When in Italy: Art, Kids, & a Day Camp

“Little by little, one travels far.” –J.R.R. Tolkien

Shannon Kenny is the editor of the Italy family travel site Italiakids. Shannon’s views are formed from 8 years of working with families traveling to Italy as Founding Director of the Arte al Sole summer art day camps. These camps, located at Palazzo Belfiore in Florence, Italy, form a unique art/culture program for kids ages 6-12. It allows kids to have fun, make new friends and learn about the places they are visiting in stimulating ways. And parents have some time alone to explore together.

On the debate over whether having kids means postponing your travel dreams, Shannon responded to this topic in her blog post on “Why Travel Makes Kids Smarter.”  Shannon’s experiences have shown how families bond through travel. As she states in her blog, a recent survey of adults revealed that the major percentage of their most vivid memories from childhood age 5 to 10 were from family travel adventures. The Arte al Sole art day camps for kids in Italy provide a wonderful opportunity for kids to make such travel memories.

Benefits for kids:

The Arte al Sole programs boost the ordinary benefits of travel with the opportunity for socialization abroad in a safe environment. The day camp format means that the kids can share what they learn during the day with their parents when they come to pick them up in the afternoon. Shannon likes to say that in a sense, the kids become the guides by the end of the week as their confidence, self-esteem, and appreciation for the art and culture they’re discovering on new levels begin to really shine.

Benefits for parents:

Meanwhile, parents bond more closely with one another. They can have a romantic lunch or enjoy a food and wine tour with some of the other parents. When children and adults have the opportunity to socialize with others and engage in the local community, such encounters deepen the family travel experience.

Locations:

Arte al Sole has grown from its original location in the charming Tuscan town of Lucca. It now includes locations in Florence, Venice, Umbria, and the Amalfi Coast. Parents have the option to sign up for a weekly program staying onsite in holiday apartments in Umbria and Florence or in holiday apartments nearby in the town centers. There is also the option of a day drop-in or private courses for families who may not be traveling during the scheduled weekly programs.

Programs for kids visiting Italy:

The weeks are themed around concepts and periods of history:

• Antiquity and the Middle Ages in Umbria: kids explore Etruscan tombs one week and “storm a castle” the next.
• The Renaissance in Florence: the students spend the week viewing the city’s treasures through their own unique lens. They learn about the important variables that produced the magic of the Renaissance and solve a Medici mystery!
• The Lucca location: Centered around the famous Via Francicegena pilgrimage road, tracing the walled city’s roots from Roman antiquity to the Renaissance.
• The Amalfi Coast location in Minori: This camp introduces kids to the heroes and legends of the seafaring cultures that populated the coast since the time of Homer’s Odyssey.

In each location, kids work on a project with a “master artist.” They also explore museums and cultural sites, have a cooking class preparing local cuisine for lunch, and create a theatrical production or movie.

Travel deepens our self-esteem and relationships through the bond of sharing new experiences. Programs like Arte al Sole help push the boundaries of adventure a little bit further. The result is memories parents and children alike will cherish, along with a wonderful travel portfolio to bring home as a souvenir! If you’re traveling to Italy, be sure to check out their programs!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Thank you for understanding that such posts help to keep this blog open and that I choose to work with only companies I fully support. How could I not love an artsy day camp for kids in Italy?!