Museums don’t always offer the most child-friendly environment: Art museums can be stuffy, while history museums might not be every traveler’s taste. Science museums, specifically interactive, kid-friendly spaces, are the best to visit with young children.
For instance, the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia is predicated on the concept of children touching and exploring the exhibits. Another Philadelphia staple, The Franklin Institute offers entire floors designated to let kids learn about science through play.
Other kid-friendly spaces, The Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Exploratorium, in San Francisco and plenty more engage kids through interactive art and science exhibits.
Find the Right Museum
First of all, make sure the museum is age-appropriate for your kids. Some museums are better suited toward certain groups. Of course, kids can have fun walking around the Franklin Institute and playing in a giant heart, but the significance might be lost on younger children.

Exposition in National Museum of Natural Science. Photo: Pablo Hidalgo | Dreamstime.com
Let Them Lose
Many museums catering to kids offer some room for them to play. In some instances, this is a giant heart, in others, a room filled with physics equipment for visitors to explore. Let the kids explore on their own if they are old enough. Some activities may require adult explanations, but exploring uninhibited by parents or guardians is a wonderful feeling.
Plan a Party
Consider taking the kids to museums with a few of their friends. This gives kids a chance to explore and learn together. Check out the local museums to see what kind of facilities and amenities they offer. Some even accommodate birthday parties.
Shop!
Finally, make sure to visit the gift shop before heading home. Museum gift shops let visitors bring home a piece of the experience, and science museums for kids are no different. Letting a child pick their own souvenir could be the start of a lifelong infatuation with science.
Interactive museums run the gamut. It seems like science is the most popular, but natural history, art and history museums can also be interactive, and they can be the catalyst for a lifelong love of the arts, science or history.
Read This Next
#WhereverFamily
Insta FeedMultigenerational
Aug 4, 2022Avoid Summer Slide with the Kids at WonderWorks Myrtle Beach
Add a touch of education, but make it fun, to family travel at WonderWorks Myrtle Beach. Your kids will avoid the summer slide and keep up with their learning, all while having a good time. WonderWorks is indoors, allowing people to visit no matter the weather; dubbed “an amusement park for the mind” the whole family will head home having learned something new.
Sponsored Content
Take the perfect family vacation with Celebrity Cruises
YOUR SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT FAMILY VACATION ENDS HERE
News
Aug 3, 2022Skunk Train Announces New Hike to the Glen Experience
Family travelers and fans of nature and the great outdoors must try Skunk Train’s newest offering, Hike to the Glen. Following the railroad tracks, hikers walk through Pudding Creek into the untouched redwood groves, previously only accessible via the Skunk Train or its railbikes.
News
Aug 3, 2022Summer Fun for Families at the Key West Lobster Festival
Family travelers visiting Key West this August are in for a unique treat at the 25th annual Key West Lobster Festival. This fun event, Aug. 11–14, takes place at multiple locations on and around the city’s popular Duval Street. As the city celebrates the opening of lobster season, visitors enjoy fun activities celebrating all things lobster.
Sponsored Content
United Aviate Academy Takes Off
United Airlines officially became the only major U.S. airline to own a flight training school with the opening of United Aviate Academy on Jan. 27. The moment was made even more historic with its inaugural class, which is 80 percent women and people of color.
Multigenerational
Aug 3, 2022Weekly 2022 Gaslamp Skate Sunday Series
Take to your family travel on four wheels with San Diego’s Gaslamp Skate Series, bringing summer vibes to the Gaslamp Quarter. Hosted by Sunset Roller Club, the skating is accompanied by DJ-spun hits from the 1970s, 80s, 90s and the 2000s.
ShareThis