Monday:
Take it easy on Monday morning, as so many things are closed! Go to a nice bar and have the typical Italian breakfast: cappuccino and cornetto (the italian croissant) and get a babyccino for your kids. To get the full experience you should have it quickly and while standing up, but that may not be ideal with children in tow.
Wherever you are you should not be too far from a stop of the 29/30 tram line: it’s a line that does a complete loop around Milan following the (now inexistent) Spanish walls. The trams in service on this line are very old, similar to San Francisco’s cable cars, and children love them! Wait until rush hour is over and board one, tickets are 1 euro and kids below 10 go free.
Get off in Corso Vercelli, one of the nicest shopping streets in Milan. Corso Vercelli, together with its continuation Via Belfiore and Via Marghera is probably one of the best places for shoes, kid’s shops and jewellery (together with everything else). Take a break and have a gelato at Grom, undoubtedly the best ice cream in the world! Reboard the tram and complete your tour.
Tuesday:
Head to Leonardo da Vinci Science Museum, where the highlights are the models of the machines designed by Leonardo and a real submarine. The Toti is a war submarine, built in Italy in 1967 and is over 46 meters long. Its transportation to the Museum took place in the middle of august and during the night to minimise disruption. It was very spectacular! Tickets can be booked in advance or bought at the Museum entry.
Unfortunately the cafeteria is closed until further notice, so you can walk down Via San Vittore and have a sandwich in one of the many cafés or have a slice of pizza or focaccia from one of the bakeries.
After lunch have a stroll around the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio. It’s the quintessential Milanese church, very austere and elegant. Kids can run around in the porch if they still have some energy to burn off after the Museum visit.
Take Corso Genova, a nice shopping street, and walk towards the Navigli. These canals are what is left of the whole canal system that existed in Milan in the middle ages. The neighbourhood is very characteristic, a bit bohemian maybe. If it’s summer the streets along the canals will be pedestrianised and all the bars will have tables outside. You should have an aperitive, this is the ultimate Milanese habit. You get a drink and the bar provides so many snacks that you may as well skip dinner. Try to go early in the evening, so that it’s not too crowded.
Wednesday:
Go (window) shopping in what is know as “fashion quadrilateral”. All the streets around Via Montenapoleone and Via della Spiga are lined with the boutiques of all the designers you can think of, Italians or not. You could have a quick stop for an espresso either in Cova or in Sant Ambroeus. Both patisseries are extremely posh, but an espresso or cappuccino taken at the counter will cost more or less like in any other bar. Then walk down Corso Vittorio Emanuele until Piazza Duomo. Get the elevator (or climb the stairs if you feel sporty) to the top of the Duomo. Here you can walk on the roof among hundreds of statues and all the spires; the tallest of them measures 109 meters. You also get a great view of the city, if it isn’t too cloudy.
You can have lunch on the 7th floor of la Rinascente, the best department store in Milan. They have nice restaurants, not too expensive and with a terrace that faces the big stained glass windows of the Duomo. As an alternative you can walk around the corner and have the best panzerotto in town from Luini; unfortunately there’s no seating, but they are yummy and quite inexpensive!
Thursday:
Take your kids to the Castello Sofrzesco, a true castle in the center of town! You can walk around the courtyard and then enter and visit some of the permanent galleries. Children may not be too interested on what’s on show, but they will love walking in the big corridors of the castle.
The castle borders the Sempione Park, one of the only two (decent sized) parks of Milan. Nothing compares to London parks, but your kids can run and play. There is a playground towards the other end (you can reach it in 10 minutes) and also an electric little train that children love to ride.
You can stop for lunch in Bar Bianco in the middle of the park; they serve sandwiches and a selection of warm dishes. If the weather is nice it is definitely a good choice. If it’s raining, head for the Triennale, where you can have lunch at the Design Café. The cafeteria is now being refurbished, but it should open in April and the mind behind the project is Carlo Cracco, one of Italy’s most well-known chefs.
