• Young kids benefit from unstructured time even on vacation.a boy at a fountain image by Leonid Kvashin from Fotolia.com
  
  When you plan to visit a big city like Houston with a 6-year-old, take time to think like that 6-year-old. Is he a dinosaur lover? Will butterflies and bugs catch her attention? Will he just need time to play? Once you've got a clearer picture of your young traveling companion, remember that kids like hands-on activities, need regular snack breaks and do best with plenty of rest.
  
  

Houston CityPass

• The Houston CityPass saves money.US Currency image by JJAVA from Fotolia.com
  
  If your visit will last at least two to three days, consider buying a Houston CityPass. It's valid for nine consecutive days. The cost is $29 (2010 prices) for kids 3 to 11 and includes admission to six top Houston kid-friendly attractions. An adult CityPass is $39. It saves nearly half on admission costs, plus you can avoid most ticket lines. After you visit three attractions, you've paid for your pass.
  
  The CityPass features tickets to four standard sites: the Houston Zoo, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Downtown Aquarium and Space Center Houston, plus two pick-your-own options. One is a choice between the Health Museum or the George Ranch, and the second option offers the Children's Museum of Houston or the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Separate tickets are required at some locations, such as to see movies at the IMAX theatre within the natural science museum or for rides at the aquarium.
  
  

Amazing Animals

• A 6.5-acre African Forest is planned to open at the zoo in December 2010.zoo image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
  
  The zoo and the natural science museum are each located in the 445-acre Hermann Park. An energetic child can propel you through all three sites in one day, or you can pick one CityPass site to focus on with time in the park to use the playground, ride the park train or picnic. A paid parking garage is next to the museum, free parking is available at the zoo, and the MetroRail serves Hermann Park as well.
  
  Both the zoo and the museum open at 9 a.m. and are busiest on weekends. The museum has an eye-catching permanent paleontology exhibit -- you'll want to take your child's picture by the dinosaur models. A separate ticket to the Cockrell Butterfly Center is well worth it for the insect lover. Inside the three-story glass building, you'll think you are in a rain forest with nearly 2,000 butterflies flying around a waterfall. Observe live insects from tarantulas to katydids plus watch bees and ants work in the Hall of Entomology.
  
  Tailor your zoo visit to your child's interests, but most 6-year-olds will be done in about three hours. Can't-miss exhibits are the primates, elephants, giraffes, the reptile house and the children's zoo.
  
  

Museum and a Meal

• Watch marine life while you eat at the Downtown Aquarium.aquarium fish 9 image by cherie from Fotolia.com
  
  The Children's Museum received the Nickelodeon "Best Museum in Houston" Parents' Pick Award in 2010 for the second consecutive year. Two new exhibits in 2010 are the Matter Factory -- a scientific look at materials all the way down to its building blocks of molecules and atoms -- and PowerPlay, which lets your child dance, jump and climb to measure different fitness levels. First-time visitors typically spend about four hours exploring the 14 different interactive museum galleries.
  
  Follow your museum trip by going to the Downtown Aquarium. You'll eat surrounded by a giant aquarium, and then you can visit several watery exhibits from a swamp to a sunken ship. The aquarium also has four rides and several carnival games. For CityPass holders, an additional $5 gives your child unlimited rides on the carousel, Ferris wheel and train.
  
  Paid parking is available, and both locations are served by MetroRail.