Best Places to Take Kids This Summer / United States

Best Places to Take Kids This Summer

When thinking about where to go on a family holiday the destination is always important. Pleasing the children is a good way to ensure that everyone has a good time, so it is vital that they are entertained.

Here is a selection of holiday options for summer 2013 that are guaranteed to be a hit with the little ones.

Florida
So Walt Disney World and Universal Studios may be two obvious choices when planning daytrips in Florida, but there is good reason for this: they are the classics. The former is better for younger kids, while older children enjoy getting behind the scenes at a working production studio.

As well as these two beloved theme parks there is a wide range of others to choose from, including Busch Gardens, which combines the chance to see wild animals with some rides for the thrill-seekers.

Alternatively, take them to one of the many water parks in Florida, such as Weeki Wachee Springs, which is actually served by a spring with the water kept at a constant 72 degrees F (22 degrees C).

Parents will thoroughly enjoy the chance to relax, but the kids won't get bored with flume rides and slides to go whizzing down. The park is located in the aptly named Spring Hill.

Museums are also plentiful in Florida from the G Wiz Science Museum in Sarasota, split into six different interactive zones, to the impressive collection of planes at the Florida Air Museum in Lakeland.

Egypt
When it comes to entertaining the kids on holiday in Egypt, they will enjoy many of the same things you do, just make sure not to try and do too much in one day.

No trip to Egypt would be complete without an excursion to the pyramids and accompanying sphinx located not far from Cairo. Kids particularly enjoy going inside a real life pyramid and find that the small doorways designed to keep out grave robbers are easier to navigate than for adults.

This should be followed by a trip to the Egyptian Museum in the capital itself to have a look at all of the items that were excavated from the pyramids. This is an educational experience that will stay with them for life.

Tutankhamen's funeral masks and sarcophagi will definitely be the highlight with all of the surface gold and intricate decoration still visible.

This huge museum has many other exhibits to admire too with little ones often particularly keen on the Royal Mummy collection. Some of the mummies have been partially unwrapped while others are intact.

The Canary Islands
With seven islands to choose from there are plenty of attractions to please the kids in the Canaries. Sioux City in Gran Canaria is a great place to start as this Wild West-themed park was originally built as a film set and was fully furnished in western style.

Kids can wander around the streets and explore the bank, blacksmith's forge, church, saloon and sheriff's office, acting out their own scenes. It is also home to a zoo featuring animals found in desert locations, a crocodile pond and venomous reptiles.
Head to the Lanzarote Aquarium in Arrecife for a chance to see fish and sea creatures up close. There are 33 different tanks containing many species of tropical fish and an underwater tunnel that enchants children.

Alternatively, take them to the Whales and Dolphins Museum in Puerto Calero, which highlights some of the fascinating marine life that can be seen in the waters around the islands. The huge skeleton of a whale outside will whet their appetites for the exhibits inside.