Friday:
Take the underground and go to Piazzale Loreto, then start walking down Corso Buenos Aires to get the Italian high street experience. Continue down Corso Venezia, an extremely elegant street bordered by luxury buildings. You will get to Giardini Pubblici — the other nice park in Milan. It hosts the Natural History Museum and the Planetarium. Together with playgrounds, merry-go-rounds and electric train you can also find a little coach with horses and ponies that children can ride. You can have a sandwich or coffee at Bar Bianco nearby.
Exit from Via Palestro, you will be facing the Villa Belgioioso Bonaparte (known as Villa Reale) and the Contemporary Art Museum. On the side of the main entry there is a gate that leads to a little garden where adults can enter only if in the company of a child. It is very small, but it is extremely well kept and if you have a crawling child you can let him free without fear of dog poo, cigarette butts and the like.
-Michela
P.S. A big ‘thank you’ to the Rookie Moms for featuring our four cities on their site!
Monday:
Head over to the Louvre for some culture. Older kids love the Egyptian collection with sarcophagi and amazing statues, and the whole museum is full of lifts and ramps so taking a pushchair along is no problem. There is even a special queue for moms with pushchairs so you can skip the crowds (if there are any).
Then, as an antidote for the kids, walk over to the Tuileries Gardens. They have trampolines (for kids over 2), and a merry-go-round situated in the middle of the gardens. Try to go before 4pm as this is the time school finishes and the parks get packed. To treat yourself, go for a hot chocolate at Angelina’s (226 rue de Rivoli). Rumour has it, that this is the best hot chocolate in the Northern Hemisphere….
Tuesday:
Treat yourself to a spot of shopping on one of the shopping hotspots of Paris, rue des Franc Bourgeois and rue Veille du Temple in the Marais. There are numerous little parks around these streets (places des Vosges and parc Royale), so you can let the kids have a quick play in-between shops! Go for lunch at Le loir dans la Théière (3 rue des rosiers 75004 Paris Tél. : 01.42.72.90.61). Ironically all the antique highchairs there are purely for decoration, but it is a really kid-friendly place with big leather sofas. Nobody rushes you, even if there is a huge queue in front of the door (and the lemon tarte is something to behold– its meringue topping must be at least 15 cm high)!
Wednesday:
Head over to the Jardin des Plantes. La Menagerie is a little old-fashioned zoo inside the park. It is very cute and has all the animals kids could possibly want to see. The café inside is decent and very good with kids. In true French style you can order anything… from a croque monsieur to escargot! If it is raining, the Natural History Museum is also in the same park. It is maybe not the most impressive stuffed-animal museum of all times, but definitely worth a look.
Thursday:
Time to treat the kids to some shopping. Some of the best kids clothing and toy stores in Paris are concentrated on the rue Vavin and the rue Brea in the 6th, just south of the Luxembourg gardens. Petit Bateau have a lovely shop there as doDPAM and Jacadi, and there are lots of individual children boutiques. After that you can go to the playground in the Luxembourg Gardens, which is one of the best playgrounds in Paris. There are swings for bigger kids, and the highlight for all the kids are the sailboats you can rent at the fountain, which you push around with sticks.
Friday:
Make your way over to the bois de Vincennes. It is a beautiful park/woods on the outside of Paris but in easy reach by metro (line 1). You can rent little boats to row around the lake and there is a little city farm, which is worth visiting especially in the spring when all the animals have just had their babies. The playground in the Parc Floral is huge and great for all ages.
If you still need to get a bit of shopping out of your system head back into town to the village St-Paul a little maze of cobble stone courtyards full of little antique and design stores. It is actually a lovely place to go with kids as the courtyards are all interlinked and pedestrianized.
Monday:
Go out for breakfast in the Bakkerswinkel. A basket of different sorts of bread, muffins, scones and croissants makes way to your table accompanied by a much needed coffee and orange juice. Fancy jams can be found on the table. Open from 7AM – what a wonderful way to start the week!
