Is your little one an engineer in the making? Does he or she love to build with blocks, draw houses, or explore how things work? If you want to instill a love for engineering in your child from a young age, these fun toys will help you do so.

Goldie Blox
Goldie Blox is a company whose goal is to get young girls interested in engineering. The brand’s building games feature strong female characters and help to build spatial reasoning abilities, allowing girls to create structures and machines, learn engineering principles, and build problem-solving skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. Girls ranging from ages four to nine can all participate in Goldie Blox games, though the brand also makes empowering clothing and tees for babies and toddler girls.

Lego Mindstorms
Legos have been around for generations, but the Lego Mindstorms line is a whole new idea. With a variety of products designed to help kids build and operate their own robots, Mindstorms uses 3D building instructions that prepare children for careers in engineering. Kids will learn logic and reasoning skills, and they’ll also become familiar with operating computers and mobile devices by controlling their robots through the Mindstorms app.

Public Domain/Freeimagescollection

Plan a day at The Houston Zoo, and get up close and personal with everything from amphibians to zebras. Seemingly endless exhibits—including carnivorous cats, playful primates, and beckoning birds—will provide hours of entertainment. Exhibits are renovated to keep the animals comfortable, and the zoo is contracting new habitats for gorillas, which will return in 2015. The zookeepers are very knowledgeable, so make it a point to make it to one of their talks. Kids love the Giraffe Feeding Platform that elevates visitors to be face to face with these gentle giants. A 4-D movie experience is another family favorite.

Visitors find the zoo clean and well maintained, with a strong conservation and education mission. Admission is reasonable, especially compared to other big city zoos; adults are $14 and children are $10. (You can save a few extra bucks if you purchase the tickets at Fiesta Mart.) The Houston Zoo provides free parking, but it fills up fast on the weekends. 

The Houston Zoo
6200 Hermann Park Drive
Houston, TX 77030
(713) 533-6500
http://www.houstonzoo.org
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-houston-zoo-houston

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Martin Pettitt

With soaring ceilings, handcrafted walnut tables and an open kitchen that lets you watch the chefs work their magic, Underbelly might just be the perfect spot for a unique dining experience. The frequently changing menu takes advantage of what’s seasonal and fresh from local purveyors. Stop by for lunch to feast on Grilled Shrimp Salad with buttermilk dressing, Butter Biscuits & Chicken Gravy, or a Roast Beef Sandwich with Korean red chile mayo. The dinner menu features a tasty array of entrees like Seared Snapper with tomato confit, Korean Braised Goat with dumplings, Wagyu Satay with cold soba salad and Crispy Local Vegetables with caramelized fish sauce. Save room for dessert, as diners praise the Fried Strawberry Pie with toasted rice ice cream. Underbelly is open Mondays through Saturdays.

Underbelly
1100 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 528-9800
http://www.yelp.com/biz/underbelly-houston