widespread festival throughout the city’s campi and calli: Campo San Polo, for example, often hosts events especially designed for families and children.
What can you do to truly understand the spirit of Carnival?
Beyond running around the calli enjoying galani and frittelle, Carnival is deeply connected to the history of Venice and to the theatrical tradition of the Commedia dell’Arte.
If you’d like to discover this world together with your children, we recommend our Treasure Hunt inspired by the magical universe of Carnival masks: through riddles and games, children learn while having fun, guided by someone who knows how to balance humour and meaningful content.
And to finish on a high note, a mask-making workshop is a must: an experience where the whole family can literally get hands-on with the magic of these mysterious objects—symbols of creativity and freedom.
