Christmas Lectures at Vivi Bistrot

21 Dec. Kids and their parents are invited to Vivi Bistrot, a delicious cafeteria inside Villa Pamphili, where they are entertained by ancient Christmas stories and fairy tales in front of roaring fires and candles. Until 7 Jan it also offers a delicious daily Christmas buffet for lunch (12.00-15.00), full of sweet and salty delicacies. € 20 per adult, € 10 per child. 16.00. Vivibistrot. Via Vitellia 102, tel. 06 5827540. www.vivibistrot.com

Winter Camp at Explora

24, 27, 28, 31 Dec, 2, 3, 4 Jan. Explora organises a winter camp for kids aged 6-12. Its rich programme includes manual workshops, creative ateliers, social games, animations, songs as well as some games in English. The lunch is served by the restaurant Tramvì, supervisioned by the National Institute of Rearch for the Supplies and Nutrition. 08.00/09.30- Daily € 35, five entrances € 170. Explora. Via Flaminia 82, tel. 063613776. www.mdbr.it

Great Gala of Magic

29, 30, 31 Dec, 1 Jan. Teatro Mongiovino welcomes the new year with this Festival of Magic for kids (and adults), entitled Hocus Bimbus. The most famous magicians for children will gather together to give life to a unique performance of this genre. 29, 30 Dec 16.30, 31 Dec 20.30, 1 Jan 16.30. Via Giovanni Genocchi 15, tel. 065139405. www.accettellateatro.it

Teatro Le Maschere

6 Jan. La Soffitta dei Giocattoli Dimenticati (The attic of forgotten toys) for kids aged 4 to 10, explores what happens to old toys and games that belonged to our grandparents. Santa Claus has collected them all in his magical attic, where he relaxes from the strenuous Christmas commitments.

13-20 Jan. 7 in 1 Colpo (7 in 1 Shot) is a puppet theatre for kids aged 3-7, which tells the story of a small tailor with long moustache and short legs, who leaped around his shop and its colourful fabrics all day long. One day he had to deal with seven crafty flies, which tried to steal his jam and killed them all in one shot. This led him to challenge a dangerous enemy: the enormous giant with the green hair.

27 Jan-12 Feb. For Carnival, this piece for kids aged 3-10 pays homage to Harlequin and Columbine. This hilarious comedy tells of Mangiafuoco, who carries his theatre around the village squares. Everything seems normal, but in reality the roles are inverted: the puppeteer is a puppet and the puppets are real actors. Teatro Le Maschere. Via Aurelio Salicetti 1, Rome, tel. 06 58330817 www.teatrolemaschere.it

Gabrielle Bolzoni