Lassen Volcanic National Park - The region of northeastern California, called Shasta Cascade, is less well known, but it's well worth getting off freeway to explore the hidden treasures of this area. In Lassen Volcanic National Park, kids can climb to the top of a cinder cone volcano, hike to boiling springs, mud pots and fumaroles, and play in the snow in summer.

South Africa - South Africa is teeming with so many creatures it would be hard for kids not to experience a close encounter – from a swim near penguins at the Cape of Good Hope to the town of St. Lucia with hippos roaming the streets. Cape Town is a melting pot of Afrikaans, Khoisan, Muslim, English, Indian German, Xhosa and Zulu peoples, mountain peaks and Bushman rock art in KwaZulu-Natal, huge game reserves in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, South Africa is diverse in all directions.

Marin County - Marin County is only a short drive north from downtown San Francisco , but it’s a world away from the city. Towering redwoods, cascading streams, lush ferns and moss, sandy beaches along the bay, Marin County is perfect for a day outdoors with kids. Check out the Muir Woods, Marin Headlands, and Sausalito, and our list of family hotels.

South Coast, California - The south coast, including Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Dana Point and San Clemente, is "surf city," with miles of sandy beaches where kids can swim, boogie board and surf. The sparkling blue waters are rich in marine life – dolphins, colorful fish, whales, and sea lions. All along the south coast, go on whale watching cruises to see the gray whales from December to April. And you'll want a fun place to stay: here's our hand-picked list for South Coast family hotels.

The Pyreenes in France is a great area for outdoor activities with kids, and there's also prehistoric caves, pilgrimage sites, medieval castles, and Basque country. The high Pyrenees has the highest waterfall in Europe at Gavarnie, but is easily accesssible with children. Explore a thousand year old castle and the biggest cave in Europe in the Ariege.

Travelforkids.mobi - Travel for Kids goes mobile! Now you can have all the in-depth "fun things to do with kids" at your fingertips - the play place next to Notre Dame in Paris, where to buy bagels in Montreal, the best hikes in national parks in the U.S., tips for big cities, from Beijing to New York to Rome, theme parks, countryside excusions, family beaches, and much more.

Turkey - Kids will be wowed by the opulent Topkapi Palace, the Byzantine Aya Sofya, great mosques, ancient city walls, and colorful bazaars of Istanbul. Along the Mediterranean coast, visit the ruins of Troy and Ephesus, site of the one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Central Anatolia has cave homes and churches of early Christians in Cappadocia, and the capital of the Hittites, Hattusa.

Family hotels – Travel for Kids has always had plenty of fun things to with kids, but now we also have fun places to stay. We now offer our own list of family hotels and apartments. Travel for Kids hand-picked list of family hotels are all styles and price ranges, in neighborhoods that are near to fun things to do with kids. Hotels are selected for amenities such such as fresh-baked cookies, cribs and babysitting services, swimming pools, suites with kitchens, on-site restaurants, and more. Check out our first listings, and check back often for our latest hotels listings:

Fun Books – We're always adding new fun books for all the countries on Travel for Kids!

In our "Books for Everywhere," – Ramayana: Divine Loophole, Gods & Heroes, The Dreamer, Mama Miti, Flags of the World, Tortilla Sun

There's loads of new books about other places and times, such as London Through Time, Looking for Marco Polo, or Leonardo da Vinci. Discover the world of Antoni Gaudi, the Spanish architext that created that most amazing houses in Building on Nature or Yellowstone National Park through the eyes of painter Thomas Moran in Yellowstone Moran. For bigger kids, Al Capone Shines My Shoes is the hilarious adventures of kids living on Alcatraz; little ones will have fun with Larry Gets Lost in San Francisco. In The Pharaoh's Secret, unravel a mystery of Hapshepsut in ancient Egypt. Ride with Indians, mountain men, pioneers, miners, cowboys, immigrants, Which Way to the Wild West? is filled with amazing tales of westward expansion in the U.S. Explore the world of Beatrix Potter: Walking with Beatrix Potter has fifteen different easy hikes in the Lake District.