Educational Family Vacations

Want to get a little something more out of your vacation than a sunburn or some souvenir mouse ears? Try taking the kids on an educational vacation this year, where they can supplement what they learn in school with some real family fun. Museums and zoos close to home are a great place to start. Children's museums are fun and educational simultaneously, and kids can explore whatever interests them, whether it's dinosaur bones, dress-up clothes from another era or space travel. Zoos feed animal lovers' interests, and they often run camps for kids in which they can get up close and personal with their favorite critters. If you're looking for fun that's a little farther from home, then the United States capital is a great place to visit. It's got everything a history buff would love, plus engaging museums for the kids. The Smithsonian is a behemoth, as is the Museum of Natural History.
Try finding a kids' program at one of these institutions to get the most out of your vacation. Nearby, the National Zoo is free, so take that in as well. Just down the road in Williamsburg, Va., you can immerse yourself and your kids in colonial culture. Colonial Williamsburg mimics a community from the 1600s, in which you can watch blacksmiths, groundskeepers and other old-timey people in traditional garb, going about their daily business. For lessons about nature, try one of the natural wonders - the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls or Glacier Bay can offer some great fun and education. You'll find great man-made wonders in some super U.S. cities, such as New York, San Francisco and Boston, which is another draw for history buffs. Whichever you choose this summer, your kids are sure to have a blast and come back to school with some great lessons.