From clowns and magicians to princess tea parties and face painting, from jugglers and comedians to super heroes and other costumed characters, ABC has it all. Party packages with entertainers can last from 45 minutes to two hours.

Available for rental are moonwalks, snow cone machines, pony and camel rides, climbing walls, and toy fire trucks and choo-choo trains.

The folks at ABC - and their clowns - also speak Spanish.

Over five miles of hiking trails wind through several diverse ecosystems, including bayou, prairie, forest, and marshland, in the area's largest nature park.

The Discovery Loop takes visitors past the Bison Enclosure, the Texas Raptors Exhibit, platforms with scenic views of prairie and marshland, a butterfly garden, a pond teeming with turtles, great picnic spots, birdwatching areas, and more. Along the way, the Educational Center houses live snakes, fish, scorpions, and a tarantula, plus a tableful of animal bones and skulls to handle and examine. In back of the Educational Center are clean, large restrooms.

New to Armand Bayou is the John P. McGovern Children's Discovery Area, located behind the Educational Center. Fenced-in and well-shaded, with bench swings, flower gardens, a walking path, and a picnic table, this area is ideal for little ones who might not hold up well on a long nature walk. The Discovery Area also includes a crawl-through alligator, colorful information signs, and a sandbox with buckets and shovels.

Other activities include pontoon boat tours and canoe trips, available by advance reservation.

A re-created 1800s farmhouse includes a house full of antiques, a barn, organic garden, windmill, and a sugarcane press. The farmhouse is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm for tours and interactive demonstrations.

EcoCamp is a summer day camp for children ages four to 13. Activities include fishing and canoeing, while campers also use the Nature Center as a living laboratory to explore the world around them. Winter camp provides an opportunity for outdoor fun and learning during kids' Winter Break. The Center also hosts Creature Corner classes for preschoolers; call for the latest schedule.

Birthday party packages offer a choice of activities, recommended for kids ages five to 12 years old. Reservations are required at least two weeks in advance.

Set back in the woods on the shores of Armand Bayou, Bay Area Park sits in a beautiful setting. A few different playground structures provide a nice variety of activities, and several dozen picnic tables and barbecue pits, under the shade of towering oak trees, make the park a good place for free birthday parties or family gatherings.

Walkers can wander the trails among the woods, stroll out onto the pier for a great view of the lush bayou, take a rest in the shade of one of the gazebos, and dally through the botanical garden. A pond is home to many ducks and geese, who are not shy about wanting to be fed.

Tennis courts are available, and the canoe ramps are a good spot for shoving off into the bayou. Bay Area Park also hosts Little League baseball and softball on its many ballfields.

Restrooms are lit at night, but there are no changing tables.

Birthday Wishes & Fairytale Dreams provides entertainment for boys' and girls' birthday parties. Themes include pirates, race cars, dinosaurs, princesses, fairies, Hawaiian luau, and more.

Charlotte's Camp offers horseback riding lessons, summer camp, and 2-1/2 hour birthday party packages with deer, llamas, and horse rides. A fire truck is also available for parties.

Charlotte's Camp offers horseback riding lessons, summer camp, and 2-1/2 hour birthday party packages with deer, llamas, and horse rides. A fire truck is also available for parties.

Diva Dreamz offers the ultimate girly-girl party for your birthday princess or diva. Party packages are fully inclusive, from invitations to party favors, with themes such as Pop Star Diva, Pajama Jamz, Princess Tea Party, and more.

Extra options available include themed cookies, custom candy bar wrappers, specialty cakes, a punch fountain, fruit trays, and sandwiches.

Diva Dreamz offers the ultimate girly-girl party for your birthday princess or diva. Party packages are fully inclusive, from invitations to party favors, with themes such as Pop Star Diva, Pajama Jamz, Princess Tea Party, and more.

Extra options available include themed cookies, custom candy bar wrappers, specialty cakes, a punch fountain, fruit trays, and sandwiches.

Diva Dreamz offers the ultimate girly-girl party for your birthday princess or diva. Party packages are fully inclusive, from invitations to party favors, with themes such as Pop Star Diva, Pajama Jamz, Princess Tea Party, and more.

Extra options available include themed cookies, custom candy bar wrappers, specialty cakes, a punch fountain, fruit trays, and sandwiches.

