Unexpectedly cool museums and kids activities around the world
We have been all over - here's a list of some places we've been that were surprisingly awesome for families with elementary school aged kiddos.
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This place defies description. I've never seen so many different slides and structures. It's like wandering inside an artists, mind. Great for kids and families to explore with some great St. Louis historic elements, too.
Tiny little museum in Penang Hill - entrance is from the food stalls at the top of funicular. Just a bunch of oversized stuffed bears doing Malaysian things. Kids loved it so much they went twice.
Well worth the excursion from Copenhagen (3-4 hours each way) for an epic Lego experience. Great digital integrations of activities at the heart of the Lego brand. Also they have exclusive sets only available at the store. MiniChef restaurant is a mu...
Super cool interactive exhibits - like color a fish, scan it and watch it swim in a virtual aquarium. Great way to escape the heat of Singapore for a few hours.
My hockey obsessed son is a big fan. Lots of awesome memorabilia, fun activities and you can take a picture with the Stanley Cup.
Who can argue with maple syrup on everything? Awesome experience with great food and historic / wintry environment.
Beautiful location overlooking the Seine. Gorgeous and yummy desserts.
Creative sensory experience - colors, smells and touch. Includes a make your own slime container as a part of the visit. Good for a couple of hours of diversion on a rainy day.
Pineapple heaven. Variety of activities including a maze - we never finished - so we have to go back.
We loved learning how to make pasta from scratch. Also included a lovely meal that we made including linguine and various flavors of ravioli.
Loved shopping here - one of the most unique department stores we have been to. Assortment is unique. Fabric section is unparalleled. We visited on Christmas Eve and sales were awesome.
Treat your little one to a spa day at Milk & Cookies. We went with space buns. Our stylist was SUPER friendly and awesome. And yes, you do get milk and a cookie after you are done.
Get up close and personal with “retired” elephants who used to work at Ankor Wat. It's a day trip out to the sanctuary where you can feed the elephants, then walk with them. If they are in a good mood, they will let you touch them, too.
We are now making this an annual tradition. Awesome (mostly) kid friendly vibe. Floats are amazing and lots and lots of beads.
If you are ever in Chicago during the holidays, this is the quintessential family experience. Enormous tree, decorations all over, balloon making, face painting, and fairies. Kids get a souvenir cup with beverage purchase.
Informative tour with guided tour of factory. Museum has all the motorcycles, some for photo ops. Headed downtown afterwards for some amazing food.
Unexpectedly cool little museum. Original artworks and with a few mind bending visual exhibits.
Fun little amusement park. Nice simple rides (our kiddos are not the adventurous type, so favorite was the little Bears bobbing around a track). Stages with music playing all over. Nice diversion if you are in the area.
Incredible puppet show that features storylines told over a pool of water. Live music and singing in an intimate theater. They even gave out seat boosters for kids.
Fun lobster boat tour with an incredible guide. They catch lobsters and allow you to touch them, install rubber bands on their claws. Really great learning and interactive experience.
Big hole in the ground. Cool museum with meteor remnants.
Real life factory. Great history of generations of Ford vehicles and evolution of manufacturing. Walk through and see how trucks are built.
Huge collection of original artifacts. Factory buildings still in tact and you can see the spaces as they might have been in Edison's time. Interpretive guides really engaging.
Incredible array of historic weaponry. Hundreds of years of evolution. Interesting even for people who aren't into this kind of stuff.
General Mills factory converted to a museum. Flour Tower experience was super unique - it's an elevator ride, but so much more. Also free baked goods in the Bakimg Lab.