We’ve been to 49 states and love a good museum. We’ve been to dozens of museums as a family! Some of those are museums that are geared towards adults and some that are specifially targeted towards kids and families. Today I’m sharing what I think are the best museums for kids in the United States (plus a few bonus museums abroad!). If you’re planning a family NYC trip, check out my post with the best NYC museums for kids.
What makes the best museums for kids?
Okay, so first off — what do I think makes a museum qualify as “the best”? We’ve taken our kids to so many different types of museums: some have been extremely high brow, while some are kitschy or silly. Some are so big you could never finish them in one day, while some you can read every display and only take two hours. Some are very well-known, while some are tiny holes in the wall.
Here’s what I think all of the best have in common:
If not targeted towards kids and families, at the very least accepting of our presence
Interactive and engaging, not just signs to read
Interesting for the adults as well
Affordable for a family to visit (or a bucket list experience)
Extra points given for experiences that are totally unique and can’t be found anywhere else
Tips for enjoying museums for kids
I truly believe that a museum experience can be fun for the whole family at most museums. That said, we’ve got a few tips for making the most of a museum experience with kids:
Choose museums that have something that will appeal to your particular kids
Pre-game any museum subjects that will get your kids more excited by watching documentaries, reading books, listening to podcasts, etc. (check our our kid podcasts post!)
Go at whatever time of day your kids are at their best selves
Bring snacks, water, and appropriate clothing so everyone is set up for success
Hit the highlights first so you’re not disappointed if your visit is cut short by cranky kids
Be prepared to bail if the kids aren’t up for a long day, and consider any time spent at the museum a great success
Check the museum schedule when you arrive for special events
Look for homeschool or reciprocal discounts on museum admission
Avoid visiting during school holidays if your time is flexible
Chat with your kids before entering about museum behavior expectations, especially for adult-centric museums
I’m of the mind that kids and families deserve to be in public spaces, and that includes museums. It’s okay if your kids aren’t “perfectly” quiet, and it’s okay if it takes practice for everyone to enjoy a museum day together. I think it’s worth it for all of the things you’ll learn and experience together!
So without further ado, here’s the promised list of our favorite museums for kids!
Download the FREE list of our favorite museums for kids
We’ve created a totally FREE PDF list of our favorite museums for kids that you can download right now by signing up for our newsletter.
If you do take a trip to a new museum or place, consider downloading our travel journal for kids so they can write about it!
If you’ve ever wished for an easy way to capture what your kids learn as you travel, this is it! Forget other state worksheets that require boring, irrelevant details like the state flower. Let’s write about what we learned and experienced! This state worksheet digital product includes leveled worksheets for kids: one two page log…
We’ve been a homeschool family for three years now, and kid podcasts are an absolute staple of our educational journey. I’m always asked for our favorite podcasts, so today I’m bringing you a list of what we consider to be the best educational podcasts for kids!
We find podcasts fit into our daily in so many ways, which makes them such a good low-lift educational option. Here are a few of the ways we find time to listen:
Linked to the kids’ Yoto players (do you have a Yoto player?) so they can listen independently
When we sit at the table doing art projects or eating lunch
All of the podcasts I’ve listed below are specifically kid-oriented. But I’m not afraid to search adult podcasts on a specific subject for us to listen to together either! For instance, we listened to a bunch of adult Black History episodes together during Black History Month last year.
History, Culture & Current Events Best Educational Podcasts
Greeking Out
Greeking Out is one of my kids’ all-time favorite podcasts. It retells Greek myths in dramatic and engaging fashion; it’s definitely punchy and entertaining. That said, Greek mythology wasn’t exactly G rated. Greeking Out does a good job of retelling these stories in a kid-appropriate way. There’s also a content warning at the top of each episode to let you know specifically what you’ll be hearing about.
Who, When, Wow!
Who, When, Wow! is another O’Phalen family favorite. Host Carly travels through time to tell historical stories most of us have never heard of. This isn’t dry history, and the grownups always learning something, too!
The Activators
The Activators is one of the most inspiring podcasts imaginable. This podcast features stories of kids working to change the world in various ways. Not only is it inspiring to my big-hearted kids, but it gives me hope for the future, too.
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls is another really inspiring podcast that features real-life women who are out there kicking ass and taking names. Most of these women are women you’ve never heard of, but their stories deserve to be heard. If you’ve read the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls book, this style will feel familiar.
Forever Ago
Forever Ago is a history podcast that focuses on the history of things, rather than people. Each episode delves into the history of something as banal as chewing gum or complex as Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). The episodes are punchy and fascinating, and I like listening to them as much as the kids do.