Downtown Aquarium is a restaurant, aquarium, and amusement park, all in one setting. Carnival games, rides, and a ferris wheel are just part of the fun.

The Shark Voyage is a train ride through the center of a 200,000-gallon shark tank, where passengers can see numerous species of shark up close.

The Aquarium Adventure Exhibit offers the chance to see a wide variety of creatures and environments: alligators in a Louisiana swamp, piranhas and stingrays in a rainforest, and even white tigers in ancient Indian ruins. All-day passes for rides and the aquarium exhibit are $15.99.

The Aquarium Restaurant is centered around a 150,000-gallon aquarium for fantastic views of underwater life. The menu includes seafood, steaks, chicken, and pasta. The kids' menu includes fish, popcorn shrimp, pizza, burgers, corn dogs, chicken fingers, and macaroni and cheese.

Birthday party packages are available, and the Aquarium also hosts Sea Safari Camp in the summer for children ages six to 12.

For girls who want a dress-up party and parents who want convenience, Dress Me Up! brings the glitz and glam to your own home. The 1-1/2 hour party package includes dress up, makeovers, a red-carpet fashion show, and group games with prizes for all.

Knight and pirate costumes are available for boy guests.

Serving Galveston County, the Clear Lake Area, Alvin, Pearland, LaPorte, Deer Park, and Baytown. Also availible outside the Bay Area, but travel fees may apply.

For girls who want a dress-up party and parents who want convenience, Dress Me Up! brings the glitz and glam to your own home. The 1-1/2 hour party package includes dress up, makeovers, a red-carpet fashion show, and group games with prizes for all.

Knight and pirate costumes are available for boy guests.

Serving Galveston County, the Clear Lake Area, Alvin, Pearland, LaPorte, Deer Park, and Baytown. Also availible outside the Bay Area, but travel fees may apply.

The shows produced by Dress-Up Shows have been featured at fairs, festivals, and theme parks throughout Texas and other states. Themed dress-up shows at schools, libraries, and other venues invite children to be the stars of the show, including Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, which features five acts with up to 30 kids in each. The Pirates Ahoy show allows kids to dress up like pirates and fight off a shark attack, with up to 20 kids per show.

Birthday parties with the pirate show allow kids to get loot (party favors) from the treasure chest, while singing pirate songs, playing games, and more.

Newly re-designed El Franco Lee Park has at least a half-dozen different playgrounds, many of them shaded by canopies, all of them interconnected by paved pathways which are easy on the strollers. Oversized bench-swings at each playground provide a comfortable resting spot for parents keeping an eye on the kids.

The park also has soccer fields, plenty of tables for picnics, and a 1-1/2 mile woodland nature trail bordering Clear Creek, which provides a good opportunity for birdwatching and seeing wildlife. The nature trails have an elevated boardwalk with a gazebo at the end, overlooking the wetlands.

The park's wide-open spaces are ideal for flying kites or spreading out a blanket and lounging around. The sports complex includes baseball and softball fields. A white sand volleyball court is also available for public use. (The court has a net, but users must supply their own ball.)

For recreational fishing, El Franco Lee Park also has a quarter-acre, man-made pond available to the public during regular park hours. The pond is stocked with large mouth bass and catfish.

For birthday parties or other gatherings, a pavilion is equipped with electrical outlets, running hot and cold water, stainless steel counters, and a barbeque pit that requires firewood. For more information or to make reservations, please call the Precinct One South Side Reservation office at 713.440.1587.

The park has restrooms (but they're a bit of a walk from the playground areas).

Enchanted Friends sends your child's favorite princess characters to the party, perfectly adorned in gorgeous costumes. Visits include a princess concert, photos, and a tiara for the birthday girl. The basic party visit lasts 30 - 45 minutes. A dress-up trunk and mini-makeovers can also be added to the package.

Enchanted Friends also offers fully hosted princess tea parties at Kennedy Dance Theater in Webster.

Enchanted Friends sends your child's favorite princess characters to the party, perfectly adorned in gorgeous costumes. Visits include a princess concert, photos, and a tiara for the birthday girl. The basic party visit lasts 30 - 45 minutes. A dress-up trunk and mini-makeovers can also be added to the package.

