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The Best of London with Kids: Science Museum

December 30, 2015 / London, Travel, UK / 0 comment

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.

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.

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.

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.

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
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

December 29, 2015 / London, Travel, UK / 2 Comments

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 San Fran for Kids: California Academy of Science

December 28, 2015 / California, San Francisco, USA / 0 comment

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.

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).

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.

Top Picks for Kids:

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.

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.

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

December 27, 2015 / London, Travel, UK / 1 Comment

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.

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

December 27, 2015 / California, Cheese, San Francisco, USA / 0 comment

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.

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.
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.

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.

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.

Travel Guide: San Francisco with Kids

December 26, 2015 / California, San Francisco, Travel, USA / 8 Comments

San Francisco is a great place to take kids. We’ve been several times with Cheese, from baby to preschooler, and each time we find new things to do together. Here are a few ways to spend your family holiday in San Fran so everyone has a great time.

Children’s Creativity Museum
Children’s Creativity Museum is a hands-on, multimedia arts and technology museum for kids of all ages. Take a ride on the hand-carved carousel, sing your heart out in the recording studio or build a masterpiece. Kids will never want to leave. Cheese particularly enjoyed the dress ups, puppet theatre, magna tiles and singing studio. She belted out “Let It Go” into a microphone and was filmed singing against a blue screen that transported her into an icy Arendelle. Priceless! Read more about our experience here.

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

Aquarium of the Bay
This little aquarium has over 20,000 marine animals to visit. With a focus on conservation, kids will learn a lot about taking care of our water and the animals within, while getting up close to exotic and local aquatic life. Highlights include 300 feet of crystal clear tunnels with marine animals from San Francisco Bay and nearby waters and Touch the Bay, featuring touchpools with sharks, rays and sea stars.
Aquarium of the Bay
2 Beach St, San Francisco, CA
Prices: Adult $22.95, kids 3-12 $13.95

Alcatraz Island
A very popular day trip, Alcatraz Island is located 1.5 miles offshore from San Francisco. A visit to Alcatraz offers a close-up look at the site of the first lighthouse and US built fort on the West Coast as well as the infamous federal jail.

As well as being steeped in history, the Rock is also home to tide pools, bird colonies and stunning views of San Francisco Bay. Wear very comfortable shoes, bring a light jacket no matter how warm the day begins, and be sure to book your tickets well in advance.

Alcatraz
Buy tickets for the cruise across to Alcatraz online.
Ferries depart from Alcatraz Landing at Pier 33.
Prices: Adult $31, kids 5-11 $19

Golden Gate Park
You could easily spend a week just exploring everything Golden Gate Park has to offer. This 1,017 acre urban park is open to the public for free (however there is an entrance cost for some of the attractions). Be sure to check out the American bison who have happily lived in the park since the 1890s.

Other attractions of note include Golden Gate Park Aquarium, Strawberry Hill (where you’ll find a waterfall and gorgeous views), Koret Children’s Quarter with its new and improved playground, Japanese Tea Garden, Carousel, windmill and tulips and the California Academy of Science.
More info at Golden Gate Park.

Fisherman’s Wharf
This is considered the “touristy” part of town, but I think it’s worth a visit as it’s right next to the aquarium and has a few fun things for kids to see.

Visit the California sea lions at Pier 39, where several hundred sea lions like to doze in the sun (be warned, they smell and are very loud!).

Eat at Boudin’s Bakery, home of the most delicious sourdough bread. This is their flagship location.
More ideas and info: Fisherman’s Wharf

San Francisco Cable Cars
An absolute must when you visit San Francisco. Check out the route and jump aboard an historic cable car to see San Francisco from a unique point of view. We like to catch the Powell-Mason from Powell/ Market streets up and over Nob Hill and down to Bay Street at Fisherman’s Wharf.

Tickets are $5 each way for ages 5 and up and can be bought at turnabouts (the beginning points) or from the conductor as you board.

Lombard Street
This topsy-turvey street is like something out of Dr Seuss book. Lombard Street is famous for a steep, one-block section with eight hairpin turns past beautiful Victorian mansions. Be warned, kids will want to bolt down at high speed.
More info on Lombard Street.

California Academy of Science
One of the highlights of our time in San Francisco, the California Academy of Sciences is a natural history museum in that is among the largest museums of natural history in the world, housing over 26 million specimens – 40,000 of them live. Inside the one building is an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum and rainforest – all under one living roof (literally – the roof is alive!). The Academy has plenty of hands-on exhibits and activities for kids to explore. Our favourites were the Shake House section of the Earthquake exhibit where kids can experience what it would feel like to be on top of an earthquake, the aquarium with its immersive glass tunnels, the dinosaur in the foyer, and the rainforest with live butterflies and birds. Read more about our experience here.

