From children's museums to treetop walks, there's plenty to keep little ones amused. (Comstock Complete)

No one want to be stuck in a hot city all summer so we might as well load up, gas up, and take our kids away for some cool family fun. We've chosen five kid-friendly -- and wallet-friendly -- getaways for families itching to hit the road this summer.

AGES 2 AND UP

- Bob the Builder has left Sunflower Valley to spend the summer in Ottawa at the Canadian Children's Museum. Bob, Wendy, Scoop and the gang have rolled in to help kids learn while they play in the Project: Build It exhibit.

Kids can install a sink in Bob's mobile home, help build a shelter for the machines, and learn to handle kid-friendly tools. The interactive display runs until Sept. 8, but the Canadian Children's Museum -- Canada's largest -- is open year-round with many other exhibitions, all encouraging kids to experiment, learn, and yes, run free!

The museum is housed within the Canadian Museum of Civilization -- a bonus for older kids and adults. Price: Kids 3-12 $6; Adults $10

See civilization.ca.

- Muskoka's summer Ho-Ho-Home of St. Nick himself is Santa's Village in Bracebridge, a gentle favourite among kids aged about 2 to 12.

Kids are greeted by a kid-sized Candy Cane Express train on a mini track that toot-toots its way around the wooded property. There are deer to feed, ponies to ride, a riverboat in the shape of a sleigh that chugs along the Muskoka River.

The kid-friendly rides include a mini-roller coaster, a carousel, paddle boats and a ferris wheel. For older kids, there's a Sportsland with video games, a go-kart track, mountain-bike trails, mini-golf and batting cages.

Don't forget your Christmas wish list, Santa will want to see it.

Price: Kids 2-4 $20; Kids 5-plus and adults: $25. See santasvillage.ca.

AGES 3 AND UP

- If you're a fan of the age-old Adventures With Clifford The Big Red Dog, head to Rochester, N.Y., where the Strong National Museum of Play is hosting a large, interactive exhibit dedicated to the Clifford books and television series.

There are 12 themed areas to tour, starting with a ferry ride to Clifford's Birdwell Island. There's a 3-metre Clifford waiting at the door of his house, complete with a slide for a tail, and a conveyor belt kids can load up with Clifford-sized, bone-shaped dog treats. Older kids and adults can tour Clifford author Norman Bridwell's Art Retrospective, with 40 years (or 280 dog years) of art and stories.

Price: Kids 2-17: $7.50; Adults $9.50. For details, see museumofplay.org.

AGES 7 AND UP

- Guaranteed to cool you off this summer is a family rafting adventure on the Ottawa or Madawaska Rivers. Both Owl Rafting and Wilderness Tours offer whitewater boat trips in Eastern Ontario's Ottawa Valley.

Families board boats more stable and secure than the average whitewater raft, for gentle-ish two-hour floats down either river. Children must be at least 7 years old and weigh more than 90 pounds to participate. Trips include a 5-km float, a professional whitewater guide, body surfing down mild rapids, swim time, and -- depending on your package -- a riverside barbecue lunch.

Price: From $25 for kids; $35 for adults (for two-hour trips). See wildernesstours.com and mkc.ca.

AGES 10 & UP

- Collingwood's Scenic Caves and Treetop Walk are two very different experiences wrapped up in one attraction. The guided Treetop Walk is an exhilarating three-hour tour 20 metres above the ground among 200-year-old oak trees. It includes a teetering walk over a suspension bridge, a 100-metre zip line ride, plus a spectacular view of Collingwood and Georgian Bay.

The nearby self-guided caves tour heads you down deep into the ground, exploring remarkable rock formations -- at times narrow, dark and very cold!

- The Treetop Walk is limited to kids aged 10-plus and over 85 pounds. Reservations are required. The caves are good for kids toddler age and up, but strollers don't fit through the narrow spaces.

Price for Treetop Walk: Kids 10-17 $75; Adults $95

Price for Caves: Kids 5-17 $14.25; Adults $18.50. See sceniccaves.com.