After, take your children to the Amstelpark, where there is a lovely playground and a little city farm. A ‘real train’ can take you around the park – a sure hit with your little ones.
Had enough of the park? Go to the Scheldestraat where you can find the great kids’ shoe store Meys&Co (open from 1PM onwards), with Koter&Co across the street where they sell a big selection of the cool Dutch kiddie brand Imps&Elfs (and more).
Before going back home, don’t forget to visit Italian delicatessen Feduzzi for a cappuccino and one of their mouth-watering Panini. And don’t forget the babyccino for your little angel! You can pick up something for dinner here too – I promise you, the food is great and prices are reasonable.
Tuesday:
TunFun is an indoor playground that your children will LOVE. There are different soft play areas for different age groups, and there are also benches and a lounge area for the grown ups. A good place to start the day with a cup of coffee (and a great place to go if it’s raining)! Artis, the Zoo of Amsterdam, is not far from here. Because of the mix of historic buildings, huge amounts of green and great variety of animals, this is truly a magnificent place to spend half a day.
In the unfortunate but not unthinkable case of bad weather, Artis provides many indoor activities for your children and yourself to enjoy: the aquarium, the greenhouses, reptile house, Planetarium and the new butterfly-garden.
The playgrounds and restaurants are very good, but if you feel like having lunch in a different environment, you can go to restaurant Plancius across the street from Artis. It’s a good place to go with children (high-chairs are available).
Wednesday:
Make your way to the Central Station because right next to it is NEMO: the science centre. Great for kids! There only rule here is: forbidden NOT to touch!
From the sloping roof-piazza, the view over Amsterdam is magnificent. In summer, this roof-piazza transforms to a city beach (sand, bean bags, stunning harbour views and tapas-style snacks)!
If the weather is not good enough to enjoy lunch on the roof (it happens often in Amsterdam, this is why I keep mentioning it), you better go to the new Public Library next door. On the top floor is a self-service restaurant with a wonderful selection of fresh food, sandwiches and fruit juices (yes, cakes too), with again a great panorama over Amsterdam and plenty of high-chairs. After lunch, you can visit the VOC ship in front of NEMO to have a taste of life on a ship in the Golden Age (18th century).
Thursday:
Go shopping in the Nine Streets where boutique after boutique makes you wish you came with a truck instead of a pushchair (to load all the goodies in)!
After, take your little ones for lunch in restaurant Pancakes! where you’ll find high chairs, toys, kids’ menu and a friendly staff! Or, get ‘friet’ with mayonnaise at the ‘Vlaams Friteshuis’ in the Voetboogsteeg; arguably the best Belgian French Fries in Amsterdam.
Friday:
Grab your bakfiets (or rent one) and make your way to the Amsterdamse Bos. Go for a long stroll, let your children run around for a bit, and then visit the macrobiotic goat farm. There are chickens, pigs, cows, and, of course, goats. Kids can help feed the baby goats and are allowed to cuddle. The cheese factory can be visited and there is a cheese shop – so don’t worry too much about dinner; goat cheese will do just fine. The playground is made from all natural materials and there is a maze!
You can have lunch here, or at ‘Boerderij Meerzicht’, with chickens and peacocks roaming around the farmyard.
In summertime there are wading pools, and an adventure island (with footbridges and a little ferry) to be explored in the Amsterdamse Bos; building huts is allowed here!
After the journey back home, put your children to bed early as they will be exhausted, and enjoy a quiet evening with your man (or find a babysitter and hit the streets of Amsterdam)! Cheers to the weekend!