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

Cupid’s Span
Kids absolutely love this sculpture by artist Coosje van Bruggen on the Embarcadero along San Francisco Bay. The art work was inspired by San Francisco’s reputation as the home port of Eros.

Palace of Fine Arts
While the Palace of Fine Arts is actually home to art exhibitions, visitors also go to enjoy the beautiful structure (originally built in 1915), walkways and lagoon. The palace is iconic in San Francisco, and is a popular destination for family and wedding photos. Kids will particularly enjoy spotting the swans who live in the lagoons.

Palace of Fine Arts
3301 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA
Prices: It’s free to walk around the grounds.

Golden Gate Bridge
And lastly … don’t forget to check out Golden Gate Bridge. While the bridge can be seen from Alcatraz and various points on around San Francisco Bay, my favourite place to photograph it is Battery Spencer, on the Marin Headland just north of the bridge.

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

December 16, 2015 / Asia, Singapore, Travel / 1 Comment

You’ll need to devote an entire day to see all that Gardens by the Bay has to offer. This popular attraction consists of three large garden areas, the main, and most popular, being Bay South garden, which houses the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest, Supertrees Grove and Children’s Garden.

The Flower Dome is an indoor hothouse bursting with manicured gardens right out of a storybook. The dome features flowering plants from around the world – there’s even an Australian section with bottle brush and other native plants. Most popular are the statues within the garden beds. From elephants, mythical dragons and giant bees to children’s picture book characters, the flower dome tells stories beyond pretty blooms.

The next dome is called “Cloud Forest”. It takes visitors up an indoor mountain through a circular path, behind a waterfall.

The “mountain” is clad in beautiful epiphytes such as orchids, ferns and peacock ferns.

Both the domes are extremely accessible for wheelchairs and strollers – there are elevators to all areas of the gardens.

The Supertrees Grove is filled with tree-like structures with heights that range between 25 metres (82 ft) and 50 metres (160 ft). They are vertical gardens at the top of which is an elevated walkway, the OCBC Skyway, between two of the larger Supertrees, giving a panoramic aerial view of the Gardens. The Skyway closes in inclement weather, which is unfortunately what happened on our visit.

While kids will enjoy all of the features of Gardens by the Bay, a trip to the Children’s Garden will be a highlight of your trip. Perfect for kids aged one and up, the children’s garden is renowned for its fabulous water play area.

There is a toddler zone for kids under 5, and a larger area for children 6 and over. With clean bathroom facilities and a shaded amphitheater, it’s obvious why this is a hot spot for families. Kids aged 6 -12 will also enjoy the Rainforest Tree Houses and the Adventure Trail nearby. You can visit this area for free, which is an added bonus in very pricey Singapore.

Gardens by the Bay
18 Marina Gardens Dr, Singapore 018953
Standard Rate for two domes: Adult: $28, Senior Citizen (>60 years old): $28, Child (3-12 years old): $15

Find the best things to do in Singapore with kids.

Get more ideas of things to do in Singapore here.

If you’re heading to Singapore then you have to set aside some time for all the amazing things to do at Changi Airport with kids.

Barcelona: Casa Batllo

December 16, 2015 / Europe, Spain, Travel / 0 comment

One of Antoni Gaudi’s most well-known masterpieces in Barcelona, Casa Batlló is must-see architectural work in the centre of Barcelona.

Casa Batlló is the former residence of the Batlló family, built in 1877. Gaudi was commissioned to redesign the building between 1904 and 1906. He replaced the original facade with a completely new front of stone and glass, and had the external walls redesigned to give them a wavy shape, plastering them afterwards with lime mortar and a mosaic of fragments of coloured glass and ceramic discs.

This Gaudi masterpiece is a work of fantastical imagination. It really looks like a setting of a surrealist dream. Every room is full of magic and fantasy – a blend of colours, shapes and light. Of Gaudi’s four most popular works, Casa Batlló is the smallest, and is easily do-able with children. There is very little to break, and a lot to see.

While the house is famous for its steep staircases, it is also wheelchair and stroller accessible. The most important parts of the house can be accessed by the elevator. The rooms are tight, however, so I would advise leaving a stroller downstairs if possible.

