Kids Edition

It’s time for another special edition of I Heart My City!

This time we’re serving up recommendations for the world’s best educational experiences for kids (and kids at heart) in 15 cities around the world from the people who know them best: our ever-inspirational I Heart My City community. They also happen to be fun.

Ewelina’s Krakow (Poland): The Stanislaw Lem Garden of Experiences, an open-air education exhibition that allows kids to explore the natural world and the laws of physics.

Larisa and Michael’s Philadelphia (United States): Franklin Square Park, a neighborhood park just off Independence Mall, has a playground and carousel, plus a mini-golf course featuring small-scale models of Philly’s historic buildings. It’s a great place to work off some youthful energy after seeing the Liberty Bell.

Katherine’s Athens (Greece): The Hellenic Children’s Museum or the free zoo in the National Gardens.

Charlotte’s Wellington (New Zealand): The city’s elaborate playgrounds, the kids areas at the Te Papa, or bird spotting in Zealandia, the bird sanctuary in Karori.

Natalie’s Toronto (Canada): Riverdale Farm: There are animals, it’s a great spot to picnic, and it’s free! It’s also a great way to see Cabbagetown, filled with historic Victorian homes. 

Christine’s Melbourne (Australia): Take a day trip to see the penguins on Phillip Island.

Kristina’s Santiago de Chile (Chile): The city zoo, located on a slope of the Cerro San Cristobal, which has a seemingly incongruous urban backdrop.

Annie Fitzsimmons’s New York City (United States): The Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, which is in a model schoolhouse brought to Central Park in 1877. Shows are staged year round.

Yamina’s Brussels (Belgium): The Children’s Museum, where kids are allowed to touch everything, climb walls, listen to stories, and attend workshops.

Lea’s Vienna (Austria): The Haus der Musik museum, an interactive sound museum which provides a new approach to music on a playful and scientific level.

Luci’s Brisbane (Australia): Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. It’s also home to dingos, wombats, and platypus.

Jo’s Cape Town (South Africa): Don’t miss the Two Oceans Aquarium, aptly named for the Atlantic and Indian oceans, which converge in the area.

Nat Geo’s Washington, D.C. (United States): The National Air and Space Museum (for the rockets and the gift shop’s freeze-dried astronaut ice cream) and the Newseum, for the First Dogs exhibit, a tribute to presidential fidos.

Yvonne’s Berlin (Germany): The Berlin Zoo (the famous polar bear Knut’s birthplace), where you can see cute baby animals. It’s also the oldest zoo in Germany.

Megan and Natalie’s Seoul (South Korea): Lotte World. Thrills aren’t the only thing to seek at this South Korean theme park. The adjacent Lotte Folk Museum boasts a miniature village that displays life in the Joseon Dynasty on a 1/8th scale.

What’s your favorite kid-friendly thing about your city? Share your local expertise with the Intelligent Travel community by leaving a comment: