5 Places You Have to See With Your Kids Before They Are Grown

One of the greatest things about being a parent is seeing the world through your child’s eyes. As adults, it’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you’ve “seen it all.” But the world is a pretty amazing place, and kids have a way of looking at things with a fresh perspective that somehow escapes those of us who may have been around for a while.

Road trips and vacations are a sort of rite of passage, giving parents and their kids an opportunity to share experiences together and develop bonds that hopefully will last for years to come. The following five locations are excellent destinations for parents to take their kids and experience together. They’re great, new experiences for kids, and while they won’t always appreciate these places on their own, with a little encouragement from a trusted adult, kids can bring their own fresh perspective and bring back some of the magic of these places for adults who may be a bit more world-weary.

1. The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is not just some pit out in the desert, and until you actually see it for yourself, there’s really no way to describe it. It’s a natural marvel that took more than 6 million years to form, with the Colorado River stoically carving its way through the Arizona desert. All these millennia later, and it’s become an enormous chasm more than a mile deep, 277 miles long, and 18 miles across. Altogether, it covers more than 1,900 square miles. To put that into perspective, the entirety of New York City covers just under 305 square miles. That’s definitely more than just “a big hole in the ground.”

2. Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park offers some of the most beautiful hikes and vistas in the United States. Shaped by centuries of geothermal activity, it is home to stunning formations and features such as Old Faithful and the Mammoth Hot Springs. Yellowstone Lake was formed by the collapse of a lava chamber millennia ago and is now a fertile area boasting hundreds of species of plant life. The park is one of the few places in the country where you can find bison and gray wolves in the wild—though of course you shouldn’t approach them! And if your children call the park boring, tell them about the supervolcano. That’ll scare them straight!

3. The Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Institution, located along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is the largest museum, education, and research complex in the world. Established in 1846, the Smithsonian has been collecting scientific and cultural curiosities ever since. The complex houses several different museums, such as the Air and Space Museum, the American History Museum, and Natural History Museum. Whether your child wants to learn about space travel, geology, or just see the original ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, it’s guaranteed that the Smithsonian will have a thorough exhibit dedicated to their interests.

4. Disneyland / Disney World

To put it simply, every child should get the chance to visit a Disney park while they’re still young. The parks offer attractions to all its visitors, young and old, but there’s a special magic in the place for children. The Disney Company invests in every single detail in order to preserve the fantasy for its visitors, and children have a way of magnifying that feeling. With Disneyland on the west coast and Disney World in Florida, the parks cater to both sides of the country, with each offering its own unique features. And because Disney has partnerships with several businesses, it’s possible to find discount Disney tickets with a simple internet search. A trip to Disney allows your kids to live inside their dreams for a little while, and it can help parents to feel young again.

5. The Seattle Museum of Pop Culture

This is a somewhat hidden gem, but it’s become more well-known in recent years. Formerly called the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (EMP|SFM), and later just the EMP Museum, the Museum of Pop Pulture (MoPOP) is a nonprofit museum dedicated to preserving and displaying modern popular culture. It houses pop culture artifacts such as special effects models from the Star Wars films, weapons from the Lord of the Rings movies, concept art, manuscripts, exhibits on modern musical icons, and so much more.