Last updated on June 12th, 2024
Venice with kids can be tough, especially if you have kids still in strollers. There is a lot of walking and a lot of stroller lifting but I can assure you that if you have some good rest spots planned out, your trip to Venice with kids is going to be a whole lot easier.
I am lucky enough to live just a short train ride from Venice and I love traveling with my four kids to Venice, but it’s certainly one of the more challenging cities to visit as a parent.
In this guide, I am going to share my favorite kid-friendly squares to break up your sight-seeing in Venice, walking you through what each has to offer, what they are best for, what to do close by, and where to eat before or afterwards.
If you can manage to break up your days in Venice with plenty of good food, drinks for mom and dad and scoops of gelato, your trip is sure to be a homerun.
Be sure to take note of these six squares before coming to Venice with kids and stop in to rest those weary legs and to fill hungry bellies!
Kids in Italy: Curious to read more about eating with kids in Italy? Check out
Best Squares To Eat And Drink With Kids In Venice
8+ Kid Friendly Restaurants In Venice – From A Mom Of Four Living In Italy
Where To Get A Quick Bite With Kids In Florence (Without Going Out Of Your Way!)
Where To Eat With Kids In Florence
School Lunches In Italy – What An Italian School Lunch Menu Looks Like
Kid-Friendly Foods to Order at Restaurants in Italy
Dining Out With Kids In Italy – What To Expect + Tips
Italy’s Best Supermarket Snacks for Kids
School Lunches in Italy
Jump to Section
Map Of Best Squares To Eat And Drink With Kids In Venice
Quick Guide – Best Squares To Eat And Drink With Kids In Venice
| Square | Neighborhood | Best For | Pair With | Dinner Closeby |
| Campo Santi Apostoli | Cannaregio (not far from Rialto Bridge) | Cocktails while kids eat gelato | Visit To Rialto Market | Ai Promessi Sposi (one of the best restaurants in Venice) |
| Fondamenta Dei Ormesini/Canal Rio Della Misericordia | Cannaregio | Older children | A stroll around the undiscovered neighborhood of Cannaregio and the Jewish Ghetto in Venice | Osteria L’Orto dei Mori |
| Campo San Giacomo Da L’Orio | San Polo | Any age | A ride on the Grand Canal via the Vaporetto (get off at San Stae ACTV Fermata/Stop) | Vini Da Gigio or Cà D’oro alla Vedova |
| Campo S. Maria Mater Domini | San Polo | Best coffee in Venice paired with gelato for kids | International Gallery of Modern Art | La Zucca (one of my picks for where to eat vegetarian food in Venice) |
| Campo Santa Margherita | Dorsoduro | Cicchetti or pizza with kids at | Leonarda Da Vinci Museum for kids | Osteria Alla Bifora or Pizza Al Volo |
| Campo Santa Maria Formosa | Castello | Sitting down in the sun with a beer, coffee or a glass of wine at OZIO | Libreria Acqua Alta | Le Tole Spaghetteria Pizzeria (some of the best pizza in Venice) |
Campo Santi Apostoli
Campo Santi Apostoli is a tiny square close to the Rialto Bridge with a small bar, Osteria Dal Riccio Peoco, perfect for sitting outdoors and enjoying a coffee, spritz or other non-alcoholic beverage like a Crodino Spritz (I don’t recommend the food but for drinks it’s great).
I like this square because it has a cute tree with a bench in the middle, a gelatiera (Gelateria della Natura) and a cafè all in one small place in a great location. Venice can easily be overwhelming for small kids (and parents who are lifting strollers over small bridges every 2 minutes) so sitting down in a small square between touring makes the whole day a lot easier on everyone.
Come here right before you hit the central area of the Rialto bridge where you might be overwhelmed by the crowds. Pop in and get your kids some gelato and then head to the bar and sit outdoors so they can play.
Travelling with Your Bambino? Be sure to read
What Do Babies Eat in Italy?
Italian Baby Food – A Traveler’s Guide
Fondamenta Dei Ormesini/Canal Rio Della Misericordia
The Rio della Misericordia (one of the best places to get drinks after dinner in Venice) is a wide, quiet canal located in the quiet neighborhood of Cannaregio, a truly underrated neighborhood in Venice full of locals, small bars, authentic Venetian eats and picturesque homes.
Any of the small canals in the Cannaregio neighborhood are worth exploring, especially with teens, but the Rio della Misericordia is the main one lined with some of the best gelato, coffee, aperitivo, authentic restaurants and great photo opps. If you are traveling with teens in Italy and wondering about the drinking age, read The Legal Drinking Age In Italy.
When I walk to the Santa Lucia Train Station in Venice, I always take the long way around instead of walking through San Polo up to the station. This way, I am always sure to walk along this strip, stopping for cicchetti and ombra or drink before I leave Venice.
Good To Know: Sullaluna Libreria & Bistro (great spot for vegan food in Venice), Bacaro del Gelato (some of the best gelato in Venice) and Torrefazione Cannareggio (one of my picks for best coffee in Venice) are located all along this canal.
In my experience, no matter where you choose to stop along the canal and sit down, you will have a good time. I have come here at every time of the day but it’s busiest at aperitivo hour when the locals get off work and students take a break from their studies.
Campo San Giacomo Da L’Orio
Campo San Giacomo is between the Santa Lucia Train Station in Venice and the Rialto Bridge in San Polo in Venice with plenty of space for kids to run around and play freely and eat gelato while adults eat and drink in peace.
