San Francisco with kids

This is a city where just going places will entertain the kids, whether you’re barrelling down a hill on a cable car or walking by sea lions and street performers at Fisherman’s Wharf. And when you do slow down, there’s plenty to keep hands — and minds — busy.

San Francisco is home to the hands-on science museum, the Exploratorium, where you can make giant bubbles and float into space in an anti-gravity mirror. The city also hosts the California Academy of Sciences, an 1853 institution that now boasts a cutting-edge eco-museum (the walls are insulated with recycled denim). Watch how life on Earth began at its planetarium.

More adventurous kids will want to discover the culinary scene: Check out the dim sum carts at Yank Sing in the financial district, select from the sushi boats at Isobune in Japantown, or try the soup in bread bowls at Boudin’s Bakers Hall at Fisherman’s Wharf.

Snapshot moment: Visiting Alcatraz Island! Older kids will enjoy the ferry ride, and hearing the footsteps and closing doors on the audio tour. And, who knows, they may just see your positive discipline strategies in a new light. (Remember to book ahead.)