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Kids Korner |
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Did You Know?
- Houston was the first word spoken on the moon. You can test your mettle in outer space at Space Center Houston – home of NASA’s Mission Control and the official visitors center for NASA's Johnson Space Center. Try landing the shuttle or retrieving a satellite through interactive computer simulators. Take a behind-the-scenes trip through NASA's Johnson Space Center where you may get to see astronauts training for upcoming missions. Mission briefing officers may provide live updates on current space flights and astronaut training activities. Visit www.spacecenter.org for more information.
- Texas is the largest of the contiguous states with 267,277 square miles. It has more fresh water than any state – except Alaska (www.traveltex.com).
- You can see bats under the Waugh Street Bridge. The Buffalo Bayou Partnership offers canoe tours along Houston's Buffalo Bayou to see everything from the new installations at Buffalo Bayou ArtPark to the bats. Pontoon boats and kayaks are also available for rent. Check out www.buffalobayou.org.
- Houston is the site that Texas won its independence to become its own nation, founded after a battle that affected the fates of three nations and shifted world power in the late 1830s. Six nations have ruled Texas, including: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States and the United States.
- You can visit a Louisiana Swamp and a rainforest right in Houston at the Downtown Aquarium. The under-water adventure complex includes a Ferris wheel, an aquatic carousel, Shark Voyage, a white tiger exhibit, and a restaurant. There are more than 200 species of marine life here. Meet American alligators, snapping turtles, spotted gar, crayfish, catfish, and bullfrogs. Step inside the sunken hull of a 17th century Spanish galleon in the Shipwreck exhibit and look out at the beautifully diverse species the ocean has to offer—giant octopus, eel, clownfish, and more (www.downtownaquarium.com).
- Houston was the first city where baseball was played indoors. Now you can watch the Houston Astros play from your hotel room—if you request room 1008 at the Alden-Houston Hotel. Houston is home to every major professional sport:
- Houston Texans (NFL) – www.houstantexans.com
- Houston Astros (MLB) – www.astros.com
- Houston Rockets (NBA) – www.rockets.com
- Houston Comets (WNBA) – www.houstoncomets.com
- Houston Dynamo (MLS) – Champions of the 2006 MLS Cup, the Houston Dynamo, Houston's new MLS soccer team, played its first game at Robertson Stadium on April 1, 2006. www.houstondynamo.com
- Houston Aeros (AHL) – www.aeros.com
- You can have your portrait painted at the Houston Zoo by an elephant or an orangutan - for $500. But don’t worry if you don’t have the cash. You’ll have plenty else to do at the zoo: Get nose to nose with meerkats and eye to eye with prairie dogs. See an eagle’s nest, a bat cave and watch a river otter play underwater. Take a trip through the six ecosystems of Texas: the city, the Gulf Coast, the desert, the forest, the prairie, and the farm. Visit www.houstonzoo.org for more information.
- You can leave on a Caribbean cruise from Houston or Galveston. Galveston, known for its beaches, and not too far from Houston, is a great place to try surfing (www.galveston.com).
- It takes more than two million gallons of water for all of the rides at Splash Town Water Park. If you are visiting in summer, check out the Tornado, which resembles an enormous, 60-foot tall bright yellow and blue checkerboard funnel turned on its side towering over the park (www.splashtownpark.com).
What Other Kids Say You Should Do While In Houston, TX . . .
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Kids, Tell Your Parents . . .
- The City of Houston has more than 100 miles of hike and bike trails at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center in central Houston between downtown and the Galleria area. There are more than 5 miles of nature trails; Check out www.visithoustontexas.com and www.traveltexas.com.
- You may be able to get around without a car—taking Houston's METRORail. This 7.5-mile light rail system begins downtown, runs through the Museum District and the Texas Medical Center and ends at Reliant Park. Check out their website at www.ridemetro.org.
- For dinner, check out the Aquarium Restaurant – you can see the Houston aquarium exhibit before or after dinner, and there is a giant fish tank in the middle of the restaurant (www.aquariumrestaurants.com).
- Try Lupe Tortilla – Great fajitas, and there is a playground and virgin margaritas for the kids. Expect a colorful and inviting atmosphere at this local Tex-Mex chain. From stacked-high chalupas to grilled chicken soft tacos or sizzling beef fajitas (www.lupetortilla.com).
- If you plan on dining at the Breakfast Klub, it's best to make plans to eat on a weekday, as there are lines wrapped around the building every Saturday. But on Saturdays, the Midtown Farmers Market in the parking lot of T'afia next door makes it worth the trip.
- Main Street is Houston's entertainment district with street cafes and live music. Every Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Main Street is closed to vehicular traffic between Congress and Capitol streets to become a pedestrian-friendly area for all people to experience downtown's offerings.
- Houston is one of just five cities in the United States with resident companies in the four disciplines of the performing arts—Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, and Alley Theatre. Houston's 17-block Theater District is home to all of them, as well as musical theater performances by Theatre Under the Stars and Broadway and other local groups.
