At Viaggio, the parent community of Museo dei Bambini in Lecce, we are always looking for meaningful, hands-on activities that help our children connect with nature, food, and culture. Spending time as a family is about nurture curiosity and build memories. And in southern Italy, there’s no better way to do that than through Salento’s masserie didattiche.
Whether you’re feeding baby goats, baking traditional bread, or discovering how olive oil is made, these immersive, kid-friendly farms are redefining what it means to travel with children in southern Italy. Here are some of the top educational farms in the Lecce area, based on local reputation, visitor reviews, and family-friendly programming.
La Fattoria di Nonno Pippi – Ugento
On the outskirts of Ugento in southern Salento, La Fattoria di Nonno Pippi invites children into a world of furry and feathered friends. Created by animal lover Giuseppe, this farm is best known for its petting-zoo charm and warm hospitality. Visitors can meet and feed a variety of animals including rabbits, ducks, chickens, turkeys, and pheasants. The farm’s standout experience is the three-hour agri-aperitivo, where families enjoy a guided tour of the grounds, interact with the animals, and then relax over a farm-to-table tasting of local products like olive oil, eggs, and vegetables grown on-site. Young children can participate in egg collecting, animal feeding, and outdoor games, while parents appreciate the farm’s peaceful, stroller-friendly layout and shaded picnic areas. Seasonal workshops are sometimes offered, such as planting herbs or simple cooking lessons using the farm’s ingredients.
Masseria Sant’Angelo – Corigliano d’Otranto
Nestled in the Grecìa Salentina region, Masseria Sant’Angelo offers families an immersive experience in traditional Salento farm life. As both a working agriturismo and certified educational farm, it welcomes visitors with guided introductions to its donkeys, goats, cows, chickens, and farm dogs. Children can learn how to feed and care for the animals, take nature walks through ancient olive groves, and participate in gardening activities. The highlight for many is the farm’s hands-on food education—kids see how goat milk becomes cheese, how vegetables are grown and harvested, and how simple ingredients are transformed into meals. Seasonal programs often include olive picking in the fall or springtime planting projects. Families can also enjoy cheese tastings, homemade meals using the farm’s organic produce, and even horseback rides for children. With B&B accommodations on-site, guests can extend their stay and take part in multi-day farm immersion programs.
Masseria Didattica Capasa – Martano
Masseria Capasa, located in Martano, specializes in teaching children about the full farm-to-table process across its 20 hectares of pastures and olive groves. Kids are welcomed into a world of experiential learning, starting with farm tours that introduce them to cows, sheep, and chickens. The farm offers interactive labs where children churn milk to make ricotta or caciotta cheese, knead dough to form pasta shapes like orecchiette, and pick vegetables to prepare sauces. Other activities include olive oil production lessons, wheat grinding, and seasonal harvesting events like tomato picking. For play and discovery, the farm sets up nature-themed scavenger hunts and outdoor games linked to agriculture. Their summer and winter camps combine sports, farm chores, and creative crafts with close supervision from trained staff. There is also an on-site shop where families can buy the cheese and products made during workshops.
Agriturismo Biologico Piccapane – Cutrofiano
Piccapane is a certified organic farm and eco-tourism hub where sustainability and child education go hand in hand. Children can explore a synergistic garden, learn to grow vegetables from seed, and participate in activities that range from composting to natural dye art using local plants. The farm regularly hosts cooking labs where kids help make vegan and vegetarian dishes using freshly harvested produce. A weekly bread or pizza-making session is a highlight, conducted in a traditional wood-fired oven. Yoga under the olive trees, herbal salt blending, and creative recycling workshops add to the mix. Piccapane is also known for its popular summer camps that focus on green living, slow food, and cooperative play. For visiting families, there’s a guesthouse, eco-restaurant serving organic meals, and outdoor classrooms shaded by trees.
La Lattoria – Gagliano del Capo
La Lattoria, the educational arm of Fratelli Melcarne Dairy, offers a fascinating glimpse into modern dairy farming. Located near Santa Maria di Leuca, the farm features a robotic milking system, which kids can see in action. Children tour the barns, meet calves and dairy cows, and learn how milk is pasteurized and turned into yogurt and cheese. The tour includes a look at the clean, modern production facility followed by a tasting of their house-made yogurt and desserts. During special events, families may enjoy tractor rides or interactive Q&A sessions with the farmers. Though less of a playground and more of a discovery experience, it’s perfectly suited for school-age children and teens curious about food science and technology.
Agricole Negro Valiani – Presicce-Acquarica
Negro Valiani combines centuries of tradition with a sleek, modern olive press to give visitors an unforgettable lesson in olive oil production. Located in the historic town of Presicce, the farm tour walks families through the life cycle of olive trees, traditional harvesting techniques, and the process of transforming olives into high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Children can see the machinery in action and smell the freshly crushed olives before sampling oil with bread and local jams. An on-site museum showcases antique tools, and the staff often tailor explanations to the age and curiosity of young guests. The tasting experience is multisensory, making it ideal for kids learning about food origins.
Azienda Agricola Boccarello – Salve/Pescoluse
Just minutes from Pescoluse beach, Boccarello offers a guided journey into Salento’s olive oil heritage. Guests tour the olive groves, learn about both modern and ancient pressing methods, and, in some cases, visit an underground oil mill carved into the rock. The farm’s tasting room serves fresh olive oil with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and rustic bread. Kids enjoy trying the olive rake, learning about seasonal harvests, and tasting fresh products. Though simple and informal, the experience gives children a tactile and tasty connection to local culture. The setting is also serene, offering a great detour from the more crowded coast.
Conclusion
Whether your family is traveling to southern Italy for a cultural getaway or a beach holiday, spending time on a masseria didattica in Lecce offers something more: a chance to connect with nature, understand where food comes from, and make memories grounded in authenticity. These farms remind us that travel can be both enriching and playful—and that some of the best lessons in life come with dirt under your nails and olive oil on your fingers.
