If you are visiting Houston for the first time, or even if you've been there before, there is a multitude of fun and educational things to do for the whole family. Visit one of Houston's many parks, visit the nature center, take a stroll through the science museum or experience the many kinds of wildlife at the zoo.
Parks
In your travels around Houston, make sure you bring the children to one of the city's parks, like Sam Houston Park. The park features several paths to stroll along, a fountain, a duck pond and open green space perfect for a game of catch.
Or visit Tranquility Park, located in downtown Houston, where you can have a nice family picnic on one of the beautiful grassy areas. The park was named after the Sea of Tranquility and was first opened in July 1979 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the landing on the moon.
Gardens
Visit the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center. The arboretum covers 155 acres and showcases more than 450 native plants. Stop in at the center's Discovery Room, an interactive environment where you can get up close and learn about nature and all its inhabitants.
Or stop in at the Cockrell Butterfly Center, where children can explore the world of insects. There are plenty of interactive games and amazing specimens on display. The highlight of the visit is the three story building constructed around a 50-foot waterfall that is filled with hundreds of butterflies. The children will also love the "Insects and Us" section where they will learn all about beekeeping, butterfly gardening and mosquito control.
Museums
The Museum of Health and Medical Science is an interesting and educational place for the whole family, especially the children. The children will learn all about how the human body works. Step inside a large replica of a human body and learn about how all your organs and bones work.
Bring the children to the Houston Museum of Natural Science--a place where everyone can discover something amazing. Check out the large collection of gems and minerals, as well as the dinosaur skeletons that are on display. For an out of this world experience, visit the Isaac Arnold Hall of Space Science exhibit, where you can don a space suit and discover what it's like to be in space.
Zoos
During your stay in Houston, be sure to visit the Houston Zoo, a 55-acre facility that is home to over 4,500 animals from all over the world. Check out the Asian elephant habitat, the reptile house, the Children's Zoo and the 725 specimens of mammals. You're sure to get plenty of exercise strolling through the zoo visiting with all the animals.
Aquariums
Make sure you stop in to the Downtown Aquarium, a six-acre aquarium and dining center that is home to a 500,000 gallon tank full of over 200 species of aquatic life. The aquarium's many exhibits include the Louisiana Swamp, a shipwreck, a rainforest, Discovery Rig and much more. Dare to get close to the reticulated python in the Sunken Temple exhibit, see a nurse shark and other aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico exhibit and see the white tigers in the Maharaja's Temple exhibit.
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