traveldk.com

This major urban park in central Naples has a playground specifically designed with little ones in mind and there are always plenty of families enjoying the gardens and walkways. Vendors also hawk all sorts of festive toys that kids love. The biggest attraction for youngsters may be the Stazione Zoologica (Zoological Institute), featuring sea life from the Bay of Naples.

A hands-on, interactive “experimentorium”, with something for everyone, even the very young. Included in the exhibits are a planetarium as well as upto-date computer gizmos, all of which seem to transcend language barriers (see Science City, Posillipo).

This traditional amusement park might be showing its age a bit and isn’t giving Disney any competition, but kids of all ages will find plenty to enjoy. Rides include a Big Dipper, a Ghost Train, a Canoe Flume and Bumper Cars, as well as several more high-tech options. A low-tech, old-fashioned choice that never fails to delight is Le Nuvole, a theatre group that features puppets and mime.

Four museums in one are housed in the Università di Napoli Federico II. Rockhounds will love the Mineralogy and Geology Museum; the Anthropology Museum is fascinating; animal lovers will relate to the Zoology Museum; and the Palaeontology Museum has dinosaur exhibits.

Children are captivated by the Doll Hospital, both for the concept as well as for the array of dolls that are here to be “cured”. Adults, too, will find the collection fascinating, with some pieces qualifying as museum-quality treasures. The place is a shop as well, so your child won’t necessarily have to say goodbye to a new-found friend at the end of the visit.

With all the hills in the area, both in Naples and around the bay, these fun people-movers have proved a charming necessity. The most accessible and important ones, that inspired the rousing ditty “Funicolì, funicolà” , are those that take you from the historic centre up to Vomero.

The first railway in the area was inaugurated by King Ferdinand II in 1839 and 150 years later the railway workshop was opened as a museum. It’s the largest of its kind in Europe and has impressive displays, including a magnificent reconstruction of the first royal train here and a line-up of later carriages, many of them lavishly gilded.

No child will ever forget a trip up the cone of this killer volcano and a peek over the rim into the steaming abyss far below. It’s a fairly easy walk – only about half an hour – and the thrill will stay with them for years.

Another phenomenal geothermal playground that will fascinate budding geologists. This congealed lava cap plugging up a dormant volcano is an expanse of hissing, fuming, bubbling terrain like nothing you will have seen before. There’s also a campsite with restaurant right on the spot – you get used to the sulphur smell in a day or two (see Solfatara, Pozzuoli).

One of the most child-friendly beaches in the area: the water is tranquil and the bathing areas well protected. For all the water toys and gear you might require, as well as sunscreen, there are lots of shops handy, and a wide choice of places to eat. Changing rooms, umbrellas and sunbeds are available, too (see Marina Piccola)