Enchanted Friends also offers fully hosted princess tea parties at Kennedy Dance Theater in Webster.

Friendswood Music and More offers Kindermusik and movement classes for newborns to children age seven, as well as private music lessons, parent/child classes, academic enrichment classes for preschool-aged kids, homeschool enrichment classes for kids up to age 15, and art classes for children 18 months through 14 years old.

The center also offers a wide of themed birthday parties, including Kindermusik parties, scrapbooking parties, ceramics parties, and others. The facility includes a store with children's toys (including Melissa & Doug items), sheet music, and other music related items - plus a play area to keep the little ones occupied while you shop.

Frozen Fireworks creates snowball battles for children's parties all over the Houston/Woodlands area, making the snow and bringing it to your party location. The package includes setting up the "battle lines," implementing the "rules of engagement," and helping the kids pick out team names. Goggles are also issued.

Glam N Glitter is a party place where girls dress-up in diva outfits and model them on a cool runway. Party-goers also get a complete makeover.

Hip Hop Lollipop offers themed party packages for little princesses and groovy girls such as princess tea parties, spa parties, and glamour parties. The store also carries clothing for girls up through tweens' and women's sizes.

The 155-acre Houston Arboretum offers visitors a place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and explore local flora and fauna on five miles of hiking trails through forest, meadow, and wetlands. Its indoor Discovery Room features hands-on exhibits, including a 15-foot learning tree, aquariums with turtles and other aquatic wildlife, games, puzzles, and microscopes. The Discovery Room is open Tue-Sun, from 10am to 4pm.

Birdwatching enthusiasts are sure to enjoy the trails, too, as over 160 species of birds have been observed at the Arboretum in the past twenty years.

The restrooms inside the Nature Center are large and clean, and include changing tables. More restrooms - without changing tables - are available outside, in back of the building.

Children's Classes: "Tadpole Troopers," a pre-school program for ages three to five, is offered monthly during the school year. Participating children enjoy over an hour of stories, games, and crafts, as well as a walking tour to observe wildlife in the forest.
"Naturalist Explorer" classes are designed for children ages five to eight. One Saturday each month during the school year, children learn about natural history and basic ecology through hands-on, engaging activities.
"EcoTrackers" is for ages nine to 12; these Saturday sessions inspire young naturalists to explore their surroundings and deepen their knowledge of the natural world.

Nature Discovery Camps: These week-long sessions provide children ages five to 12 with a close look at natural science and ecology topics. Classes are designed and taught by staff naturalists and include hands-on activities both indoors and out. Camps are offered during spring break, summer, and winter break.

Birthday parties are available to for kids ages four to 10. Members receive priority registration and discounts on classes and parties.

The Houston Fire Museum aims to capture the rich history of the Houston Fire Department. For kids who like fire trucks, this museum has a "Junior Firehouse Educational Interactive Area," which consists of miniature bunker coats and helmets, an E-1 Cab to simulate the feel of a real fire truck, a 1938 REO antique fire truck, and a video educational library.

Birthday party packages start at $200, and include fire house-themed cups, napkins, and plates for up to 15 guests; Museum admission for party guests; and a t-shirt for the birthday kid. Parties are scheduled Tue-Sat at 10:30am or 1:30pm, for 1-1/2 hours. Visit the website for a complete list of party rules.

Founded in 1960, Houston Scuba Academy offers scuba diving and swimming lessons. The Scuba Rangers program is for children ages eight to 12. Swim lessons are available in groups or one-on-one. The facilities include an indoor, heated pool, operable year-round; parents are welcome to join their kids in the pool area, or watch over closed-circuit TV from the viewing room.

For a unique birthday party, the Academy offers snorkeling parties for kids. Two staff members supervise the party and organize snorkeling games. The party package starts at $150, which includes 90 minutes in the pool for up to 15 kids, plus half an hour in the party room for cake, drinks, and presents. Additional children are $5 each. For an extra $55, all the kids also get a scuba diving experience.

Founded in 1960, Houston Scuba Academy offers scuba diving and swimming lessons. The Scuba Rangers program is for children ages eight to 12. Swim lessons are available in groups or one-on-one. The facilities include an indoor, heated pool, operable year-round; parents are welcome to join their kids in the pool area, or watch over closed-circuit TV from the viewing room.

