Adventure, baby!

Christine Knight

Christine is the editor of Adventure, Baby!

The Best of London with Kids: The Natural History Museum

Museum of Natural History London via christineknight.me

One of the best, if not the absolute best, Natural History museum we’ve been to, the Natural History Museum is a must-see in London with kids.

Museum of Natural History London via christineknight.me

The museum is broken up into four zones, each section representing different types of animals and discoveries.

Blue Zone
Featuring dinosaurs and massive animals, this is the place to see the big guns. Exhibits include the first T. rex fossil ever found, an Iguanodon (one of the first species ever described as a dinosaur) the skull of a Triceratops and a Megalosaurus tooth.

Note: The Dinosaurs gallery will be closed 4 January – 12 February 2016 to improve access to the T rex. It will reopen from 13-22 February.

Red Zone
Learn more about Earth, and meet the museum’s new dinosaur, the most intact Stegosaurus fossil skeleton ever found.

Green Zone
The evolution of Earth and the relationships between life and their environments come to life in these exhibits.

Orange Zone
A chance to see scientists at work in the Darwin Centre, and enjoy the serenity of the Wildlife Garden.

We were short on time when we visited with several small children, so we only visited the Blue Zone. This one zone took quite a while to see, leaving no time (or energy from the kids) left to see anything else.

Museum of Natural History London via christineknight.meThe dinosaur exhibition was absolutely fantastic. A combination of impressive skeletons combined with life-like models and even a robotic T-Rex made the exhibit a highlight of our time in London. I really enjoyed the layout of the exhibit too – following a winding path up and down levels takes the visitor on a cohesive journey through the time of the dinosaurs.

We also appreciated the way in which the museum presented easy-to-digest information on large placards throughout exhibits. The information was all written in an interesting way so as to engage kids and give them a better understanding of the animals and their context. No dry, boring placards here.

Museum of Natural History London via christineknight.me

The cafeteria in the centre of the museum has plenty of space to take a breather, and reasonably-priced food options.

Museum of Natural History London via christineknight.me

We were very impressed with the history museum and wish we had been able to return to see the other exhibits.

Museum of Natural History London via christineknight.me

The museum is very stroller-friendly, with the exhibits on different floors accessible by elevators.

You’ll need several days to see all of what London has to offer families. Get the perfect London four-day itinerary.

The Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD
Prices: Admission is free, however a donation is strongly encouraged.

The Best of Sydney with Kids: Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

*** Please note this aquarium is closing down *******

Beautiful Manly, on Sydney’s northern beaches, is a great day trips not just for a swim in the sea. The Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary has been a popular place for families to get up close with ocean life since its opening in 1965. The sanctuary is located 200 metres from Manly Ferry Wharf, making it a super-easy outing using public transport.

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The focus at Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary is animal conservation, with their rescue, breed and protect program. They are passionate about rescuing sick and injured wildlife, nursing animals back to health and releasing them back into the wild, as well as protecting their natural habitats.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

One of the reasons I really enjoy this aquarium is because it’s small – you can see everything in about an hour, including at least one of not two feeding demonstrations or keeper talks. I also like the conservation message the aquarium teaches its visitors.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

Entering the sanctuary there is a stroller bay just inside to park your buggy. The middle level is stroller-friendly, but there is no elevator-access to the lower or upper levels.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

On the entry level of the sanctuary is where you’ll discover some of the incredible and bizarre animals that call Sydney Harbour home.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

Seahorses, cuttlefish, lionshish and clown fish, to name just a few, can be found on this level. There are more species of fish found in Sydney Harbour than in the entire Mediterranean Sea – and this is the place to meet some of these beautiful creatures up close.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

Keep a look out for the aquarium’s baby Port Jackson, Bamboo and Epaulette Sharks who were all born at the sanctuary.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

One of the biggest hits on this level with kids is the interactive rockpool, where visitors can touch a shark egg, hold a crab and explore other animals such as star fish.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

A stroll down to the lower level takes you to Shark Harbour. A 4 million litre oceanarium with massive stingrays gliding overhead. Cheese’s favourite was ‘Sea Biscuit’, the rescued Green Sea Turtle. We all watched in awe as stunning Grey Nurse Sharks with very pointed teeth swam past.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

Join a free daily tour to learn the animals’ stories, or, if you’re feeling particularly daring, you might want to jump in with Shake Dive Xtreme and meet a shark face-to-face.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

