The word museum used to equal boredom to most people, but not any more! Today's museums are brilliant places to take children.

For example, there are an irresistible number of things for three to ten-year-olds to fiddle with in the Launch Pad gallery in the basement of the Science Museum (and it's free). For aeroplane-mad boys, the best aviation museum in Europe is in Duxford, Cambridgeshire. Or go back in time and visit the Natural History Museum (pictured).