Boston attracts visitors because of its abundant history, great restaurants and nightlife and lovely classic architecture—none of which means much to children. For youngsters, vacations should be about fun, and fortunately, Boston is a city brimming with just that. Take the heirs to your dominion to any of the 21 spots outlined below and watch their faces come aglow with something other than the reflection from their iPod or PSP.

Edu-tainment
The Boston Children’s Museum (refer to museums listing), an institution devoted to stimulating young people’s minds and creative sides through hands-on exhibits of all kinds, is the Hub’s premiere spot for young children. Highlights include the three-story New Balance Climb; the Kid Power exhibit, boasting activity-based stations like the Power Launch and the Lightspace Dance Floor; the special PlaySpace for children 3 years old and younger; and the Art Studio, in which children can explore their creativity working with a variety of materials.

Though kids don’t always muster up enthusiasm for school, Boston’s Museum of Science (refer to museums listing) provides a learning experience that will surely impress your junior Einstein. Highlights include interactive exhibits about everything from the natural world and electricity to dinosaurs and outer space, as well as unbelievable 3-D, IMAX and planetarium shows.

Hearing the teacher talk about history in school can’t compare to seeing it come to life before a child’s very eyes. That’s why youngsters get a kick out of visiting Boston-area attraction Plimoth Plantation (refer to sightseeing listing), where families can meet real members of the 12,000-year-old Wampanoag tribe; explore the recreation of a 1627 English settlers village, made to resemble that of the original Pilgrims; and climb aboard the Mayflower II, the replica of the immortal ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth. Meanwhile, west of Boston, children can get a sense of what rural New England life in the 18th and 19th centuries was like at the outdoor historical museum Old Sturbridge Village (refer to sightseeing listing).

Sports history counts as history, too, and any New Englander can tell you we’ve got plenty of it in this region. That’s what makes The Sports Museum at TD Garden (refer to museums listing) such a cool, must-see place for sports lovers of all ages. The museum—spread out across two floors of the arena—features murals of legendary Boston sports figures, as well as equipment and uniforms belonging to legends like Larry Bird, Ted Williams and others.

Aspiring marine biologists will have a whale of a time at the New England Aquarium (refer to sightseeing listing). Kids can view the enormous penguin habitat, watch trained seals perform, see 675 species of marine life up close in the giant center ocean tank and touch sea stars, hermit crabs and sea urchins in the Tide Pool. In July, the Aquarium marks its 40th anniversary by opening its multi-million dollar New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center, which will house five new Aquarium residents—a precocious quintet of northern fur seals.

Landlubbers, on the other hand, can safari with the family to the Franklin Park Zoo. Have a roaring good time with tigers and an African lion, explore the Savannah with ostriches and zebras, be enraptured by the delicate dance of colorful, flittering insects over at Butterfly Landing and go Down Under with kangaroos and kookaburras. The zoo also features a tropical rainforest—boasting a state-of-the-art gorilla enclosure—as well as an extensive bird exhibit and a petting farm. Or head to the Stone Zoo in Stoneham. There, youngsters can see Iggy, the swinging star of the zoo’s new gibbon exhibit, or meet snow leopards, jaguars, flamingos, river otters, meerkats, black bears and many other furry, feathered and scaly friends. Refer to wildlife listings.

Touring Without the Boring
Historical walking tours can be interesting for grown-ups—but for little ones, “history” means last month, and little legs get tired. An exception to the rule is Boston by Little Feet (refer to sightseeing listing), an hour-long trek designed specifically for kids. The tour looks at Boston’s architecture and history from a child’s perspective, keeping your kids’ interest without leaving them exhausted.

A tour bus plunging into water is not something you see everyday (ideally), but in Boston, Duck Boats—amphibious vehicles designed to travel on both land and water—are as common a sight as a bowl of clam chowder. The 80-minute Boston Duck Tours (refer to sightseeing listing), led by hilarious tour guides, cover Boston landmarks from the State House to Newbury Street, complete with a dip in the Charles River. Meanwhile, Super Duck Tours (refer to sightseeing listing) go one step further, beginning at Charlestown Navy Yard and traveling both on land and in Boston Harbor, checking out sights like the USS Constitution and the historic North End.

If you like your tours short and relaxing, pile the kids onto another unique boat—the Swan Boats (refer to sightseeing listing), the popular swan-shaped, peddle-powered boats that have taken families around the Public Garden lagoon since 1877.

Fenway Park, the nation’s oldest ballpark, has seen many magical moments in its history as home to the Boston Red Sox. Fenway Park Tours (refer to sightseeing listing) showcase this history, letting your little leaguers sit in the dugout, visit the Sox Hall of Fame and touch the famous left field wall, the “Green Monster.”

Just Plain Fun
There’s only so much education and historical appreciation your kids are likely to be able to take. That’s why you need to work a few items onto the vacation agenda that are designed purely for fun—the kind of fun the whole family can enjoy together.

The first of its kind in New England, the Puppet Showplace Theatre (refer to kid's corner listing) uses this timeless artform to present two shows a week that are sure to knock your socks (or sock puppets) off. Using marionettes, hand and shadow puppets, these dynamic productions range from classic fairy-tales to more cutting edge stories, including upcoming performances of The Bremen Town Musicals (July 12 at 1 and 3 p.m.) and Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves (July 22 & 23 at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.).

The Balch Arena Theater on the Medford/Somerville campus of Tufts University is home to Magic Circle Theater (refer to kid's corner listing), New England’s oldest theater by and for children. Each summer, Magic Circle presents full-length productions designed to introduce kids to the joy of theater, and this year is no exception, with that perennial favorite character from children’s literature, Amelia Bedelia, on July 21 & 22, and Disney heroine Mulan taking the stage July 23.

By night, the Regattabar at the Charles Hotel (refer to music listing) is usually filled with grown-ups who love jazz music. On Sunday afternoons, however, a younger audience can get its kicks at the third annual Regattabar Kids Summer Music Series. Families can enjoy sweet sounds from Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could (July 19) and Baby Loves Salsa with The Jose Conde Band (July 26), and follow it up with dinner at Henrietta’s Table (refer to restaurant listing), where kids get a free brownie ice cream sundae with their meals.

If your kids love going to the movies, but you’d rather they spent time in the great outdoors breathing in fresh air, here’s a solution to make you both happy. Each summer, local radio station WBZ Newsradio 1030 AM hosts Free Friday Flicks at the DCR Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade. This month, the family-friendly fare features the animated hits Kung Fu Panda (July 10) and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (July 24). Refer to film listing.

5W!ts (refer to sightseeing listing)—Boston’s first interactive action-adventure attraction—engrosses its young visitors in Tomb, the story of a trip to a buried pharaoh’s final resting place. Your children (preferably ages 7 and up) are right in the middle of the action, thanks to state-of-the-art movie-like sets, special effects and a clever script. Even older kids and adults who fancy themselves to be Indiana Jones-types will find Tomb an experience to treasure.

In the evenings, Kings (refer to nightclubs listing) is one of the Back Bay’s prime playgrounds for grown-ups, who enjoy the state-of-the-art bowling lanes, billiards and cocktails. But during the day, families are welcome and your kids will get a kick out of ten-pin bowling (if they can lift the balls!) in a flashy and funky environment.

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