The very top level of the sanctuary is home to 20 adorable little (or fairy) penguins. We were just in time for the penguin talk, where we learned that the sanctuary is very involved in conserving Sydney’s penguin colony in Manly, where there are 60 breeding pairs of little penguins needing protection from dogs, cats and, of course, humans.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

A fun fact about penguins: they have a salt gland under their beaks that enables them to sneeze out the salt from salt water. What genius in-built water filtration.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

The exit is back on the middle entry level, right next to the new Shipwreck Shores experience. What a fantastic idea to place an enclosed soft play area within the sanctuary for kids to be able to safely run around like maniacs for a few minutes.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

The play area is in the shape of a sunken ship and even has a surprise on the inside with a few undersea creatures waiting to be discovered.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary #Sydney via christineknight.me

A note on accessibility: Please note pram and wheelchair access is limited to the mid-level of the sanctuary. Access to Penguin Cove and Shark Harbour is via stairs only.

Buy tickets online in advance and save between 10 and 30% off admission prices.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary is CLOSED
W Esplanade, Manly NSW
Prices: Adult $25, kids 4-15 $17

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids here.

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day here.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney here.

Sydney’s Best Family Day Trips: Watson’s Bay

Sydney's Best Family Day Trips: Watson's Bay via christineknight.me

With stunning harbour views and gorgeous beaches, Watsons Bay is a great place for a day trip with kids.

Sydney's Best Family Day Trips: Watson's Bay via christineknight.me
Where to eat: Doyles on the Wharf Seafood Takeaway & Bistro

Doyles is famous for their seafood. Being vegetarian this isn’t a great option for me, but if you do like your fish and chips, Doyles is the place to go in Sydney.

Sydney's Best Family Day Trips: Watson's Bay via christineknight.me

At Doyle’s on the Wharf, you can get fresh seafood in generous portions at reasonable prices – and enjoy a world-class view inside Doyle’s al fresco seating areas or picnic in Robertson park. A basic fish and chips is $13.80.
Doyles on the Wharf Seafood Takeaway & Bistro
Hours: Daily from 10am until 5pm.
Fisherman’s Wharf, Watson’s Bay

Sydney's Best Family Day Trips: Watson's Bay via christineknight.me

Where to play: Robertson Park
Right in the middle of Watson’s Bay is Robertson Park. A very large park with large trees and wide green spaces, it’s a popular place to picnic and for visitors to play games. The park has a breathtaking view of the harbour, too.

Sydney's Best Family Day Trips: Watson's Bay via christineknight.me

Families love the gated playground with shade cloth on top, positioned right next to bathrooms.

Sydney's Best Family Day Trips: Watson's Bay via christineknight.me Robertson Park
Marine Parade, Watsons Bay

Sydney's Best Family Day Trips: Watson's Bay via christineknight.me
Where to swim: The Beach or Watson’s Bay Baths
Sydneysiders have been bathing in this harbourside tidal pool since 1905. After a significant renovation in 2010, the baths now include a new Olympic-size pool with two floating turning board/sunbathing pontoons, boardwalk, better seating, Australia’s first deep water wheelchair access to a tidal harbour pool and increased views of the harbour.

Head to the adjacent Teagardens for shaded outdoor kiosk seating, toilets and change room facilities.
Watson’s Bay Baths
Marine Parade, Watsons Bay

 

Sydney's Best Family Day Trips: Watson's Bay via christineknight.me

Where to indulge: Gelatissimo
Gelato made fresh in store every day from an authentic family recipe. Flavours include Salted Caramel, Pistachio, Mango, Chocolate Truffle, Burnt Caramel & Pecan and Lychee. Ask for a tiny scoop for kids – it’s not on the menu and is slightly smaller than a regular single scoop and a bit cheaper, too.

Sydney's Best Family Day Trips: Watson's Bay via christineknight.me
Gelatissimo
Military Rd, Watsons Bay

Sydney's Best Family Day Trips: Watson's Bay via christineknight.me Sydney's Best Family Day Trips: Watson's Bay via christineknight.me

Watson’s Bay
Limited on and off street parking
Get there by car, ferry or bus

Sydney’s Best Beaches For Kids: Parsley Bay

Parsley Bay: Sydney's Best Beaches For Kids via christineknight.me

Parsley Bay Reserve in Sydney’s east is a tiny little slip of a beach at the very pointy end of Vaucluse. It’s right next to the very popular Nielsen Park, and yet has remained under the radar thus far. We dropped by on New Year’s Day, as is not only our custom, but most of Sydney’s, by the looks of how popular some of the beaches were that day.