For a unique birthday party, the Academy offers snorkeling parties for kids. Two staff members supervise the party and organize snorkeling games. The party package starts at $150, which includes 90 minutes in the pool for up to 15 kids, plus half an hour in the party room for cake, drinks, and presents. Additional children are $5 each. For an extra $55, all the kids also get a scuba diving experience.

The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best place for family bonding in Houston, the Houston Zoo is located on 55 acres in Hermann Park and has more than 4,500 animals.

Within the Zoo's grounds, families can enjoy the John P. McGovern Children's Zoo. This area has a petting zoo, a carousel with 64 different animals to ride, and several kid-sized animal exhibits. If the kids need to release some excess energy, they can romp around in the fenced-in playground or cool off in the water playground. (The water playground is closed from December to March.) Families can also take a break in the shaded butterfly pavilion, which hosts some entertaining shows.

Birthday party packages are available, or visitors can host their own parties at the Zoo. (You may bring your own food, but please no glass containers, alcohol, straws, or balloons.) For more information, call 713.533.6797.

Camp Zoofari summer camps are for kids ages four through 15; members get first crack at registration.

Free days: The Zoo is free on the following holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Note: The last admittance is one hour prior to closing time.

Fairytale Adventures sends a princess character to entertain at birthday parties or other special events. Party packages include glamour sparkly sessions, games with prizes, dancing, magic, and more with an experienced professional children's entertainer.

Justice Just for Girls carries its own line of clothing for 'tweens ages seven to 14, including tops, jeans, skirts, dresses, and swimwear, plus jewelry, shoes, bags, and other accessories.

The store also offers birthday party packages, which include make-overs, goodie bags, and games.

Justice Just for Girls carries its own line of clothing for 'tweens ages seven to 14, including tops, jeans, skirts, dresses, and swimwear, plus jewelry, shoes, bags, and other accessories.

The store also offers birthday party packages, which include make-overs, goodie bags, and games.

Justice Just for Girls carries its own line of clothing for 'tweens ages seven to 14, including tops, jeans, skirts, dresses, and swimwear, plus jewelry, shoes, bags, and other accessories.

The store also offers birthday party packages, which include make-overs, goodie bags, and games.

Justice Just for Girls carries its own line of clothing for 'tweens ages seven to 14, including tops, jeans, skirts, dresses, and swimwear, plus jewelry, shoes, bags, and other accessories.

The store also offers birthday party packages, which include make-overs, goodie bags, and games.

Justice Just for Girls carries its own line of clothing for 'tweens ages seven to 14, including tops, jeans, skirts, dresses, and swimwear, plus jewelry, shoes, bags, and other accessories.

The store also offers birthday party packages, which include make-overs, goodie bags, and games.

For a princess party in your own home (or park, or other location of choice), Little Princess for a Day brings everything you need for themed parties such as Royal Princess, Rock Star Princess, Pretty Princess, and Spa Princess. Packages may include makeovers, accessories, dress-up, and photos (for an additional charge).

Party-goers also play games, sing karaoke, learn dances, and receive a free gift bag with five gifts. After the party, guests can shop through the princess suppplies and purchase anything they'd like. For an additional fee, the party can be run by a Princess Hostess of your choice - Snow White, Beauty, Little Mermaid, or Cinderella.

Boys' packages are also available for budding rock stars, knights, kings, or pirates.

Parties last 30 minutes to three hours. There is no transportation charge for anywhere within 20 miles of League City; 75 cents per mile beyond that 20-mile range.

Visiting Galveston's Moody Gardens is like taking a trip to several different and equally fascinating worlds. What began as a hippotherapy riding program for people with head injuries has grown to become one of the best educational/recreational facilities in the Southwest - both for special needs guests and the average family.

A visit to Moody Gardens can easily fill a day, or more, as the area includes white sand beaches, themed "pyramids," an aquarium, and an IMAX 3D movie theater.

The Aquarium Pyramid features over 130,000 square feet of building space and 1.5 million gallons of water, making it one of the largest aquariums in the world. The pyramid houses thousands of colorful fish, sharks, penguins, and more, in addition to education programming. Admission: Adults $15.95; Seniors $10.95; Children ages four to 12 $9.95, under four free.