A Kids Book About
A Kids Book About podcast is an excellent conversation starter for the big issues. The popular book series-turned-podcast tackles topics like racism and divorce. This is a great podcast to listen to as a family and have those juicy, important discussions about the state of the world.
Young & Indigenous
Young & Indigenous is giving Indigenous youth a platform for exploring their culture and how to share it with the world. The podcast explores issues like Thanksgiving from Indigenous perspectives, art and how it can heal addiction, and preserving Indigenous languages.
Molly of Denali
If you’re familiar with the PBS show Molly of Denali, you’ll immediately recognize the beautiful, gentle storytelling of the accompanying podcast. I love how Molly of Denali doesn’t preach, it just shows what life in a small Alaskan town with strong intergenerational bonds is like. My only complaint is that there aren’t more episodes!
Science Best Educational Podcasts
Brains On
Brains On answers science whys and hows in this fascinating and engaging podcast. Topics include things like “why are we afraid of the dark?” and “how do chameleons change color?” My science-loving kids think this is one of the best educational podcasts out there.
Wow in the World
Wow in the World is another great science podcast, but this one focuses on new science discoveries and explorations. Recent episodes include topics like cellular tattoos, and I find myself fascinated at the episodes, as well.
Tumble
The Tumble podcast is a science podcast that answers those questions kids ask that we don’t always have good answers for. These are questions like, “do dreams have meaning?” and “how do toilets work?”
Earth Rangers
Earth Rangers is a podcast for all of animal and nature-obsessed kiddos out there. For traveling kids, there is even a whole series of episodes about national parks! Plus, the show shares kid-friendly details about important legislation like The Endangered Species Act.
Storytelling Best Educational Podcasts
Circle Round
Circle Round is another family favorite, and it makes the top of my storytelling best educational podcasts list because it adapts stories from all around the world into beautifully produced radio plays. The episode quality is gorgeous. There are often famous and semi-famous guest actors, which is a fun bonus for grownups, too.
The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
Finn Caspian is another one of my kids’ all-time favorites; we’ve listened to all 10+ seasons. It’s a science fiction serial based on kids who travel the galaxy and fight bad guys. There’s also a silly robot that cracks my kids up.
The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
Mars Patel is a serial mystery for older kids (8+) that will keep kids asking for more. It’s also performed by actual kids, which is a fun added element. The production value is excellent!
Adventures of Cairo
Adventures of Cairo is a podcast that follows the fictional life of 7-year-old Cairo. The podcast teaches good values, and one of my favorite episodes is the one where Cairo’s family visits the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington D.C.
The Story Seeds Podcast
The Story Seeds Podcast is an absolutely brilliant concept where real kids with story ideas are matched with famous children’s authors (like our beloved Katherine Applegate!). They develop the stories together in a beautiful collaboration. I only wish there were more new episodes!
Story Pirates
Story Pirates is another storytelling podcast that combines kid story ideas and the silliness, jokes, and songs of a team of creative grownups. This podcast is over-the-top silly and musical, and my kids think it’s hilarious.
Julie’s Library
Julie’s Library is a podcast that stars THE Julie — Julie Andrews — and her daughter reading their favorite children’s books aloud. It’s adorable and sweet, and I wish there were more episodes!
Miscellanous Best Educational Podcasts
Million Bazillion
Million Bazillion is a podcast about money where kids and grownups alike can get some financial education. This podcast is an excellent one to listen to as a family and have important money discussions.
The Music Box
The Music Box is an absolutely excellent podcast for musical education. It explores music theory concepts like rhythm and pitch, and has wonderful episodes on various music genres like Funk.
Eat Your Spanish
Eat Your Spanish is a cute podcast that uses music and stories to introduce basic Spanish vocabulary. The themed episodes for holiday vocabulary are especially fun.
I hope this list of our best educational podcasts has been helpful for your family! If there’s one you think I’m missing, please feel free to drop it in the comments.
For more on how we homeschool our kids, check out these posts:
If you’re wondering how I’m talking to my kids about Thanksgiving? The honest answer is that I’m not talking about it all that much. Here’s why:
If you didn’t know already, Thanksgiving is a holiday based on the story of friendship between the colonists and the indigenous people that…isn’t grounded in a whole lot of historical fact. Historical records suggest the feast that this event is supposedly based on wasn’t a big deal and probably looked more like a political negotiation than a friendly shared meal. Here’s a great video intro to this idea.
So what do we do instead?
One option that many indigenous folks are asking of us is to simply not celebrate “Thanksgiving.” Does this mean we can’t gather with our families and have beautiful meals together? Of course not. None of us get enough time together with our extended communities in this modern world, and we should seize hold of long weekends together whenever we can. But make it a harvest feast! Or a gratitude gathering, and consider how gratitude is built into the every day lives of Indigenous cultures.
