For many families, a trip to a children’s museum while on vacation is typically a compromise of sorts. Mom and Dad sacrifice an afternoon to entertain the kids, when secretly there are other places they’d rather be exploring.

Factor in children that range in age from toddler to teen and the family dynamic gets even more complicated. In other words, it’s really hard to make everyone happy. Hard, but not impossible, for families who include the California Academy of Sciences in their San Francisco itinerary.

Living less than an hour from San Francisco, my family has a long list of go-to favorites that can easily fill the occasion when spare time might actually sneak into the family calendar. Exploring the Presidio, getting clam chowder at Fisherman’s Wharf or exploring Golden Gate Park are just a few of the things that pop into my mind. But I leave room on the list for new finds like San Jose, California.

Where is San Jose?

San Jose is located about an hour south of San Francisco. The third largest city in California …

I love planning family trips. Short and long, near and far. But when I started working on Washington, DC with the kids, I have to admit it took me a while to get into it. There’s a mind boggling number of choices for families headed to DC, especially when it comes to museums.

The nation’s capital could also be called the museum capital. The Smithsonian Institution is comprised of 19 museums and the National Zoological Park.

“What in the world is that Mom?”

“That, believe it or not, is how we played movies in the old days when I was a child.”

Seriously?! I can’t believe we’re having conversations like this already with our kids. It’s crazy.

This banter was all inspired by our visit to the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. Founded in 1794, this museum of “arts and crafts” displays scientific instruments and discoveries …

The Boston’s Children’s Museum generates enthusiasm and creativity in kids of all ages. This museum has been a popular stop for Boston’s parents for years. A recent update has lightened the facility, breathing new life into this excellent museum.

As you enter the museum, there’s a new glass facade with sweeping views and an airy feel. My kids immediately noticed the climbing structure that now spans three stories. Previously, the structure was enclosed and had rambled, so you weren’t always sure where your kids were. For kids …

“I’m booking that scavenger hunt in the Louvre for the Paris trip” is the snippet of a conversation I overheard at my son’s elementary school a month ago.

That “scavenger hunt” turned out to be the Paris Muse Clues: A Louvre Tour for Young Treasure Hunters. It’s a private guided family tour of the Louvre.

The Louvre is the world’s largest museum and it can be overwhelming trying to figure out …

It’s good to be a kid these days.

Not that being a kid was bad when I was growing up, but being a kid now has perks that didn’t exist when my age was still written in single digits. Playgrounds had slides and swings, not rock climbling walls and carousels. We rode bikes, not electric scooters, and we listened to cassettes, not iPods.

In the past ten years there’s been an explosion of things just for kids. Think about it. Hotel kids’ clubs, kids’ menus and move over Louvre, kids’ museums.

Natasha Schlesinger is the founder of Artmuse, Artkids, and ArtXplorers. She lives in New York City and is an expert in teaching children to appreciate art. Here are seven of …

Chicago is a fun family-friendly city with many activities for kids to enjoy. The following tips are organized by area with some of the activities…

May is a very busy month in New York City. There are so many new exhibits to see both in the museums and at the galleries. I have gotten around to seeing some of them and others are just about to open.