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The bay is popular with local families due to the enclosed swimming area, picnic facilities and children’s playground. I also enjoyed the cafe that was happily open on New Year’s Day and the clean changing facilities.

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While most families set up their rugs and picnic chairs and bunker in for a day on the beach, if you’re more athletically inclined there is a short bushland circuit (15-20 minutes return), that takes you to a waterfall at the head of the gully. We did try to find it from one direction, but ended up back on the main road so I think we accidentally took a scenic exit rather than the circuit that leads to the waterfall. In any case, there are no signs to tell you where to go on the bush trails.

There was, however, a sign to also let us know that in summer Eastern Water Dragons sun themselves along the watercourse. We sadly didn’t see any water dragons, but that wasn’t too surprising considering how many small children were out that day.

 

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Parsley Bay: Sydney's Best Beaches For Kids via christineknight.me
Most people drive as it’s the easiest way to get to Parsley Bay. Parking in the eastern suburbs, however, is an entirely different matter. We were happily surprised at how quickly and easily we found unmetered street parking in the shade, right next to the stairs that lead down into the bay. There is also a small carpark available from Parsley Road (Horler Avenue).

If you park on the street like we did, there is pedestrian access available from The Crescent, Hopetoun Avenue and Horler Avenue.

Parsley Bay Reserve
Parsley Rd, Vaucluse NSW
Get Directions

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids here.

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day here.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney here.

The Best of London with Kids: Science Museum

Science Museum London via christineknight.me

The Science Museum is a major attraction on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London. Founded in 1857, it sees 3.3 million visitors annually through its doors.

Science Museum London via christineknight.me

The museum is really big and you could absolutely spend an entire day there trying to see everything. With a small child, however, (Cheese was almost four when we visited) we targeted the areas we felt she would enjoy the most, so these are the experience’s I’m sharing in this post.

Science Museum London via christineknight.me

Pattern Pod
One of three areas designed specifically for children at the Science Museum, Pattern Pod is a multi-sensory area created for 3–7 year olds. The exhibits are fun and interactive, with a focus on patterns, and a mix of high tech with screens, and old fashioned dress ups.

Science Museum London via christineknight.me

One of the biggest hits was animal outfits kids could put on to then create the animal’s footprints – get it right and they’re rewarded with animal noises. I was impressed with the water ripple “pond” that was a projection onto a screen that kids could touch and effect the waves without actually getting wet.

The Garden
While the Garden, on the lower floor of the museum, was billed as a place for 3-6 year olds, Cheese wasn’t really a fan, and we didn’t spend long here. Highlights included a tree house and water play area.

Science Museum London via christineknight.me

We spent most of our time in the Launch Pod (aimed at ages 8 – 14). I thought it would be too older for her, but she really enjoyed the science experiments in this section, particularly anything with magnets, wheels or levers. We spent over two hours just in this one area of the museum while Cheese enjoyed getting her hands on over 50 interactive exhibits.

Science Museum London via christineknight.me

Science Museum
Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London
Prices: Admission is free, but a donation is strongly suggested.

Looking for quirky things to do in London with kids?

Best of London with Kids: Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens

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With our hotel in London across the road from Hyde Park, we spent a lot of time exploring during our stay. Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are two of London’s Royal Parks, and are often thought to be one large park since they technically join in the middle.

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They are, however, separate parks, and have been since 1728, when Queen Caroline made a division between the two. The parks are separated by the Serpentine and and Long Water lakes.

Hyde Park London via christineknight.me

Together, the parks encompass 625 acres, which makes the combined parks a bit smaller than Central Park with 840 acres.

Hyde Park London via christineknight.me

Hyde Park covers 350 acres and is home to famous landmarks such as the Serpentine Lake, Speakers’€™ Corner and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain. We spent a lot of time at the Memorial Fountain as our trip was in summer and the fountain was a fantastic place to cool down on a hot day.

