You don't have to wait until your kids are in elementary school to take them to a science museum, say the editors of Parents magazine, who point out that a third of all science centers in the US have exhibits specifically designed for kids 6 and under. The September issue of Parents features a list of top 10 science centers for kids in the US, selected with an eye for hands-on, interactive exhibits and family-friendly workshops. Here they are:

• Center Of Science and Industry in Columbus, OH
• Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA
• Museum of Science in Boston, MA
• Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ
• St. Louis Science Center in St. Louis, MO
• New York Hall of Science in New York City, NY
• California Science Center in Los Angeles, CA
• Sci-Port Discovery Center in Shreveport, LA
• Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia, PA
• Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, MD

And don't forget to check out the 15 runners-up:

• Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, CA
• Detroit Science Center in Detroit, MI
• Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA
• Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center in Mobile, AL
• Louisville Science Center in Louisville, KY
• Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA
• Wonderlab Museum of Science, Health, & Technology in Bloomingtown, IN
• Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, IL
• Discovery Place in Charlotte, VA
• Children's Museum of Science and Technology in Troy, NY
• Sci-Works in Winston-Salem, NC
• Science City at Union Station in Kansas City, MO
• Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, CA
• Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, VT
• Discovery Science Place in Tyler, TX

What's your family's favorite?