My friend Will Bunker turned me to the Scratch Web site and development environment. Scratch lets a child of any age build an interactive application - games, greeting cards, all kinds of stuff. Kids can also set up a social network account (specific to Scratch) and friend people and comment on games. One of my favorite features is that all of the projects can be downloaded so that you can modify them and learn from them.

Web site: http://scratch.mit.edu/

Getting started guide: http://info.scratch.mit.edu/Support/Get_Started

One of my favorite activities whether for kids or dates - Late nights at the DMA. It's a fun way to experience the Dallas Museum of Art, and the kids have a great time. Suitable for kids (and adults) who have the ability to discipline their urge to climb on sculptures.

http://www.dallasmuseumofart.org/Events/LateNights/index.htm

My good friend Paul Schweizer sent me this list of activities for kids in Dallas.  I added a few touches, but the list is mostly Paul's.  The list is for brainstorming - but feel free to suggest descriptions and links for each activity.

Take some water and hike around.  Great discovery area and lots of programs 

Just found out you can rent kayaks and canoes from REI....have to try that on White Rock lake and report back.
Thanks to Kristin at Whole Earth Provision Company for the tip.

This weekend we bought 2000 ladybugs from a local garden store for about 9 dollars. Great way to get some organic pest control in your yard AND entertain kids for a while. It takes quite a while to get all those ladybugs freed. The kids have a blast. Highly recommend it.

 We also purchased 400 (the smallest quantity available) praying mantis eggs, which, I am told, will hatch after a little bit of warmer weather....

  
In Dallas I am aware of Waltons and Ruibals carrying these friendly bugs. Holla if you know of more places that carry them.

 -Scott

For an upcoming article, I am assembling a list of the top online learning Web sites for kids under 10. Care to submit one? or a few? I am including Web sites that nurture creativity in some way as well.
Here is what I need:

Name URL If you can, it would be great to know the following
Free or paid
How your child or acquaintance used it
The benefit you perceive he/she received.
Thanks..

EXAMPLES OF THE INPUT I AM SEEKING
Pbskids.org
Has many educational games based around their educational programs. Navigable (for the most part) by a five year old. My oldest began visiting the site when he still pronounced “PBSKids-dot-gord” and learned a host of basic concepts (matching, sequence) and importantly, the basics of interacting with a browser and keyboard…

Toonlet.com
A more complex site that lets anyone build comics and characters. Not a kids site but for the older child (8yo and up maybe), challenges their mind (have to figure out the platform) and encourages creativity. Kids may need some help getting started.