Italians still very much love kids and engage with them and this seems to bring out the best in the children.
My Sister and Brother in Law took their 1 year old to Ravello (Amalfi Coast) with us and had a wonderful time, including having a little boy present the 1 year old with some wild flowers (wow, they’re trained young!). Amusingly, the B-I-L is a very good cook and had been trying to get his daughter to eat pasta, without success. In Cumpa Cosimo, being made to feel like a princess, she wolfed her pasta down.
The Amalfi coast is wonderfully scenic and breaks the stereotype of the South being a bit rough and neglected.
Sorrento is indeed very lively, not my favourite place on the coast (by some distance) but it’s easy to get to, has lots going on, has decent connections - in short a good choice. However if you wanted something more chilled, then Ravello is it, and the kids can happily play in the pedestrianised square with the Italian kids whilst you have a glass of wine, grappa or coffee at the outside tables. It is a wonderful place in the evening.
Amalfi is another place worth looking at, more central for the Amalfi Coast proper (Sorrento isn’t technically on the Amalfi Coast) and again with lots to do including beach, paper museum, the great short but surprisingly strenuous walk to Atrani, the harbour to eat overlooking or hire a small motorboat from, the ferries up & down the coast & to Capri, but also as a gateway bus connection to Ravello and a couple of other locations. Some of the Amalfi hotels aren’t in the centre of Amalfi, but a short (hotel provided) minibus ride away. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it usually puts you up the (steep) hill and thus gets you fine coastal views.
If looking for hotels, there are quite basic to ultra fancy. With young children I’d see the appeal of a pool to allow them to cool down, chill out and allow you a bit of peace. Alternatively if you prize your own schedule, L’Altracostiera travel agency in Amalfi have some decent value holiday rentals to choose from, and they are long-established and I’ve found them very fair to deal with. They also do organised excursions.
Memorable things for 3 & 6 year old to enjoy?
- A fun pool to splash around in
- Sight of a real Volcano (Vesuvius)
- Pompeii (but remember this is a vast exposed place and hence can be very tiring). Herculaneum is an easier alternative - and there is also a roman villa at Minori well worth a visit.
- The distinctive horns on the SITA buses & regular chiming of church and chapel bells
- Ferry boat trip
- Getting to play with Italian kids, who are often very friendly
- There may be special events, I certainly recall a puppet show popping up in Amalfi. Probably a lot more in Sorrento
- Italian gelato, Amalfi Coast’s wonderful Granita, and the cakes at Andrea Pansa in Amalfi
Memorable for adults
- The views and the peace that descends in the early evening
- Wonderful food, especially great if you love fish / seafood
- History from Pompeii/Herculaneum/Paestum through to the Amalfi Arsenale, Various Duomi and Paper museum, plus more if you want to explore the history of one of the 4 great maritime republics of Italy
- The walking is amazing, but with young children in tow, this takes a lot of options away.
- Some of those same things the kids are enjoying
I’ll second that minor warning about travel sickness. Even as an adult I struggled the first time I visited Ravello and looked out over the precipitous drops. The local drivers are exceptionally skilled, even by Italian standards, but it still can shock.