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the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain was opened by Her Majesty The Queen on 6th July 2004. The fountain was built using 545 pieces of Cornish granite – each shaped by computer-controlled machinery. When walking over the smooth stones of the fountain, it’s obvious that they have been carved by a machine rather than by hand, as they are absolutely perfectly cut in a way that no human hand could achieve. The pieces, once cut by machine, were assembled by hand to complete the fountain.

The water bubbles, swirls and cascades in a circular shape up, from a high point to a calm pool at the bottom. The design is supposed to reflect Diana’s life.

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On any given warm day, Londoners flock to the fountain. Businessmen roll up their pants and paddle their feet, while children strip to bathing suits and run through the water.

Hyde Park London via christineknight.me

While there are no facilities at the memorial, bathrooms are available at the nearby Lido Cafe, as well as swans who love to be fed bits of bread.

Kensington Palace #London via christineknight.me

 

Kensington Gardens were once the private gardens of Kensington Palace. They are now one of the Royal Parks of London, lying immediately to the west of Hyde Park. Within the park lie many famous landmarks including Kensington Palace, the Italian Gardens, Albert Memorial, Peter Pan Statue, the Serpentine Galleries and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground and are all located within its 265 acres.

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A beautiful, peaceful place we discovered was the Italian Gardens, an 150-year-old ornamental water garden located on the north side of Kensington Gardens. The gardens are believed to have been a gift from Prince Albert to his beloved Queen Victoria.

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I found the gardens to be a much-needed oasis of calm after a long busy day in London. The exquisite flowers and water feature felt like a piece of old Europe.

Hyde Park London via christineknight.me

Cheese loved the popular Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, a wonderland for children that opened to the public in 2000 next to the late princess’ Kensington Palace home. The centerpiece of the playground is a huge wooden pirate ship, with swings, sand pits, wooden cubby houses and more amazing play structures surrounding it.

Hyde Park London via christineknight.me

Outside the playground is a beautiful old-fashioned carousel, another drawcard for kids in the park.

Hyde Park London via christineknight.me

If you love British literature you might remember that the famous writer J.M. Barrie lived close to Kensington Gardens (there is a placard on the building he used to live in if you look hard enough for it!). Barrie published his first Peter Pan story in 1902, using Kensington Gardens for inspiration, so it’s only fit that the park is home to a statue he commissioned of the boy who never grew up. It was erected in 1912 on the exact spot Barrie imagined Peter Pan to land in his writing. In his Peter Pan tale, The Little White Bird, Peter flies out of his nursery and lands beside the Long Water – the spot where the statue now stands and delights visitors from all over the world.

For more information on Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens visit http://www.royalparks.org.uk.

The Best of Sydney with Kids: Wild Life Sydney Zoo

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

We somehow picked what was probably the most popular day of the year to visit WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo in Darling Harbour. Cheese has been asking to go to a zoo and I thought this one was a good size to be manageable with a small child, as well as being easy for me to get to.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

WILD LIFE Zoo is in a larger complex with SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and Madam Tussauds Sydney down in Darling Harbour. I’ve been to the aquarium on many occasions and never had a problem with going straight in, but somehow this was the day that every visitor to Sydney decided they wanted to visit one of these three attractions, so the queues were out of sight.

I would usually buy my tickets online in advance as there is a saving of 30% if you do, but this time I had a voucher for one adult free with one child ticket, so I lined up in the “WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo” line for over an hour to get our tickets. As a side note, the line next to us was for collecting prepaid tickets such as bought online, and it wasn’t any shorter or moving any faster, so apart from the price difference, I don’t know what the advantage of buying the tix in advance was!

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

After a very, very, very long wait, we finally made it to the entrance. As the ticket desk is now one huge one with all the attractions, there is no counter when you enter the zoo. The whole zoo is stroller-friendly, which is lucky as I had brought mine for the journey and wanted to check it when I arrived, only to find out that there was nowhere at the entrance to check the stroller or large bags etc, so it came with us the entire time.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

The zoo is indeed very small. Cheese is now 4.5, and together we saw everything we wanted to see in an hour, including the crocodile feeding show and the sugar glider animal experience.

