While enjoying the free time that a private Italy tour permits, there are many special and unique Rome attractions that one can fit into a stay.
Traveling on the Via Flamnia in the center of Rome, the laughter of children leads the way to your destination although it is not difficult to find without it. A few steps away from the subway line A – FLAMINIO SQUARE OF THE PEOPLE (direction Battistini) Explora Museum welcomes us .
Its park, its wooden benches and its trees are surrounded by uniquely painted brick buildings very often depicting colorful children’s drawings. The story of how the building, once a deposit of ATAC and industrial center was transformed into a Museum, is represented with black and white photos on the exterior of the main entrance.
At the entrance, where families and school groups are lined up, I am asked how many children accompany me. Yes, this is the peculiarity of the Museum; an adult can not enter unless accompanied by at least one child. This is because we are not talking about just a building where children have the opportunity to play. It is not just a park; it is not a museum “for grownups”. This Rome attraction is an experience designed specifically for the little ones.
Inside the structure, as well as the park, you dive into a colorful world where everything you observe and read is placed for there not just for embellishment but to create a “real life” space and experience: the supermarket, the bank, the garden of the countryside, the home kitchen. Every area is built and studied in detail and suitable for children, differing also by age so that it is easier to choose which area to visit and “live “.
The purpose here is not just to play, but to learn how to behave, how to choose products, how to weigh them or read its origin in a supermarket. It teaches them how to move in “adult “spaces. It also explores the forces that move everything: the water cycle, sound and communication, different surfaces, geography. Everything is a game for the child that comes into this world, but at the same time it is a lesson.
The staff of the Museum staff lead the various groups within each area. They explain what they are, help them to play with what surrounds them, bring them in workshops where they can give free rein to their imagination.
The materials used are exclusively recycled, and this makes it even more appealing to the initiative of this place, which sensitizes the child to respect the environment. It also encourages respect for oneself as a child and his or her rights which are cleverly exhibited on the second floor of the building. Here, the declaration of the rights of children are displayed in numerous colorful posters that are easy to understand. The Children’s Museum and the Società Cooperativa Sociale Onlus was formed in 1998.
It is a cooperative non-profit organization run primarily by women with the aim to raise awareness of the “grown ups” to observe children, to respect their time and choices , to listen to them and especially to participate in their activities to be able to share successes and failures equally.
The Children’s Museum is a fantastic initiative and one of the worth while Rome attractions for anyone visiting with children. The cost of the ticket is 8 euro and times of visits, which never last more than two hours , are included on their website along with other useful information. It is recommended to reserve for larger groups and for visits on the weekend.
An important notice, for large groups booking is recommended,. And especially on the weekends, because you will realize it , they are many people who adhere to this fantastic initiative .
