Spring break may be associated with boozy, beachside bacchanals. But for families with school-age kids, it’s something else entirely: a blissful break from school routines. And the very idea of hitting a sandy strand made famous by MTV? Chances are high that what you want is the opposite kind of vacation.

Whether you’re taking the whole week off or happily day-tripping, here are six great family-friendly options, destinations where you can mix a little education with the sun and fun — and T-shirts only get wet if you trip at the tide pools.

1 Carmel-by-the-Sea and Point Lobos

Sea stars, urchins and Turkish towels — not the terrycloth kind, the sea-life variety — await in the tide pools of Weston Beach, one of eight sandy beaches at the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, which lies just south of Carmel.

Whether you day-trip this or combine a tide-pool trek with a longer stay in Carmel or Big Sur, there’s plenty to do in this popular park. Hiking trails wind along the bluffs and valleys. Historical exhibits dot Whalers Cove, offering a glimpse of 19th-century whaling station life. And Weston Beach boasts spectacular tide pools, especially at low tide, when you can spot anemones, spotted nudibranchs and more.

Pack a bag lunch to enjoy at the picnic tables near Whaler’s Cove, Bird Island and Piney Woods, or head into Carmel for a bite.

Details: Point Lobos lies 3 miles south of Carmel-by-the-Sea on Highway 1. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is $10. www.pointlobos.org

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2 Santa Barbara and MOXI

Heading down the coast? The year-old Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation is a science and discovery museum at the edge of Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, an arty neighborhood with galleries, wine-tasting rooms and eateries, including the Lucky Penny (wood-fired pizza!) and the new Shalhoob’s Funk Zone Patio.

The three-story MOXI offers interactive exhibits designed around seven themes that relate to math, science, engineering, technology and art. It’s modern, beautifully-designed and delightful for curious minds of all ages. Step inside a giant guitar to discover how riffs are made. Conduct a test flight in a super-powered wind column. Build a race car and send it down a test track with other vehicles. Allow at least two or three hours to experience all that MOXI has to offer. With wall-sized versions of Plinko and Lite Brite and a rooftop exhibit featuring a glass sky deck, weather orchestra and fully interactive water feature, it will be hard to tear yourself away.

Details: Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily at 125 State St., Santa Barbara; Adults (13 and older): $14; Children (12 and younger): $10; www.moxi.org

3 San Francisco and the Randall Museum

Staying close to home? How’s this for a perfect, educational spring-break day excursion? This free-of-charge nature, culture and science education center in San Francisco’s Corona Heights has reopened its doors after a $9 million renovation.

All three floors have been re-imagined and refreshed with new features, including a STEM lab, zoology and geology exhibits, learning stations and a cafe. Check out the new habitat-based animal enclosures in the live animal exhibit or the expanded science and ceramic studios. Drop into a Science Saturday class, where kiddos can learn about polymers by making goo. Class prices vary, but this one’s only $5 — and you get to take home the goo.

The museum’s new Cafe Josephine, which opens March 13, offers everything from avocado toast to grilled cheese sandwiches, pastries and fresh, organic salads.

Details: Admission is free. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday at 199 Museum Way, San Francisco; www.randallmuseum.org

4 Santa Cruz and Mount Hermon Adventures

Tucked seven miles outside the city of Santa Cruz, Mount Hermon offers epic eco-adventure experiences for people ages 10 and older, whether you’re looking to zip line through a canopy of ancient redwoods or challenge the family to an aerial course set high above the forest floor.

Now, the younger set can get in on the adventure, too. Mount Hermon offers Discovery Grove, a scaled-down course perfect for budding daredevils as young as 5. The course features seven different activities, at heights up to 25 feet above the forest floor (as opposed to as high as 150 feet), with a short zip line descent back to the ground. The two-hour experience is perfect for a day-trip with friends, and parents are welcome to accompany the kids at Discovery Grove.

Pack a lunch — you get to use the outdoor picnic facilities, too.

Details: $500 for 10-20 people. Office hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Monday and the adventure course is located at 17 Conference Drive, Felton. Visit http://mounthermonadventures.com for reservations and availability.

5 San Diego and Africa Rocks

Combine your beach time and Gaslamp Quarter explorations with a jaunt to San Diego’s famous zoo at Balboa Park, where the immense, $68-million Africa Rocks exhibit began opening in phases last year. African penguins moved into their Cape Fynbos habitat — the coastal South African environment was the first of six habitats planned for the 14-acre spread — in June. The fourth, a Madagascar Forest habitat, opened in September with ring-tailed lemurs, catlike fossas and a honey badger. And the final section, the Ethiopian Highlands, was unveiled just before Thanksgiving.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park lies just 30 miles north in Escondido, offering safari tours, animal encounters and roar-and-snore overnights. Among those encounters: The Butterfly Jungle, where visitors are surrounded by thousands of fluttering butterflies in an exhibit that runs from March 10 through April 15.

Details: The San Diego Zoo is open daily at 2920 Zoo Drive in Balboa Park; http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org. The Safari Park is open daily at 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido; http://sdzsafaripark.org/. Admission to each park is $44 for kids and $54 for adults. A multi-park pass, which includes admission to both, is $76 for kids and $86 for adults.

6 Columbia and Gold Rush Days

A perfectly preserved Gold Rush town awaits in Columbia, the state historic park near Sonora. Nineteenth-century history comes to vivid life as costumed docents share tales from the past in the storefronts and saloons. A Wells Fargo stagecoach clatters down the streets. The sounds of iron and anvil ring from the smithy. And gold seekers of all ages line up to splash in the water troughs, swirling pans of sand at the Hidden Treasure Gold Mine.

It’s a blast to explore any day, but particularly fun during Columbia Gold Rush Days, which are held on the second Saturday of each month. Even more fun? Staying in the town itself at one of the state park’s two historic hotels.

Details: Admission is free and the park is open daily at www.visitcolumbiacalifornia.com.

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