Visiting big cities can be great fun for families, but with little kids along you must of course include what's fun for them, like children's museums, or exploring parks. Or how about: a visit to one of the popular Build-A-Bear Workshops ® (where kids create their own stuffed animal.)

Most any major city has a Build-A-Bear Workshop ®, but some stores are especially well-positioned for tourist visits. New York's is on 5th Avenue, and has an on-site "Eat With Your Bear Hands Cafe"; London's is in the famous Hamley toy store...

Creating a stuffed flamingo in London or SF or NYC could make a nice souvenir, and there's always the trade-off benefit: "first we're going to The Louvre, then we'll go to Build-A-Bear Workshop" ®. (Yes, there's one in Paris, too.)

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