As we enter the “what am I doing with my kids this summer” phase of the year, parents everywhere are weighing their options, filling out forms, and coordinating schedules. Camps, pool days, and long, slow summer days at home all have their perks, but a special trip can be a summer experience the whole family remembers forever.
Zoos are the quintessentially fun, educational summer place for kids — for good reason. (Photo Credit: Vidar Nordli Mathisen)
Who are we kidding, it’s fun for the parents too. (Photo Credit: Chris Varney)
And while your quintessential summer beach vacation is great, there’s a lot to be said about planning a summer adventure somewhere fun and educational.
Things really sink into our memory banks when we get to experience them in real life — by seeing, exploring, touching, hearing, and tasting. Here are 6 of our favorite great-for-kids destinations for learning and fun in the summer.
San Diego, California
Whether your kid is learning about animals and their habitats for the first time or full-on dissecting a frog in class to learn about their biology and anatomy, the San Diego Zoo is the pinnacle of IRL education about the creatures we share a planet with. Considered by many to be the #1 zoo in the entire world, the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park is home to over 4,000 animals.
The San Diego Zoo is one of the best zoos in the entire country. (Photo Credit: Grace Ho)
You can also find 800 species of endangered and exotic creatures there, teaching kids about our responsibility as humans to protect animals before they’re gone forever. The zoo also hosts daily animal encounter programs and educational wildlife films, most of which are suited for all ages from pre-school to high school.
Also in San Diego, you’ll find The New Children’s Museum, an arts-based museum designed to think, play, and create through interactive installations, art-making, and in-depth educational activities. The museum houses an outdoor park, indoor play structures, art installations, and a craft room with facilitator-led activities.
Spend every day at a different beach, from La Jolla to Coronado. (Photo Credit: Derek Story)
What kid doesn’t love a good beach day — or five? (Photo Credit: Xavier Mouton Photographie)
For those keen on learning about the US military and military history, stepping aboard the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier offers an opportunity to learn, explore, and even get up close to real fighter jets.
The beaches that span the coast of greater San Diego also offer opportunities for education around marine life (whale watching tours are great for this), climate, and geology.
Where to stay: Kimpton Alma Hotel
London, England
It’d be hard to pick a neighborhood in London that doesn’t offer in 3D something you’ve learned about at school, so here are a few crowd favorites:
Shakespeare’s Globe — a realistic reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, a playhouse for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays during the Elizabethan era. Located on the bank of the River Thames, it hosts theatrical productions, including many of Shakespeare’s, of course. If you can snag tickets to a show, don’t skip on the guided tour, which brings 400 years of history to life in a very cool (and very memorable) way.
Museums are a great way to educate kids and parents alike. (Photo Credit: Mieke Campbell)
The Science Museum — all about human ingenuity, the museum houses award-winning exhibitions that bring the exact things your kid is learning about in science class to life, in highly interactive ways. Don’t miss the “Making the Modern World” gallery and the “Exploring Space” gallery. There are also dedicated areas that explore mathematics, medicine, and even flight.
Architectural walking tours — New London Architecture hosts free, guided tours of some the most historically rich parts of London. Join up with one to hear stories of hidden squares, sunken gardens, and how London’s cultural norms throughout history have shaped the buildings and streets today.
The British Museum is one of the most renowned in the whole world. (Photo Credit: Nicole Baster)
British Museum — dedicated to human history, art, and culture, its permanent collection (8 million works, no big deal) is the largest in the world. The collection brings to life human culture from its beginnings to today.
Where to stay: Kimpton Fitzroy London
Boston, Massachusetts
You’ll always remember stepping back in time as you walk the Freedom Trail, learning about the birth of the United States together. A unique collection of museums, meeting houses, churches, burying grounds, and even a ship, the trail brings the American Revolution to life in a way that no history book can.
The trail hosts daily tours in the summer, many of which include popular sites like Fanueil Hall, the Paul Revere House, and the Old North Church. Tour guides often sport costumes featuring the traditional garb of the 1770s, as an added bonus.
Kids will love walking the Freedom Trail in Boston. (Photo Credit: Donovan Reeves)
Boston is also home to the expansive New England Aquarium and a fantastic Museum of Science.
Where to stay: Kimpton Marlowe Hotel
Paris, France
Home to over 1,000 museums, you could spend weeks taking in the important works of Paris. Try a museum a day there, starting with the Louvre, where you’ll find the Mona Lisa and the statue of Venus de Milo. Then, head to the Musée d’Orsay for the Van Gogh exhibition, followed by the Orangerie des Tuileries for the works of Monet.
At the Musee de l’Armee des Invalides, you’ll learn about European history from the Middle Ages up to the present, and even see some personal effects of important historical figures from Napoleon Bonaparte to Charles de Gaulle.
Some of the most beautiful museums in the world are in Paris. (Photo Credit: Simon Goetz)
Lastly, at the sprawling science museum Cité des Sciences et de l’industrie, which has exhibition spaces organized by age groups from 2-18, you’ll find topics such as physics, space exploration, human anatomy, geography, and geometry brought to life. A Paris Museum Pass will help with all of these visits.
The Grand Galerie de l’Evolution is another hit with kids young and older, whether they simply love dinosaurs or are learning about evolution, climate, and the geological record. Here, they’ll find life-size replicas and real bones of both terrestrial and aquatic species throughout Earth’s history.
Where to stay: Kimpton St. Honoré Paris
Charlottesville, Virginia
Those learning about US historical figures or civil rights and the Civil War can head to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s mountain-top plantation, to tour the mansion and museum. Jefferson also designed the core campus of the University of Virginia, right in Charlottesville.
Teach the kids their US history by touring Monticello. (Photo Credit: Richard Hedrick)
The former plantation was home to Thomas Jefferson. (Photo Credit: Library of Congress)
On campus, you’ll find the Fralin Museum of Art, a fine art museum featuring a collection of European and American paintings and American Indian art that bring the history of the United States’ early days to life.
Round out your trip with a visit to James Monroe’s Highland, the home of the fifth president of the United States, and one of the men standing next to George Washington in the famous Crossing the Delaware painting.
Where to stay: Kimpton The Forum Hotel
Mexico City, Mexico
From museums to castles to basilicas, Mexico City is a perfectly colorful place to learn about history, art, religion, and language. First up, kids love visiting the Museo Nacional de Antropologia which is considered one of the world’s most comprehensive natural history museums (not to mention, the building is stunning).
Take the kids on an adventure — because who said history has to be boring? (Photo Credit: Ricardo Loaiza)
Next on the list, visit Chapultepec Castle, where kids can learn about Mexico’s fascinating history on the grounds of a grand 18th-century palace on top of a hill. The Museo del Templo Mayor is an excellent way to experience ancient Aztec culture in order to learn about the religion, art, and way of life of Mexico City’s native people, before Europeans arrived.
While you’re at it, keep your Spanish skills fresh as the kids put into practice what they might be learning in school.
Where to stay: Kimpton Virgilio