Monday:
Head to Lazy Daisy Café on Portobello Road for a quick lunch. They’re all set up for kids, with a basket of toys and even changing tables (nappies and wipes) in the bathroom! If it’s a sunny day, you can even sit outside. After lunch, walk a few blocks south on Portobello Road to the Electric Cinema. They have a 3:00 screening slot set up for mums and their babies under 1-year-old. You “valet park” your buggy, take your seat at one of the cozy armchairs, and your baby sits on your lap (or the ample floor space in front of you). No worries if they scream– it’s actually called “Electric Scream” because it is to be expected! This is the perfect way to stay up-to-date on recent films, and is a fun way to meet other mums with babies. (Buy your ticket early on Monday because they always sell out)!
Tuesday: Take your kids to the National Army Museum in Chelsea. They have a Kid’s Zone for interactive learning and a play space with a forest, castle, board games, a construction corner, and a reading area. The Zone is meant for kids under 10, including a soft-play area for babies! (They also have restrooms inside the enclosed Kid’s Zone, which is handy for your potty-trained kids)!
After the museum, head to the nearby King’s Road for lunch at Carluccio’s. They have a great kid’s menu, loads of high-chairs and changing tables in the bathrooms. Alternatively, you can go the other way on the King’s Road and have lunch at Manicomio (which is a bit more posh)! They serve a very cute kid’s plate with mini Italian sandwiches!
Wednesday: Go shopping in Primrose Hill (yes, really!). Most of the trendy boutique shops on this quintessentially hip London street have a basket of toys in the back to keep your kids entertained while you shop (or even try things on)! My kids are always amused with any toy that isn’t their own, and they can stay happy in these shops for at least 15 minutes! The following stores have a kid’s play corner: Elias and Grace, Adam Simmonds (sunglasses), Pamela Shiffer, and Anna.
When your kids get bored with shopping, walk 5 minutes toward Regent’s Park and visit the zoo. It isn’t the best zoo in the world, but they DO have a petting farm for children and a whole exhibit dedicated to bugs. They also have a very cool butterfly house where loads of butterflies fly around freely– this is always a big hit with kids, with all the different colors and sizes of butterflies flying around and landing on their buggy! There’s also a playground inside the zoo if you want to let your kids burn off some energy.
Thursday: Visit a city farm. Yes, a farm right in the middle of dense London! Put wellies and farm gear on your kids and bring apples and carrots to feed the animals. They have pigs, cows, horses, sheep, chickens, rabbits, ducks, etc. My favorite city farm is the Kentish Town City Farm. They’re open every day, and on Saturdays you can pay £1 to ride the ponies!
In the afternoon, head to one of London’s famous (and free) museums! We have a great Natural History Museum with a T-Rex in the Dinosaurs gallery and a blue whale in the Mammals gallery. The Science Museum, which is just down the street, is also great. They have a “launch pad” and a “garden” in the basement with hands-on exhibits for younger kids.
Friday: Attend a Monkey Music class! This is by far my favourite class for babies and toddlers. It isn’t overly commercialized and cheesy, and their venues are usually in beautiful old churches or community centres. Kids sing songs, play instruments and dance. They offer classes across London and on every day of the week.
In the afternoon, take your kids to a playground! (On a sunny day, London is the most amazing city– with loads of green spaces and great playgrounds). Some good ones in central London are: The Pirate Ship (Princess Diana Memorial Playground) in Kensington Gardens, the playgound in the northeast corner of Regent’s Park, St. Luke’s park in Chelsea, and the Parliament Hill Playground in Hampstead Heath. If it’s a windy day, you can always fly a kite (remember Mary Poppins?). Walk up to the top of “Kite Hill” in Hampstead Heath (where you’ll find great views of London), and join the many others kite-flyers!
Sunday: The Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre is a great family place to go on a weekend! They have a family swim hour in the morning (10:00 a.m.), a kid-friendly café, and a fun soft-play area for kids over two! They also have a library if you (or your kids) prefer a more quieter time. If it’s a nice day, there’s a small playground outside, as well as a fun water fountain for kids to run around in.
Monday:
Michela in Milan
April 25th, 2008
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