Perhaps read the Haudenosaunee Kariwatekwen together, which is a giving thanks that takes place before every Haudenosaunee event. It’s gorgeous.
“We give thanks to the stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one we send greetings and thanks to the stars. Now our minds are one.”
Excerpt from Haudenosaunee Kariwatekwen
Poet Laureate and Muskogee Creek Nation member Joy Harjo also has beautiful poem about gathering around a table together that she reads here:
“At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.
Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.”
My homeschooled kids aren’t being taught about the Thanksgiving myth, and so we have the luxury of (mostly) just ignoring it. We strive to center Indigenous culture, history, and activism all year round in our roadschooling.
But for kids who are in school and learning about Thanksgiving from other sources, I would be actively sharing information that debunks that traditional story. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the real indigenous people involved in this story and to talk about the modern day struggle for indigenous rights.
So which Indigenous people were at the feast?
First things first, it’s important to understand that Indigenous people are not all the same. There are currently 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States, and there are many more that have not yet received federal recognition. The nation involved in the Thanksgiving story is the Wamponoag of what is now Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The tribe’s website has a suggested self-guided tour itinerary if you’re in the area. Regardless, you may enjoy learning about Cranberry Day. Cranberry Day is held in October and celebrates the cranberry (or sasumuneash) harvest. Perhaps try a cranberry recipe out?
For some Indigenous people, Thanksgiving is a National Day of Mourning:
Thanksgiving day isn’t just a neutral day for some Indigenous people. Many Indigenous people consider it to be a day of mourning. The United American Indians of New England has met on Thanksgiving day every year since 1970 to mourn the genocide of Indigenous peoples and organize to improve modern day Indigenous life. You can watch a livestream of the events on Youtube at noon Eastern Time on Thanksgiving. I highly recommend taking some time to do so. They feature some really wonderful speakers at the event.
What are some resources I can use to learn more as an adult?
As homeschool teachers or any parent who feels responsible for how accurate their kids’ education is, the best thing we can do (in my opinion) is start with educating ourselves. My two absolute favorite books for totally blowing your mind are An Indigenous People’s History of the United States and Braiding Sweetgrass. Both of these have young people’s versions that can be found here and here. I plan on using these heavily in our homeschooling as my kids get slightly older.
This Land is a podcast that gave me so much to think about, too. Tara Houska has some incredible TED Talks that are a digestible listen. I also highly recommend learning about whose land you’re on here and looking up nearby cultural centers to visit. And my last suggestion is to find some Indigenous folks on Instagram to follow and amplify. Here are a few of my favorites: @shinanova, @notoriouscree, @indigenouswomenhike, @indigenizingartsed, @crushingcolonialism, @indigenousmotherhood, @athabascan.adventures.
For parents with kids in public or private school, this post is a great resource for talking to your kid’s school about how Thanksgiving is being taught. There are sample letters to send to the school and everything.
Can you recommend some kid-friendly Thanksgiving resources?
We love the Brains On podcast. They’ve put out an episode debunking the Thanksgiving myth that can be found here: Brains On Podcast Thanksgiving episode.
Consider cooking one of these recipes from Native chefs for your holiday meal this year. The Sioux Chef’s cookbook would make a great holiday gift, too! Spend time with your kiddos learning about the nation the chef is from and how the recipe ingredients are traditional foods for those people.
For further study, we LOVED Kelly Tudor’s (Apache) Outschool class on Indigenous stereotypes. The National Museum of the American Indian also has a unit study resource here.
How I’m talking to my kids about Thanksgiving all year long:
Truthfully, the rest of my resources are applicable all year long. As Zenovia of @BlackAdventureCrew commented on my Indigenous People’s Day reel, every day is Indigenous People’s Day in our house.
There are many modern issues facing Indigenous people that you can search more about and find kid-appropriate videos on. Some examples are: Native water and land usage rights, the expulsion of Indigenous peoples to create National Parks, residential schools, food sovereignty, reclaiming Native culture, underfunded Indian Bureau healthcare, violence against Native women, lack of economic opportunity on reservations, Native adoption rights, the Land Back movement and more. Simply understanding that Indigenous people are still here and still organizing for what is right for their communities is powerful.
Another really simple thing we do is to be sure we always know whose land we’re on as we travel.
If you weave discussions of Indigenous people into your everyday home life, then you don’t have to stress about how to talk about Thanksgiving. When the librarian hands your kids Thanksgiving coloring pages, they’ll feel confident in their knowledge that the true story of this country can’t be sanitized by a friendly harvest meal.
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For more posts about homeschooling, check out these posts: