Yes, you have to stay a foot away from the paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of opportunities for hands-on fun.

Houston Center for Photography

No matter if you’re a seasoned pro or an aspiring amateur, the Houston Center for Photography has a class for you—whether it’s composition or cyanotypes, Photoshop or photojournalism. Classes range in price, but can cost as little as $40 a course.

Children’s Museum of Houston

The Children’s Museum’s weekly Free Family Fun Nights (every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m.) are chock-full of activities and hands-on fun for the little ones. Three story-times are offered in the library, and your kids will have full access to the interactive exhibits packed into the 90,000-square foot playground, er, museum.

The Health Museum

If your kid is a budding biologist, there’s no better playground than The Health Museum. Aside from the larger-than-life human organs (like the 27½-foot intestine), you can sign up for the $55 Family Workshop Series, which includes an interactive presentation on a different organ each month, followed by a hands-on dissection. Squeamish parents need not apply, as you must accompany your young scientist during the workshops. 

The C.G. Jung Educational Center

As its name implies, the Jung Center focuses on education, offering a diverse array of courses in multiple disciplines taught by Jungian experts. There are workshops for both body and mind: yoga and tai chi are taught alongside courses on creative parenting and writing for self-discovery. 

The John C. Freeman Weather Museum

Within the two-story white brick home that houses the Weather Museum, you’ll find Weather Center Houston. Here, budding meteorologists of (almost) all ages can sign up for Weather Camp. For $55, kids can take courses in everything from forecasting to tornado formations.