There are additional options you can pay for such as “Wild Flight”, where you can zoom over the top of the trees in the zoo connected to a harness for an extra $10 (kids have to be age 7 and up), or having your photo taken with a koala (an additional $15). There are wild life talks every half hour or hour from 10:30am-5pm around the zoo which are great for learning more about the native animals.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo focuses on Australian animals. This makes complete sense as the area where the zoo is is a bit of a tourist mecca, with visitors who are desperate to meet a koala or pat a kangaroo.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

The zoo is designed in sections to mimic Australia’s famous landscapes – the Butterfly Tropics, Wallaby Cliffs, Devils Den, Daintree Rainforest and so on. For a zoo that is almost completely indoors, I though it was designed pretty well, with large enclosures for the animals with plenty of natural light from open roofs. I don’t *love* zoos, so I was relieved to see the animals we saw looked happy and well cared for, including enrichment toys such as in the echidna den.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

The first enclosure – and my favourite – was the Butterfly Tropics, where butterflies roam freely and get up close with visitors. One curious creature landed on my hand, and another on Cheese’s head, much to her delight and then terror.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

Other highlights included “Topsy” the Tasmanian Devil who looked like he wanted to pounce on us, the snakes and extremely active lizards, “Ringo” the wombat who was taking an adorable snooze when we visited, and “Princess” the cassowary, who appeared as queenly as her name.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

In the Night Fall area, with nocturnal animals, I was excited to see a spotted quoll for the first time, and Cheese was delighted to see the ghost bats in flight.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me
Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

The one exhibit that scared Cheese was Rex, the massive 5 metre crocodile in the Kakadu Gorge section of the zoo. We learned that when crocodiles in the wild reach five metres they are classed as nuisance animals by wildlife protection offers (they like to eat dogs and tourists alike, apparently) and so are often removed for safety. They used to be shot when they got too big, resulting in a massive decrease in large crocodiles in the wild. Rex was captured and taken to a crocodile farm, where he didn’t play very nicely with the other inhabitants (read: tried to eat his female companions), and was lucky to end up at WILD LIFE Zoo instead of being made into a fancy purse.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

Cheese’s favourite part of the zoo was the animal encounter with two sugar gliders. One, whose name I’ve forgotten, has been starring in her own animal show for a while, so was very happy to be gently touched by visitors, and show off her jumping skills. The tiny little gliders only weigh 100 grams, and have the softest fur I’ve ever touched.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

 

The last cute animal mention goes to the echidnas, who were very active during our visit and extremely adorable.

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me Wild Life Sydney Zoo via christineknight.me

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
1-5 Wheat Rd
Darling Harbour

Prices: Adult $40, kids 4-15 $28 (buy online to get 30% off)
Hours: Open daily, 9:30am-6pm. Special hours apply during holiday periods.

The Best of San Fran for Kids: California Academy of Science

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The California Academy of Sciences is a natural history museum in San Francisco, and is one the the largest museums of natural history in the world. The museum is home to over 26 million specimens, .

Just one ticket allows you to explore an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum, rainforest, 40,000 live animals, and more—all under one living roof.

California Academy of Science via christineknight.me

The Academy is a family-friendly museum with lots of exhibits, programs, and activities designed with kids in mind. Strollers are allowed everywhere in the museum – the only exception being the Shake House section of the Earthquake exhibit (you can park your stroller outside the exhibit).

California Academy of Science via christineknight.me

Eating at the Academy
We found decent kid-friendly food options at the Academy Cafe. You’re also welcome to bring your own food and drinks and use the indoor and outdoor seating available.

California Academy of Science via christineknight.me

Top Picks for Kids:

California Academy of Science via christineknight.me

Osher Rainforest
Over 1,600 live animals live in the four-story rainforest. Housed inside a 90-food-diameter glass dome, this is the largest rainforest exhibit of its kind in the world. From 250 free-flying birds to exotic reptiles, amphibians, golden silk orb-weaver spiders,jewel-like poison-dart frogs and stunning blue morpho butterflies that glide overhead, this is an exhibit that will create awe in kids and adults alike.

Note from the Cal Academy website: The rainforest is suitable for all ages, but because it is a hot, humid, and one-way exhibit, we recommend dressing in layers. Please note that there are no restrooms inside the rainforest dome, but you’ll find one immediately after exiting through the Amazon Flooded Forest tunnel.

Early Explorers Cove
Especially designed for kids aged 0-5, the Early Explorers Cave is a space where families can take a bit of a timeout in a smaller space with plenty of interactive activities. A miniature garden, books, toys, puzzles, live animals and dress up costumes await.

Discovery Tidepool
Kids of all ages are invited to gently touch a variety of tide pool creatures.

