With Kids - Buenos Aires - page 41

Poorly maintained public bathrooms lacking baby-changing facilities or counter-top
space are common. Always carry toilet paper and wet wipes.
Green Spaces
Buenos Aires has numerous plazas and public parks, many with playgrounds, and these
are always popular gathering spots for families. If you're downtown and need a nature
break, try the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur ( Click here ) , a large nature preserve with
good birdwatching, pleasant dirt paths and no vehicles; bike rentals are sometimes avail-
able on summer weekends.
Up north, the most attractive green spots are the wide open spaces of Palermo, espe-
cially Parque 3 de Febrero ( Click here ) . This huge park has a planetarium, a Japanese
Garden and a nearby zoo. And on Sunday vehicular traffic isn't allowed on the ring road
around the rose garden; you can rent bikes, boats and inline skates and range freely
without worrying about cars!
Fun Museums
Make sure to visit the Museo Participativo de Ciencias ( Click here ) in the Centro Cultural
Recoleta. This science museum has interactive displays that focus on fun learning - signs
say 'prohibido no tocar' (not touching is forbidden). And in San Telmo, the Museo Argen-
tino del Títere ( 4307-6917; www.museoargdeltitere.com.ar ; Estados Unidos 802; admission free;
9:30am-12:30pm & 3-6pm Tue, Wed & Fri, 3-6pm Thu, Sat & Sun) is a small puppet museum with a
fascinating collection of international and Argentine puppets, but it's the inexpensive
shows that will amuse the little ones. Call beforehand to get hours and show times, as they
vary widely.
Outside the center in Caballito is the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ( Click
here ) , with myriad rooms containing giant dinosaur bones, dainty seashells, scary insects
and amusing stuffed animals and birds.
Animals
About a 45-minute drive outside the city, in Escobar, is the exceptional zoo Parque Te-
maikén ( 034-8843-6900; www.temaiken.com.ar ; RP 25, Km 1, Escobar; adult/child 3-10 AR$82/64;
10am-7pm Tue-Sun Dec-Feb, to 6pm Mar-Nov) . Only the most charming animal species (like
meerkats and tigers) are on display here, roaming freely around spacious natural enclos-