Italy is a country that offers a wide range of possibilities to young people for spending their free time and having fun, as I could experience there. According to Eurostat, the most popular pastimes for young Italian people are: practicing sport, meeting friends, surfing the web and taking part in social activities connected to music and reading.

Among the sports that Italian youngsters can practice during their free time, the most common choices are football, basketball, volleyball, swimming, tennis and dance. In general, educational programmes provide only few hours of compulsory physical activity during the week and this is one of the reason why sports are so popular for italians boys and girls from primary school to high school.

Young Italians frequently have fun enjoying their free time with friends, for example, to chat and have a drink, to play or listen to music, to cook a meal together, to have a party, to watch movies or sport matches and to play traditional board games (e.g. Uno, Risiko, Taboo, Monopoli). Usually, their meeting point is at someone’s house or in the main square of their city or town, especially before and after dinner time. In fact, Italian cities and towns are often built around the historical center that aggregates the social life of the local community.

Going on holiday with friends to have fun and relax in coast or mountain resorts is common too for youngsters in my country. The main summer destinations are located in the regions of Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Puglia and Sardinia, famous for their crystal-clear water, golden beaches, huge theme parks and vibrant nightlife.Heavenly places for winter holidays are Cortina

Heavenly places for winter holidays are Cortina d’Ampezzo, Madonna di Campiglio, Corvara or Plan de Corones, all surrounded by the natural beauty of the Alps, which offer cutting-edge facilities and even unspoiled spots to practice sports.

Social networks to chat with friends and share states or interesting content, as well as other entertainment platforms such as Spotify for music or Youtube and Netflix for videos and series, are increasingly pervading the free time and the conversations of young Italians. In fact, recent researches conducted by Nielsen Company found that Italy is one of the top European countries for the average monthly time spent on social networks by younger generations.

International cultural events that Italy hosts every year also outstand in the lifestyle of thousands of boys and girls all over the country. Some of the most renowned are, for example, the “Concerto Primo Maggio”, a festival which is celebrated in Rome on 1st May for the International Workers’ Day, along with the “Biennale di Venezia” and the “Sherwood Festival” in the region of Veneto. Literature and writing lovers, in particular, can enjoy festivals as “Letterature”, “Salone Internazionale del Libro”, “Festival della letteratura di viaggio”, “Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo” and “Festival di Internazionale”, in which youngsters can also take part as volunteers.

All these activities and events are of fundamental importance for the conscious development of younger generations and their civic awareness, since they create spaces and moments of dialogue in which convey shared values and reduce distances between different ages, viewpoints and mindsets.