- Houston Museum District is home to 17 museums (all within walking distance) and the Houston Zoo (4,500 animals!). You could spend a week in this district and not see everything. Check out the Museum of Fine Arts, the Children’s Museum of Houston, the Health Museum (check out the three-dimensional anatomy models), the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum (focusing on the contributions of African-American soldiers from the Revolutionary War to modern times), the Houston Museum of Natural Science (don’t miss the Butterfly Center and the IMAZ) and the Weather Museum.
- Shop until you drop at the Galleria – more than 375 stores -- everything from Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent to Jimmy Choo, Banana Republic and Urban Outfitters, as well as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and Foley’s. Kids will love the first-floor ice rink! You won’t go hungry either - there are 30 restaurants.
- Grab a signature t-shirt from LOT 8 (owner Chloe Dao was the Project Runway season 2 winner). Dao sells affordable chic attire at this Rice Village boutique (www.lot8online.com).
- Traders Village is Houston’s largest, most visited flea marketplace filled with open-air shopping, festivals, and special events every weekend. The outdoor market, which covers more than 105 acres, hosts an average of 1,000 merchants and about 1.4- million bargain-seekers each year. Traders Village is open every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., rain or shine and admission is free. Visit www.tradersvillage.com.
- Order a custom pair of cowboy boots at Tejas Boots, which has designed boots for presidents, governors, and athletes (www.tejascustomboots.com).
- Harwin Drive in southwest Houston is where you will find silver jewelry, faux designer fashions and handbags, and perfume at prices you absolutely won't find at a mall.
- The Art Car Museum – if you’re not traveling to Houston in May during the annual Art Car Parade, you can still see a selection of art cars in the wildly entertaining Art Car Museum. The museum, or "Garage Mahal," as many people know it, features the most imaginative, elaborate constructed art cars, low riders and mobile contraptions, as well as art exhibitions by local, regional and national artists www.artcarmuseum.com.
- Children’s Museum of Houston – Rated as one of the top two children’s museums in the country, the Children’s Museum of Houston now has 14 interactive galleries and is currently doubling the size of the museum. Free Family Nights are offered every Thursday from 5-8 p.m. Check out the EcoStation, a one-of-a-kind hands-on, outdoor, environmental exhibit which focuses on Houston ecosystems and environmental issues through a native plant garden, puppet stage, woodland area, bayou table, pond and a research pavilion. Visit Yalálag, a replica of a real Oaxacan village in Southern Mexico wherekids can 'shop' for food in the open-air market or village store. Tot*Spot for young children features a tot-size car with two steering wheels, spinning hubcaps and multi-colored lights for tots to experiment with. Infants can experience a padded play area that they can lie on and stretch their arms and legs as well as turn and roll over on their tummies. www.cmhouston.org
- Houston Museum of Natural Science – The museum is home to a butterfly center, planetarium, IMAX Theatre and many exhibition halls filled with everything from gems and minerals to dinosaurs. The museum is free on Tuesdays 2-6 p.m. Kids will love going face-to-face with the creatures that once ruled our planet. The Welch Chemistry Hall brings science to life through experiments, interactive displays, computer touch screens, holograms, videos and other creative installations that will help visitors gain a better understanding of chemical processes and the importance of chemistry in the everyday world. Farish Hall of Texas Wildlife has displays of alligators, river otters, mountain lions, and other animals that can be found in our state, as well as some that have vanished over time. A four-screen video wall provides a dramatic overview of the seven biotic provinces within Texas, allowing visitors to learn more about the plants, animals, and topography of these unique regions. Don’t miss the Foucault Pendulum, first exhibited 1851 at the World’s Fair in Paris, the Foucault Pendulum (named after Jean Bernard Leon Foucault, the French physicist who invented it) is a visual demonstration of the Earth’s rotation. Throughout the day, the direction of the pendulum’s swing appears to change. Actually the Earth is turning under the pendulum as it swings. www.hmns.org.
- Kemah Boardwalk – Just 20 miles from downtown, Overlooking Galveston Bay, the Kemah Boardwalk features themed restaurants, retail shops, a midway games and rides. . At the heart of the Kemah Boardwalk are the restaurants. Kemah boasts some of the most recognized names in the restaurant industry: Joe's Crab Shack, Landry's Seafood House, The Cadillac Bar, and The Crab House. Aquarium Restaurant serves guests a great view of our 50,000 gallon aquarium. It’s very close to Space Center Houston. It would be good to do these two attractions on the same day. www.kemahboardwalk.com
- Play golf 365 days a year. www.playgolfhouston.com
- Houston Symphony – www.houstonsymphony.org.
- Miller Outdoor Theatre is an outdoor performing arts venue that presents performances by area performing arts organizations April through October. This is a great family activity—picnic and watch performances from the hill.
www.milleroutdoortheatre.com.
- The George Ranch Historical Park -- This 480-acre living history site in Richmond, with more than 100 years of Texas history, offers hands-on experiences and costumed historical interpreters at a working ranch. www.georgeranch.org.
- The Aurora Picture Show is a nonprofit micro-cinema housed in a converted 1924 wooden church building. Aurora has hosted more than 120 visiting artists and presented more than 3,000 films and videos. www.aurorapictureshow.org.
See Past Editions of Kids Korner.
By: Eileen Ogintz, Author of Taking the Kids™