This square is quiet and home to Venetian locals. You won’t find tourist traps, overpriced restaurants or bad cicchetti. Instead, you can look forward to a quiet morning, afternoon or evening full of great gelato, wine and plenty of good food.
My favorite local coffee roaster, Majer (a quality local food chain in Venice), is located here, offering a great selection of some of the best coffee in Venice, great sandwiches, pizza, cakes, cookies and breakfast.
Next door is some of the best gelato in Venice, Gelateria della Natura, and just across the street is Majer’s wine bar, La Cantinetta, with a good selection of wines and cicchetti.
I suggest Campo San Giacomo for families who want to kill some time or make a whole evening in one, convenient location without moving much. You can jump from place to place, eating and drinking reliable food in Venice and finishing the evening with a casual kid-friendly, vegetarian or vegan meal at La Zucca.
Good To Know: There is also a small grocery stocked with all the basics and a water fountain to fill up your water bottle as well.
Campo S. Maria Mater Domini
Campo S.Maria Mater is a tiny square between the Santa Lucia Train Station in Venice and the Rialto Market, ideal for ordering a quick drink, aperitivo or snack away from the tourists. It’s my top pick for families looking for a really quiet and small piazza.
There is not much in this square, it’s so tiny but when I walked through it, I turned around five minutes later and came back to sit down and have a coffee at Bar da Fiore and take in the quiet.
There is a vintage store, and an artisan mask maker located here as well (where I bought masks for my children artisan made by the owner for over 30 years).
Kids can run freely but it’s important to note that there is a canal just off the square so if you have small children, you will need to keep a particular eye on them.
Campo Santa Margherita
Campo Santa Margherita is the coolest and largest of all the squares I am recommending for families looking to eat and drink with kids in Venice.
Not only is it the largest, making it the most fun for kids, but it’s also in one of the coolest neighborhoods, Dorsoduro, full of various options including pizza by the slice at Pizza Al Volo and an outdoor market in the mornings from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Campo Santa Margherita really has a different vibe every time of the day. If you come in the morning for breakfast at Caffè Rosso, it’s calm, quiet and sunny. If you come in the afternoon, the square fills up with local children and in the evenings, all sorts of tourists and locals fill the square for cicchetti and aperitivo at the various bars.
For the best cicchetti, check out Panini E Vini Da Babbo but for food, I suggest Osteria Alla Bifora, a really easy going kid-friendly restaurant.
Good To Know: There is also a really good gelateria, Gelateria del Doge, located in the square as well.
Campo Santa Maria Formosa
Campo Santa Maria Formosa is a modest size square that is rectangular in shape, making it safe and fun for kids to play in while you sit back and relax at bar OZIO outdoors at one of their many tables under the Venetian sun (equipped with umbrellas for rain or heat).
As a mom of four I am always worried about Italian squares that are too busy. Even if they are wide open, it’s easy to loose sight of your kids. Not here! The square is off the beaten path and isn’t where a lot of tourists are hanging out.
I like to take my kids to the really fun bookstore Libreria Acqua Alta, one of the coolest bookstores in all of Italy. The backside literally opens onto the canal with water flooding into the shop with a backroom of century old books. The bookstore has a used and new section with plenty of items to bring home as souvenirs or gifts, including a small section of English books as well.
From here, my family will hang out at OZIO, me with coffee or an aperitivo and my kids with a non-alcoholic beverage and perhaps a snack.
Not far is Le Tole Spaghetteria Pizzeria, a great family restaurant because of their pizza/pasta combo menu. He who wants fresh pasta, be this your spot! Kids want pizza? They have it too!
Venice bound? Get prepared with all of our Venice posts:
20+ Must-Try Foods And Drinks In Venice – And My Favorite Places To Eat Them
What Are Cicchetti? + Where To Eat Them In Venice
What Is A Bacaro? + A Local’s Self Guided Bacaro Tour Itinerary
My Favorite Cicchetti In Venice – The 10 Best Bacari To Try
Best Restaurants in Venice + Nearest Cicchetti Stops
Best Gelato In Venice – My Italian Family’s 10 Favorite Gelaterie
7 Food Markets In Venice Worth Your Time
Where To Get Coffee In Venice
Where To Eat Breakfast In Venice – A Local’s Favorite Breakfast Nooks
10 Amazing Bakeries In Venice – Where to Get Your Pastry On
Best Spots In Venice For Aperitivo – My Top Bars & Squares for Pre-Dinner Drinks
Dinner On The Water In Venice – My Top 7 Restaurants
Best Pizza In Venice – My ‘Don’t Miss’ List
My Favorite After Dinner Drink Spots In Venice
Shopping at the Rialto Market in Venice – Tips + Printable
5 Street Foods To Try In Venice & Where Eat Them
Best Places To Get Takeout In Venice – My Top Picks
Where To Eat Before Catching Your Train At The Venice Santa Lucia Train Station
My Favorite Food Chains To Try In Venice
Eating Gluten-Free In Venice – Restaurants, Cicchetti & Gelato
Gluten-Free Cicchetti In Venice – What To Order (& Avoid) and How to Order
Eating Vegetarian In Venice – My Top Five Vegetarian Friendly Restaurants + Tips
Eating Vegan In Venice, Italy – My Top Five Vegan Friendly Restaurants
Eating in Venice While Pregnant
8+ Kid Friendly Restaurants In Venice
Best Squares To Eat And Drink With Kids In Venice
24 Hour Food Guide For Venice – A Self Guided Tour For Foodies in Venice
Eating Around Venice in 48 hours – 2 Day Venice Itinerary For Foodies
10 Best Food Souvenirs From Venice, Italy + Where I Buy Them
