Venice family tour for children: a lion hunt

Programme

• What the winged lion isThe symbol of Saint Mark and the arms of the Republic. The lions differ: book open or closed, seated or striding, carved or cast. Once the code is explained, children start finding them without help.
• The huntWe look for lions on cornices, above doorways, on well-heads and bridges, and count what we find. Adults are usually drawn in by the fourth.
• Why the city stands on waterLarch piles driven into the silt, which do not rot without air, and a timber platform laid across them. Every child asks whether it will sink, and so does half of every set of parents.
• Why the water is greenNot from dirt. Where the colour comes from, what a tide is, and why the level changes twice a day.
• Masks and who wore themNot only at carnival: masks were worn on ordinary days, and there were practical reasons for it.
• Gelato in a hidden courtyardA stop for the best ice cream away from the queues, and a note for the parents on telling real gelato from industrial.

Route

• What the winged lion isThe symbol of Saint Mark and the arms of the Republic. The lions differ: book open or closed, seated or striding, carved or cast. Once the code is explained, children begin finding them unaided across the whole city.
• The huntWe look for lions on cornices, above doorways, on well-heads and bridges, and we count. Adults are usually drawn in by the fourth.
• Why the city stands on waterLarch piles driven into the silt, which do not rot without air, and a timber platform laid across them. Every child asks whether it will sink, and so does half of every set of parents.
• Why the water is greenNot from dirt. Where the colour comes from, what a tide is, and why the level changes twice a day.
• Masks and who wore themNot only at carnival. Masks were worn on ordinary days and there were practical reasons for it. The best-known shapes and what each of them meant.
• Gelato in a hidden courtyardA stop for the best ice cream away from the queues, and a note for the parents on telling real gelato from the industrial sort.

How this differs

The usual family tour is an adult route with half of it removed. This is the reverse: the route is built from the child outward, and the adult gets a proper conversation running alongside. While the children are occupied, you get the city without complaints.

Not for you if

• Under six: shorter and without the quest — we discuss that separately.
• Teenagers over fourteen are generally bored; the walking tour or the evening route suits them better.
• If the parents want a full lecture on history, this is a different register.

When to go

What the price covers

• A licensed private guide
• A route built around your pace and interests
• Quest materials

Paid separately

• Gelato and drinks
• Admission, if we go inside
• Transport

The quoted price covers one to three guests. From four upwards, quoted on request.

Practical notes

Age

Best suited to eight to twelve

Meeting point

Your hotel, or Piazza San Marco

Pace

Frequent stops; built so that legs do not give out

In rain

The natural history museum with its dinosaur skeleton, or mask painting

Frequently asked