Science City review, Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri is home to a science center once named one of the nation’s 25 best by Parents Magazine. Science City, housed in Union Station, offers learning experiences in a hand-on environment so well designed, the kids will never catch on that it’s educational. Science City review: As with most science centers, exhibits may change periodically, but perennial favorites and rotating … [Read more...]

Grand Rapids Public Museum

The following post is written by Pit Stops for Kids' Midwest contributor, Kate Basi. Situated alongside the Grand River directly across (and linked by pedestrian bridges) from the heart of downtown, the Grand Rapids Public Museum houses an eclectic collection of historic, scientific, and cultural exhibits related to western Michigan. This imposing building, with its three-story wall of windows … [Read more...]

Grand Rapids Children’s Museum

The following post is written by Pit Stops for Kids’ Midwest contributor, Kate Basi. There are two kinds of children’s museums—those that focus on science and hands-on learning, and those that focus on play. The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum falls in the latter category. In a northern climate, where winters last a long time, this museum is a place that will keep kids occupied for … [Read more...]

Four pit stop-worthy children museum holiday exhibits

'Tis the season to travel, and while braving those interstates, you and your family will need places to stop along the way. What better opportunity to visit one of these four children museum holiday events  at children's museums across the country! Each are sure to get your family in a festive mood during the holiday travel season! If traveling on I-75: Stop at the Cincinnati Museum … [Read more...]

Portland Children’s Museum

The Portland Children’s Museum is one of the best places to spend a rainy morning or afternoon with young kids in Portland. For better or for worse, the word is out, and this excellent museum can get very crowded. Before describing any of the many reasons to visit, I have to start my Portland Children's Museum review by saying, ‘Get there early!’ Every time we stop by, we get there at opening at 9 … [Read more...]

Educational Travel for kids: Orlando beyond the theme parks

When most families think of Orlando, two words come to mind: theme parks. We understand; after all, we offer Disney World tips for families and reviews of Disney attractions. However, families looking for educational travel ideas,  whether as pit stops en route elsewhere on Florida vacations, or during an Orlando vacation, will find much to engage kids' minds. At the following Orlando attractions, … [Read more...]

Pacific Science Center in the Seattle Center

Families visiting Seattle WA are drawn to the Space Needle like moths to flame, and there's nothing wrong with that: it brings them straight to one of the city's best attractions for kids: the Pacific Science Center. Pacific Science Center is showing some age on the surface, but inside, it's as vibrant as ever (or more so). In addition to its permanent exhibits on life science, natural … [Read more...]

Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits

The La Brea Tar Pits has a Kidscore of 80. What's a Kidscore? If you have any natural history lovers in your family, you can’t miss a stop at the Page Museum (home of the La Brea tar pits) during a visit to the Los Angeles area. I’m going to go ahead and fill you in now, although you’ll hear it a hundred times at the museum: there are no dinosaurs in the La Brea tar pits! This is a common … [Read more...]

3 things to do with kids in Paso Robles CA

The following pit stop was submitted by Bay Area blogger and mom Whitney Moss of 510Families. Located exactly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Paso Robles, California is an excellent pit stop if you want to get out of the car and feel like you’ve arrived somewhere special. (Pro tip: locals pronounce the town name Paso Robuls, not Paso Roblase.) Here are three things to do with … [Read more...]

Wings and Waves Water Park

After lunch would be a good time to move from the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum to the Wings and Waves water park. (The exception to this rule would be during peak holiday weekends, when the lines for rides at the water park escalate by mid-day. This, however, is not the norm.) You can't miss the water park, which is adjacent to the museum buildings and topped by an Evergreen commercial … [Read more...]