A special feature of the Casa Batlló is the video guide that is included in the price of general admission. While the audio is certainly interesting, the most exciting part about this guide is the iPod it is connected to, which gives a virtual reality tour of the house while you are walking around. Holding up the iPod to various features in the room gives an alternative view to showcase the architect’s boundless imagination.

We had thought Cheese would be too young for this video guide, but of course it is a screen and hence she loved it. Casa Batlló is extremely welcoming to children, and has a section of their site dedicated to how kids can enjoy their visit.

When visiting Casa Batlló, tickets may be purchased in advance to save queuing up. We did this but then found there was no queue, but on busy days this could be helpful.

Casa Batlló
Passeig de Gràcia, 43, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
Adults 21.5 Euro, juniors (7-18) 18.5 Euro, kids 6 and under free.

More information on Barcelona

Looking for more of Gaudi in Barcelona? Get info on visiting his crypt and other buildings in the city.

After more things to do in the area? Check out these day trips from Barcelona.

Make sure to check out all these Barcelona landmarks when you visit.

Barcelona: La Sagrada Familia

December 11, 2015 / Europe, Spain, Travel / 2 Comments

The highlight of our Barcelona visit was, without a doubt, Sagrada Familia. The pinnacle of Antoni Gaudi’s architectural achievements, Sagrada Familia, is the number one thing you absolutely must see on your trip to Barcelona.

Gaudi worked on Sagrada Familia for 43 years, from 1883 until his accidental death in 1926. Gaudí was buried in the chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia.

The Sagrada Familia is temple, built to be a symbolic expression in stone of the Christian faith. It is also a place for people of all faiths to share love, harmony and peace together.

Most notable for me about Sagrada Familia was the stunning coloured glass windows that crated rainbows of light across the room. Gaudi designed Sagrada Familia to be a celebration of light and colour. He was quoted as saying that colour was the expression of life, which is why colour is such an important part of the temple.

When visiting Sagrada Familia, book your tickets online in advance. Queues form early, with admittance limited to timed intervals. We didn’t book ours online and regretted it when we lined up for over half an hour to get our ticket, and then had to wait another hour to get in.

Lucky for us there is a park across the road from Sagrad Familia with a decent little playground in it that kept Cheese entertained while we waited to get in.

Once inside the temple, remind kids to keep voices low and to stay close by. The temple requests visitors keep from raising voices (eg shouting) and also from running.

Sagrada Familia has towers that can also be visited, but only by children aged six and over. People in wheelchairs are also not permitted up in the towers.

La Sagrada Familia
Carrer de Mallorca, 401, 08013 Barcelona, Spain
Adult: €15, Children under 11 are free.
Allow at least 1 hour for your visit.

Visit the towers is an extra €4,50 extra per person

Barcelona: Parc Guell With Kids

December 7, 2015 / Europe, Spain, Travel / 7 Comments

A big drawcard for many (including me) with Barcelona is the amazing works of Antoni Gaudi. One of his famous works, Park Güell, makes for a fabulous short day trip out of the city.

Park Güell is a large park split into two different areas: the Monumental Zone, which requires the purchase of a ticket, and the free access area which is open to all visitors at no charge.

To get to the park, catch the underground line L3 to the station Lesseps. From there it’s about 10-15 minutes by foot (follow the signs from the station). It’s all very accessible until you get to the last stretch up the hill, where an escalator or stairs are required to enter the park.

While you don’t need to get a ticket in advance to enter the monumental zone, it’s recommended that you do as visitors are limited to 400 each half hour.

Antoni Gaudí built the Park Güell as a tribute to nature. Gaudi was tasked with the project in 1890, with the park opening to the public in 1922. Along with the Sagrada Familia, this is the largest of Gaudi’s projects. In 1984, the park was included in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage.

There are several levels and areas to the park, the most famous being the blue lizard in the middle of the staircase that runs directly through the centre of Park Güell. The staircase leads to a room consisting of 86 Romanesque columns, designed to be a marketplace for the residential area. Interestingly, this was the originally purpose of the Parc Güell.

The park is a challenge for wheelchairs and strollers. I suggest taking a carrier or light umbrella stroller if you must have one. You are not permitted to leave the stroller at the entrance and several areas are only accessible by long flights of stairs.

After walking through the park you can take a short stroll (200 metres) from the main entrance easterly to the Gaudí Museum. The museum is inside Gaudi’s former resistance and was opened in 1963 as a museum.

Park Güell
Tickets: 7 Euro adult, kids 6 and under free but must have a ticket.