14 of the Top Family-Friendly Activities Around the World

Most kids are inherently curious and love learning about the natural and scientific world. The Yellowstone National Park—mostly in Wyoming but also in Montana and Idaho—ticks many boxes. The park is brimming with incredible hydrothermal and geologic features, enormous waterfalls, thick forests, and wildlife, including bears, wolves, and elk. Kids of any age will love visiting with an active e-bike tour, absorbing all that science better than they would from any textbook.

The Kennedy Space Center is NASA’s main launch site, and you might be able to score tickets to see a real live rocket launch there. If the stars and planets don’t align during your visit to Florida, you can still take a guided tour of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to check out the rocket garden, astronaut training simulators, a replica of a Mars rover, live talks with real astronauts, and much more.

The San Diego Zoo is one of the most famous zoos in the world, beloved for its enclosures that mimic the natural habitats of its animal residents. Kids will love the wide array of animals and birds they can see here, such as leopards, koalas, elephants, giraffes, hippos, and many other species. See more than 4,000 animals on a tour of the zoo and the neighboring San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

A beach vacation in Mexico’sCabo San Lucas is always a top family vacation idea, but when you need a break from the sun and sand, a whale-watching trip will be an exciting activity for young and old. January through March are the best months for whale-watching tours, when humpback whales, whale sharks, and gray whales migrate to the area and begin calving. Whale-watching tours often include breakfast or lunch, so you can get ahead of those never-ending requests for the next meal.

Many adventure activities aren’t suitable for little kids, but ziplining in Costa Rica is an exception. Kids as young as two can be strapped into a harness for a safe, age-appropriate adventure through the lush forest canopies. And you don’t need to worry that older kids or adults will get bored: Bigger people can zip independently, as well as have fun clambering across high bridges, swinging like Tarzan, and spotting wildlife.

Crabs, coral, and tropical fish might be the wildlife that comes to mind when you think of Caribbean beaches. But at Pig Beach in the Bahamas, you’ll find, well, pigs. Pigs aren’t native to this uninhabited island, so it’s not clear how the little swines got here, but it’s believed their ancestors were taken there by sailors or swam from a shipwreck nearby. Take a speed boat tour to get there with ease and happily paddle with the pigs.

No doubt your kids will love eating pizza in Italy, but how about teaching them a valuable life skill at the same time? A pizza-making class is a fun way to learn about local culture through its cuisine, spend quality family time together, and help kids produce something they can be proud of—and enjoy eating it after, of course. You might even find they don’t mind finishing their crusts if they know the effort that went into making them.

Cultural institutions like the Louvre Museum in Paris are full of potential inspiration for kids, but they can also be overwhelming and (dare we say it?) even a little dull if not approached from an age-appropriate perspective. Foster a love of art and antiquities in your kids by taking them on a scavenger hunt through the hallowed halls of the Louvre. They can look for clues, solve puzzles and riddles, and receive prizes. And parents might even get a bit of peace and quiet to admire the masterpieces.

Get in the festive spirit and immerse your family in the wonderland that is Lapland in winter. Believers and unbelievers alike will appreciate the magic of visiting the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Finland. Meet the jolly man in red himself and shop for gifts and souvenirs made by his elves. To complete the experience, meet his reindeer (or, you know, some of their cousins) at a nearby reindeer farm.

Singapore is a favorite stopover city for families traveling between Asia and Oceania, but jet lag can derail plans to explore this Southeast Asian city-state. Take it easy with a leisurely visit to the Gardens by the Bay, a horticultural sanctuary in the middle of the city. Wander through hot houses (which may actually feel cool in Singapore’s tropical climate) and the flower dome, admiring the lush flowers and plants.

Adventurous parents don’t need to relegate multi-day hiking adventures to their pre-kid past: Nepal offers a good range of options for active families. Villages scattered throughout the Himalayas offer accommodation and dining options, so you don’t need to lug tents and cooking equipment around with you (or pay a porter to do so). And, not all hikes in the Himalayas are at very high altitudes, so they should be manageable for kids with energy to burn. A family-friendly option is a guided trek to Ghorepani in the Annapurna Mountain Range, which includes a sunrise hike up to Poon Hill for otherworldly mountain views.

India’s desert state, Rajasthan, is an exciting destination for families, with palaces and forts at every turn. Expect to see camels doing the jobs that horses or donkeys might do elsewhere. But nothing is likely to be as exciting for kids as a guided camel tour from the sandcastle-like city of Jaisalmer through the dunes of the Thar Desert, ending at a desert camp. Sleep out under the stars (or in a tent if you prefer) and make happy family memories.

Queenstown is known as the adventure capital of New Zealand, and families with tots, tweens, and teens can find outdoor adventures to suit in the lakeside city surrounded by mountains. Jet boating is an exciting adventure for everyone in the family because, unlike rafting, mountain biking, or hiking, you don’t have to expend any energy. Zoom at speeds of up to 59 miles (95 kilometers) per hour through narrow canyons and over shallow waters on this jet boat ride.

Australia’sGreat Barrier Reef is the largest reef system in the world, home to 400 types of coral and 1,500 species of fish. See a small slice of this wonder of the natural world on a snorkeling trip to the reef from Cairns. The youngest members of the family can stay on board or swim and snorkel, while older kids (typically age 12 and up) and parents can even go diving.