Earthquake Shake House
Visitors over the age of three can see, hear, and feel two earthquakes in the “Shake House”. This immersive experience can be a bit scary for littlies. Cheese was a bit scared while the house was shaking, but she also found it exciting and wanted to do it again.

Planetarium shows
The world’s largest all-digital planetarium with shows every 45 to 60 minutes. Planetarium shows are recommended for kids aged 7 and older, with kids under 4 not permitted.

Daily Programs
Check the daily schedule for story times, crafts, penguin feedings and other programs designed with young visitors in mind.

San Francisco with Kids via christineknight.me

Steinhart Aquarium
One of our favourite sections of the academy. The aquarium is home to nearly 40,000 live animals including Claude the albino alligator, tortoises, lizards, and African penguins.

San Francisco with Kids via christineknight.me

Changing tables are available in all restrooms on the museum floor, and a family-specific restroom is located next to the Swamp.

California Academy of Science
55 Music Concourse Dr, San Francisco, CA
Prices: Adult $34.95, kids 4-11 $24.95

The Best Of London With Kids: London Eye

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This large ferris wheel is a thrilling way to see London from the air. Pretty much every visitor to London wants to ride on the Eye, so book your tickets online to avoid the queues.

Suitable for all ages, Cheese got a bit wiggly at times (the Eye moves very slowly around the wheel in one full circuit). Thankfully, she was happily entertained by the iPads installed inside the Eye that are there to educate visitors about what they’re seeing out of the glass (but are actually mostly used by bored preschoolers).

The experience lasts approximately 30 minutes. A new 4D Experience is included with tickets.

London Eye via christineknight.me London Eye via christineknight.me London Eye via christineknight.me London Eye via christineknight.me London Eye via christineknight.me London Eye via christineknight.me London Eye via christineknight.me London Eye via christineknight.me London Eye via christineknight.me London Eye via christineknight.me
Book at least 24 hours in advance and save up to 15%.

London Eye
Riverside Building
County Hall
Westminster Bridge Road
London SE1 7PB

Prices: Adults £23, kids 4-15 £17

 

The Best of San Francisco For Kids: Children’s Creativity Museum

 

Children's Creative Museum via chistineknight.me

Children’s Creativity Museum is a hands-on, multimedia arts and technology museum for kids of all ages. It’s the kind of place that kids never want to leave as it’s full of open ended play opportunities that will literally keep them occupied for the entire day. The biggest challenge you’ll have is removing the kids to grab lunch when you’re desperate for a snack yourself.

San Francisco with Kids via christineknight.me

The museum is broken up into several different levels and labs. Some of the areas, such as the Animation Studio, were best suited to older kids than our preschoolers, but we were still able to find more than enough to entertain two three year olds for an entire day.

  • Animation Studio
    Geared towards older kids, children will learn the basics of stop motion animation by creating their own clay characters and bringing them to life on screen.
  • Community Lab
    Until Jan 3 the Community Lab will feature Brain Teasers 2, an interactive exhibit featuring 21 hands-on puzzles.Children's Creative Museum via chistineknight.me
  • Imagination Lab
    The area where we spent the majority of our time at the museum, the Imagination Lab is a hands-on environment encouraging building and creating with materials like blocks, Magna Tiles and craft. The dress up and puppet theatre was particularly popular with the preschoolers. 
  • Innovation Lab
    Kids are given the Mystery Box Challenge – a box filled with materials and a brief to create an object using only those materials. It was a lot of fun for the kids to think about basic design concepts as well as letting their creativity reign.Children's Creative Museum via chistineknight.me
  • Music Studio
    The girls’ favourite part of museum, no surprise. Pick a song from a selection of over 2,000 to sing in front of a green screen. The girls chose “Let It Go” (no surprises there) and sang it against an icy background reminiscent of Arendelle. They were in heaven.
  • Tech Lab
    A fun way to introduce kids to coding. A bit too old for our kids, I’d love to return another time to try this lab.

Children's Creative Museum via chistineknight.me

Before leaving the museum, take a spin on the hand-carved wooden carousel out the front. It’s the oldest operating carousel in San Francisco with a whimsical menagerie of animals to ride on. Be warned, it’s extremely fast!

Children’s Creativity Museum
221 Fourth St. San Francisco, CA
Price: General admission $12. Kids under 2 free.

Looking for more things to do in San Francisco? Try one of these San Francisco tours.