The 2024 ‘Firenze dei Bambini’ Children’s Festival

Hundreds of activities for the ‘Firenze dei Bambini’ (children’s festival) will take place in the city. This year, the festival is called “Sprouts,” focusing on themes of earth, nature, and relations between living beings. There will also be a special focus on Giacomo Puccini, a famous composer, for the 100th anniversary of his passing. The goal of this year’s festival is to raise awareness among citizens, old and young, about environmental issues.

The free events will take place from April 19 to 21, concluding just before World Earth Day on April 22. All festival participants will be given bracelets, allowing free access for children and one accompanying adult to Palazzo Vecchio, Museo Novecento, Museo Santa Maria Novella, and Museo Bardini. All activities are free, some with open access until seats are full, while others require reservations for both children and adults. Reservations will be active from noon on Wednesday, April 10 to 10 am on Thursday, April 18.

FRIDAY, APRIL 19 

La Specola 

The grand inauguration for families will be at the recently reopened zoology museum, starting at 5:30 pm. Zoologists Rita Cervo and Federico Cappa will speak to the children about the variety of traits and behaviors in the animal kingdom, including small experiments for them to participate in. Visits to the museum will be possible exclusively for small groups and with reservations from 5 to 7:30 pm.

The museum finally reopened after a pre-Covid closure for renovations and expansion. The improvements include an enlargement of space and restoring much of the collection. There is two new wings of the science and natural history museum for visitors to explore.

SATURDAY, APRIL 20 & SUNDAY, APRIL 21

Dogana Courtyard

Saturday and Sunday offer a plethora of events all over the city. The activities will begin at Palazzo Vecchio, where the Dogana Courtyard will be transformed into an “unlikely garden,” where there will be sprouting trees and greenery everywhere for visitors to experience the beauty of nature in the city.

Sala d’Arme 

TPO Theater Company + Erba will put on a show, allowing people to imagine a city made of grass, trees, insects, and birds.

Salone de’ Cinquecento

The highly popular ‘Night at the Museum’ on Saturday night to Sunday morning; children and chaperones will be able to sleepover in the museum. In the Story Theater, cozy “nests” will be set up for children aged 0 to 4, with readings, games, and activities.

Turandot will be staged on Sunday, showing a musical fairy tale, taking children on a special journey to ancient China.

Museum of National History

The museum will be opening its doors to the Botanical Garden for guests to explore. Shows will be put on for children aged 2 to 6 about the natural world, along with a workshop focusing on the life of bees.

Istituto degli Innocenti 

Many workshops and presentations will take place aimed at exploring the natural world of stones, wolves, birds, plants, and trees.

Biblioteca delle Oblate

Water workshops, a non-stop schedule of films and author creations on the themes of nature and river. Readings and animated stories will alternate in the “children and young people” section. In the courtyards, there will be a photographic set up inspired by endangered habitats worldwide.

Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino & Piazza Vittorio Gui

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini death, there will be a performance on the life and work of his music Saturday at 5:30 pm. In addition to the concert performance there will be workshops distributed between the theater and the adjacent square.

Other activities will be spread throughout the city all weekend long for families to enjoy and enhance their knowledge of nature and environmental issues. Concluding all events, on Sunday at 5:30 pm in Piazza Signoria, in from the Arengario of Palazza Vecchio, will be a musial finale as a tribute to Giacomo Puccini.

The full program is available online at www.firenzebambini.it

(Sophia Koch)