The 10-story Rainforest Pyramid is home to thousands of species of tropical plants, exotic fish, birds, and butterflies native to the rainforest of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Families can explore crashing waterfalls and quiet streams, a Bat Cave, and a special Butterfly Hatching Hut. Admission: Adults $9.95; Seniors $8.95; Children ages four to 12 $7.95, under four free.

The IMAX 3D Theater has a movie screen six stories high and eight stories wide. Admission: Adults $9.95; Seniors $8.95; Children ages four to 12 $7.95, under four free.

The mysteries of science are on view in the Discovery Museum, which hosts live interactive demonstrations of remarkable science experiments. Spectacular traveling exhibits from around the country offer insights into the world of science. Admission varies by exhibit; call or visit website for further information.

One of America's first Ridefilm Theaters boasts three specially designed screening rooms, featuring 18-seat, motion-based pods and 180-degree, wrap-around screens. You're not just watching a spectacular film - you're in it! Admission: Adults $8.95; Seniors $7.95; Children ages four to 12 $6.95, under four free.

The 4D Special FX Theater caters to all the senses. Smell, touch, hearing, and sight are all involved as hi-definition digital 3D projection, audio, and show control systems put the audience in the middle of the action! Admission: Adults $9.95; Seniors $8.95; Children ages four to 12 $7.95, under four free.

At Palm Beach, families can relax in cool, freshwater lagoons and waterfalls, and play on a splash pad and waterslides. Paddleboats, Jacuzzis, and regulation sand volleyball are also on site. Palm Beach at Moody Gardens offers a safe and clean place to play, with lifeguards, showers, lockers, a gift shop, and a full-service concession stand. It's seasonal, though, and open from Memorial Day to Labor Day only. Admission: Adults $11.95; Seniors $6.95; Children ages four to 12 $7.95, under four free.

Cruise Offats Bayou aboard an authentic replica of an 1800's paddlewheel boat. Dinner and private cruises are also available. Admission: Adults $8.95; Seniors $7.95; Children ages four to 12 $6.95, under four free.

Day Passes are also available. One-day passes are $44.95, and are good for one admission to each attraction. Two-day passes, for $49.95, are good for unlimited admission to all Moody Garden attractions over the course of two consecutive days.

Birthday parties are available for children ages one to 12, with a variety of possible themes - including a Beach Bash or an Aquarium Adventure. Guests can even meet a real rainforest animal or penguin. Call for reservations or more information.

To make a family vacation out of your visit, stay at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa, and Convention Center, nestled among the lush tropical surroundings and majestic pyramids of Moody Gardens.

Moody Gardens also offers summer camps for kids ages seven to 14.

The winner of our 2008 Parents' Picks quest to find the best enviro-friendly place in Houston, the Nature Discovery Center is housed in the old Henshaw home, nestled in Russ Pitman Park, a four-acre rural retreat in the midst of the city of Bellaire.

The Center's Discovery Rooms are upstairs, but if you need assistance, the staff are happy to help. These two rooms are full of intriguing exhibits and hands-on activities. Discovery boxes entice youngsters to explore a crystal cave with a magnifying glass, compare animal teeth to their own, explore life in a log, or reconstruct a turtle skeleton. Children can also see frogs, turtles, a tarantula, hissing cockroaches, a freshwater aquarium, and a snake. Puzzles, loads of books, drawing supplies, and a microscope are also on hand.

One of the Discovery Rooms contains larger exhibits that change once or twice a year. These larger exhibits cover a variety of topics with hands-on activities, displays, and specimens to examine. You may find this room transformed into a rainforest, a prairie, the Sargasso Sea, or some other habitat - or you may find that the room invites kids to dig deep into the earth to discover geology in the GeoZone.

The Center has three restrooms, including one with a changing table upstairs. Several covered picnic tables in back of the house make for a peaceful spot to eat among the birds and squirrels.

Storytime with crafts, for children ages two to five, is held every Wednesday at 4pm. Nature classes invite kids ages three to 10 to learn about a variety of topics.

Summer camps are available for children ages five and up, and summer classes are available for children ages three to five with their parents or grandparents.

The Nature Discovery Center also offers birthday party options, including a presentation with live animals, that can be done either at the Center or other locations.

The surroundings at Russ Pitman Park