I’m bored!

Rome offers several offbeat, not-too academic museums and art galleries. The Centrale Montemartini (€7,50, under-6s free) is always a hit with my son. A short stroll from Garbatella metro station, it has Greek and Roman statues, busts and friezes masterfully displayed in a converted power plant built in 1932. The towering turbines, defunct diesel engines and colossal steam boilers create an exciting backdrop for the marble sculptures. There are free guided tours designed for children.

‘Students’ at the Gladiator School and Museum

Another sure-fire hit is the Gladiator School and Museum (free admission, lesson a rather pricy €55). For the two-hour gladiator training class, children dress up in tunics and leather armour and learn basic swordsmanship, history and battle strategy. It could be a special treat – or a reward after visiting the Colosseum.

The Zoology Museum (free for under-6s and for adults on the first Sunday of the month, €7 for over-6s ) is in the city zoo (Bioparco) and has five million specimens of insects, birds, mammals and fossils. In the modern wing are interactive exhibits and 3D reconstructions, life-size giraffes, mammoth whale skeletons and other beloved behemoths.

Where are all the other kids?

Casa delle Civette, in Villa Torlonia park. Photograph: Alamy

Villa Torlonia in the elegant Nomentano neighbourhood covers 13.2 manicured hectares of bucolic bliss. Casa delle Civette (€6 when exhibitions are on, otherwise free), a home-turned-museum with period furniture and fairytale-like architecture, is in the park, but the main draw for children is the several play areas with swings, slides and jungle gyms. If your children are flagging, pop into La Limonaia for cake and lemonade, also in the park.

Close to the Colosseum and Baths of Caracalla, the picnic place where Roman families hang out at weekends is Villa Celimontana (Via della Navicella), a 16th-century estate built on an ancient vineyard. The property changed hands many times and was transformed into a public park in 1926. The villa gardens are a lush green pocket in the heart of Imperial Rome, dotted with remnants of ancient temples, columns, statues and fountains. We go to concerts, treasure hunts and other family events here all summer long.

I’m hungry

A trapizzino is a focaccia pocket filled with tasty things

Kids’ menus are not common in Italy, but restaurants will gladly do a mezza porzione (half portion). Family mealtime at child-friendly venues is noon and 7.30pm. The Explora Children’s Museum complex just upped its dining offer by including one of Italy’s best pizzerias, an outpost of Naples’ Da Michele (pizzas from €7.50).

Hostaria Buccilli (full meal with wine €50pp) is a family-run trattoria in a countryside setting on the edge of the city. Offering home-cooked food and a warm welcome, Buccilli’s biggest asset is an enclosed orchard where kids can scamper while parents dine under vine pergolas and parasols. In winter, we always book a table by the fireplace. There are high chairs and friendly staff, and waiter Luigi speaks fluent English.

Ice-creams at Fatamorgana

As a healthy alternative to fast food, my son tucks into a trapizzino, a triangular focaccia pocket stuffed with typical Roman cuisine for €4, sold at outlets in Testaccio and Ponte Milvo. Seasonal fillings may include saucy meatballs, chicken cacciatore or aubergine parmigiana. The Ponte Milvio branch is a short walk from the Foro Italico sports complex and Stadio Olimpico football stadium. Gelato is always a good idea, especially if homemade, fresh and not containing additives or artificial flavourings. Fatamorgana (small cone/cup €2.50) is regarded as one of Rome’s best. Flavours include dark chocolate-orange, apple-cinnamon, ricotta and fig, white chocolate and mint … the list goes on.

I’m tired

Buonanotte Garibaldi B&B.

A smart resource for families is Accommodations Rome, which has 47 properties and specialises in handsome family-friendly apartments. In a prestigious 18th-century building near Piazza Navona, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat for six with a small terrace and spacious kitchen starts at €195 a night. Another reliable website is Rome Sweet Home, which has a wide selection of flats and villas among its 500 listings. In lovely Campo de’ Fiori, there’s a two-room, two-bathroom luxury rooftop flat sleeping six, from €170.

Buonanotte Garibaldi is a gorgeous artist’s home transformed into a lavish three-bedroom guesthouse with a verdant courtyard. It is in family-friendly Trastevere, with its open-air market, playgrounds, good transport links and car-free piazzas for impromptu football matches. Lead-in price for a full occupancy weekend stay is €450. Individual rooms in high season cost from €240 a night B&B.

Eleonora Baldwin is a TV host and journalist based in Rome