Milan · With kids

In the Giardini Indro Montanelli at Porta Venezia: dinosaur skeletons, minerals and old-fashioned habitat dioramas. Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5.30pm, closed Mondays, last tickets 4.30pm. €10 full price and free for everyone aged 0–17, which makes it the cheapest wet-afternoon fix in the city.

A small Liberty-style aquarium of 1906 inside Parco Sempione, run by the city and focused on Italian freshwater and Mediterranean species. It takes under an hour, which is the point with small children, and the park and the Castello are immediately outside.

In the Rotonda della Besana, a circular 18th-century building with a walled park around it. MUBA works by booked sessions of hands-on play rather than open galleries, so children go in for a fixed slot with an educator — book ahead, because turning up rarely works.

An artificial lake east of the city built in the 1930s as a seaplane basin and now Milan's outdoor release valve: swimming beaches, cycle paths, a rowing course and a playground area. Free to walk into, with charges for the beaches and the activity operators. Nearest metro is Linate on M4, then a short bus or taxi.

A theme park at Capriate San Gervasio, about 40km north-east towards Bergamo, aimed squarely at under-tens rather than teenagers. Over 50 rides, a miniature Italy and character shows. It is a car or coach trip rather than a train one, and the calendar closes for parts of winter — check dates before committing a day.