Kid-friendly places in Houston

Playground for ages 5 to 12, all climbing and sliding, shaded by trees and lit in the evening.

Playground built so most of the equipment is accessible, with an interactive water playground too.

Toddler playground with slides, a cushioned ground, sensory play and plenty of seating for grown-ups.

A hands-on museum with a pretend town, real tools, a three-story climbing tower and water play.

A free 12-acre downtown park with toddler story times, outdoor movies and live music.

An aquarium with a walk-through shipwreck, live alligators and a train that rides through a shark tank.

Barbecue with a shaded, turfed patio where kids climb and play.

Five floors of natural science, with a huge dinosaur hall and a butterfly rainforest.

A 55-acre zoo with more than 6,000 animals.

NASA's visitor centre, with more than 400 real space artifacts and a shuttle mockup kids can climb through.

Handmade tamales and Mexican street food, with a kids' menu of pork tamales, quesadillas, tacos or enchiladas.

Angus burgers and milkshakes, with kids' meals of a burger, hot dog or chicken strips with mac and cheese or fries.