Located in the heart of Houston's Museum District, the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) is one of the most visited museums in the country, and a fun, educational trip for kids. This world-class museum consists of five floors of permanent halls full of awe-inspiring exhibits and a steady rotation of traveling special exhibits. Discover the tropical rainforest, reach back in time to when dinosaurs walked the Earth, blast forward to learn about the future of renewable energy, and explore space in the Burke Baker Planetarium. Plus, the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre was Houston’s first IMAX theatre offering 3D images, and the Cockrell Butterfly Center is a stunning, living exhibit that showcases hundreds of live butterflies in a naturalistic rainforest setting.

There is so much to see and do at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Take kids on an active learning adventure by visiting exhibits that are more likely to keep children's attention. Here, we’ve curated a few of the best things to do at Houston’s Museum of Natural Science with kids to help you plan your visit. 

You can also save with the top attractions in Houston with Go City - Houston card. By purchasing this ticket, you receive admission to several Houston attractions at half the regular price: Space Center Houston, Downtown Aquarium, Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Houston Zoo or the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the Kemah Boardwalk or the Children’s Museum Houston.

Transport your family to an idyllic Christmas town right out of A Christmas Carol. With cobblestone streets and picturesque brick storefronts, a visit to a Christmas town is a magical place to Christmas shop, visit Santa, and get into the holiday spirit. From Santa Claus, Indiana to Duluth, Minnesota, we’ve rounded up the best Christmas towns in the Midwest for shopping, sleigh rides, Santa sightings, Christmas caroling, tree lightings, and more. 

For a full list of Christmas towns across the country, check out the Top Christmas Towns and Villages to Visit in the U.S. And for more holiday ideas, check out our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Activities for Chicago Families.

Nothing brings home that warm, autumnal feeling like a trip to the farm: apple picking, pumpkin patches, hayrides.  And here in Westchester and Hudson Valley, we are fortunate to have a bounty of farms with family-friendly activities to entertain every age. 

And so here they are: our top 10 farms in and around the Hudson Valley with fun entertainment for families.

Be sure to visit our Westchester pick-your-own guide for more farm fun.

With Halloween on the horizon, city dwellers are digging out the cobwebs and showing off all the skeletons in their closets, setting up fun Halloween decorations for passersby to enjoy. Some neighborhoods go all out with spooky, sweet, creepy, and cool Halloween decorations, and we're sharing some of our favorites below.

So, enjoy the spooky sights we've found and find more ways to celebrate in our Guide to Halloween Activities.

Long Island is truly a special place during the holidays. From Polar Express rides to light shows and craft fairs, the holiday spirit is everywhere. Adding to that excitement this season are three new lantern shows that will bring smiles as far as the eye can see. 

Whether you want to be up close or stay warm in the car, read on for details about the walk-thru LuminoCity Festival in Manhasset and the drive-thru Lantern Festival in Roslyn. Enjoy another speclal show at the Queens County Farm Museum, just over the border from Nassau.  

These events are unlike any other; you won’t want to miss them. We will, of course, be updating our Long Island Holiday Guide as the season draws closer. In the meantime, enjoy these great illuminations.   

Just west of New Jersey's Warren County and across the Delaware River, there's a gem of a small town waiting for families to explore. Easton, Pennsylvania, has a rich history dating back to colonial times and is now home to a bustling downtown, unique eateries for foodies, sprawling farms, and tons of terrific family-friendly destinations. Here are 15 spots perfect for memory-making during an Easton day trip with kids. Find more to do in the area with our guide to the Lehigh Valley.

In these digital days, typing has become an essential skill for kids. From emails to essays to online classes, the sooner young learners master touch typing on the good old QWERTY keyboard, the better (and the less likely they are to develop bad “hunt and peck” habits that quickly become very hard to break).

Brooklyn families have a brand new space to browse and check out books, read, and gather. The Brooklyn Public Library recently celebrated the opening of its 60th branch on Adams Street in Dumbo. The Adams Street Library is the first new branch in nearly four decades and the first library serving Dumbo, Vinegar Hill, and the Farragut Houses.