Lists of top family destinations don’t usually include Florence. Known for its history and art, it’s not generally a place you think to take the family when planning a vacation.

But if Florence is on your list of places you must see and the kids are traveling with you, you might be surprised with what you find. Your children might be more enthralled with the great art than you expect, and strolling streets with a gelato is sure to please even the most resistant child.

For example, for a different kind of art, you might take your child or children to the Boboli Gardens, which includes a lot of walking (perhaps not the best choice for the child prone to whining), but which offers views worthy of the hike.

If you need a little respite from sightseeing, walking and dealing with the kids, take them to the Parco delle Cascine, an urban park that features play structures, picnic areas and even a swimming pool. This is a daytime outing – in other words, think Central Park. Don’t head here after dark.

If you’re determined to see the sights, but your kids are determined to see action, consider some climbing. Head to the Duomo (dome), which features a good climb to the top and rewards you with a panoramic view of the city once you’re there. If your kids are the type who will still have energy to burn, head to the bell tower next door and climb that too.

Many kids like to draw, and are surprisingly uninhibited about it. If you bring a small sketchpad and some pencils to the museums you visit, your kids might enjoy trying to draw one of the sculptures. Ours did, and the results were real keepsakes of our trip. Our favorite place to sketch was the Museum of the Opera del Duomo, which is much less crowded than the Uffizi but has some great sculpture in a nice setting.

We had some trouble finding a toy store in Florence, but happened upon one we would recommend. It is called Dreoni Giocattoli, and is on via Cavour near the Accademia. It was great just for browsing through the many rooms of toys, with something for kids of every age.

 SWIMMING POOL.  If you need to get out of the city and cool off The 500 Touring Club takes picnic tours in vintage Italian cars  to a great location with a pool.  Lovely for the kids.