2 . As Alexandria Country Day School’s sixth-graders created miniature 3D printed villages to address homelessness, they learned lessons far beyond technology.

“It Takes a Village” began as a project for a science class, inspired by life-size 3D-printed homes built by Austin, Texas-based technology company Icon.

No strangers to classroom 3D projects, the students were fascinated by Icon’s use of a similar process to create homes made of inexpensive concrete-like material. Unlike standard construction methods, the process of building these durable homes takes just a few days.

While creating their mini 3D buildings, the students explored how such technology allows design freedom and quick changes. Mathematical conversions helped get the relations right. For example, a real 25-foot-by-20-foot one-bedroom house would be printed as 40-millimeter-by-32-millimeter (about 1 1/2 inch by 1 1/4 inch) for their mini village. Salwa Seman, 11, said that getting the dimensions and settings correct before construction began was challenging as she created a curved-wall amphitheater (圆形剧场).

The tech-focused project quickly evolved into “an exercise in empathy (共情), innovation and cooperation designed to bring about lasting change”. “When most people think of helping the homeless, they think of food and clothing drives,” said Juliet Galicia, 11. “While necessary, those are temporary fixes. Even housing by itself is not a complete solution.”

In designing their leave-homelessness-behind neighborhoods, priorities were shelter, food stores, schools, and health centers. But to build a sense of belonging and purpose, the miniature communities also emphasized areas for frequent interaction among residents. “We wanted to make it feel more like a real community,” said Luke Wazorko, 11. A community garden, a place to raise chickens, an amphitheater for shared events, bus stops for access to jobs, and infrastructure for Wi-Fi and cellphones to help in job searches were important features to offer formerly unhoused residents.

Amber Fogarty, president of a nonprofit organization tackling homelessness in Austin, said, “Housing alone will never solve homelessness, but community will. People need a place where they are known, cared for and loved.”

3 . Travelling as a father and daughter is more than sightseeing — it’s about seeing the world from each other’s point of view.

Colorado Springs, Colorado

If you and your dad are the outdoorsy types, Colorado Springs is ideal for dusting off those hiking shoes and hitting some of the most beautiful part of the Front Range. Explore the iconic Garden of the Gods, where red sandstone is sharpened into striking towers. Head to the famous Pike’s Peak to test your courage and take in some of the best views in Colorado.

After the adventure, visit a pub to celebrate your successful trip as a perfect complement to a long day outdoors.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Whatever you fancy on a vacation, Las Vegas has it, making it a perfect destination for fathers and daughters looking for a place that will keep them busy until they board their flight home. Just visit the big-name casinos (赌场) like the Venetian and Caesar’s Palace, or pop into one of the many A-list shows for world-class entertainment options.

Museum-goers will be spoiled for choice, to dive into the history of organized crime at the Mob Museum, or walk among historic signs at the Neon Museum.

Austin, Texas

With arich culture, Austin is great for a barbecue-appreciating, eclectic-music-loving father-daughter duo (搭档). The “Live Music Capital of the World” has more than 250 music venues featuring everything from country and rock to electronica (电子乐). If you have wide-ranging music tastes, make your way to the Red River Cultural District, where institutions invite cutting-edge indie, rock, and hip-hop artists to the stage.

You’re bound to have an appetite after rocking out so hard, so get a protein boost there. Smoking beef, tasty sausages and snacks are anything but ordinary.

4 . Here, our selection of Britain’s strangest museums has something for everyone.

Glasgow Riverside Transport Museum

The museum houses steam engines, motorbikes, Glasgow buses and just about anything else that has a set of wheels, wrings or sails. One of the last tall ships in existence is moored (停泊) outside, and you can take a boat there from Govan. For those not in love with transport, there’s a copy of a 19th-century Glasgow street with traditional shops and an old subway station.

Entrance is free and for children of all ages.

The Natural History Museum, Hertfordshire

The Victorians were mad about collecting, and this is essentially the personal collection of just one home-educated boy, which began when he was 5 years old. But as a member of the Rothschild family, Walter took 40 years to do it. There’s just about every stuffed animal you could ever imagine, and quite a few you couldn’t: a polar bear; George, a mandrill (山魈) from London Zoo and a four-ton elephant seal.

Entrance is free.

The Pencil Museum1, Cumbria

It is a museum all about the history of the everyday pencil. There are free daily artists’ demonstrations and workshops, so you can enter from one end of the museum and go out with a drawing from another end. The lovely Lake District location adds to the experience and the wonderful shop is especially enjoyable for stationery (文具) lovers.

Entrance: adults £8, children £6.

The Time Machine Museum of Science Fiction, Hertfordshire

This is the result of 30 years of crazy collecting by Andy Glazzard. There are artworks from sci-fi classics, but most of the museum artworks center on Doctor Who.

Entrance: adults £4.25, children f3.25.

6 . It’s no secret that some of the world’s best ski resorts (胜地) are found within Switzerland’s outstanding mountains. Here are some of them.

Grindelwald—Wengen

If you’re looking for a Swiss postcard ski experience, then Grindelwald is the place for you. The beautiful North Face of the Eiger towers over this pretty mountain village, which has a long history of mountain climbing and skiing. Its main ski area can be skied on the same lift ticket! There’s no better way to get up the mountain here than by train.

Opening Date: Nov. 26, 2022                    Closing Date: Apr. 16, 2023

Flims Laax Falera

What pulls in skiers and snowboarders from all over the world to Flims Laax Falera are the world-class terrain (地形) parks. There’s no denying this ski resort is a big hit with freestylers, but there’s also plenty to attract skiers.

Opening Date: Nov. 28, 2022                    Closing Date: Apr. 26, 2023

Engelberg

Engelberg is a rising star for a range of good reasons, but the highlight is the massive free-ride potential. The secret is most definitely out as the town fills up every year with Scandinavians in search of their dry light snow.

Opening Date: Oct.15, 2022                    Closing Date: May 21, 2023

Zermatt

Zermatt is the best of Switzerland’s ski resorts. This is your resort if you have the money to afford it! Fantastic restaurants are seen all over the mountain, serving Swiss cheese hotpot and other cooking masterpieces.

Opening Date: Nov. 26, 2022                    Closing Date: Apr. 30, 2023

7 . Over the past six years, our readers have brought some very special locations to our attention in our search for the Nicest Places in America. The three finalists in 2022 are shown below. You can read about our winners in 2021 at rd.com/nicest, where we are collecting suggestions for places we should consider in 2023.

Couterville is a tiny town in Northern California, about 1000 miles from Phoenix. It was named after George Coulter, one of the first whites to come to the gold camp already populated by Chinese and Mexican miners. The Chinese first appeared in 1850, creating a small settlement at the north end of what was to be Coulterville. The entire area is a heaven for rock and mineral collectors.

Kingsport is a city full of originals. Pal’s Sudden Service was born here, as was the recipe for the Original Long Island Iced Tea. The hand- carved carousel (旋转木马) is a beloved original too, which features 32 beautiful hand-carved wooden animals—each lovingly and painstakingly fashioned by a group of Kingsport workers. In the city of makers, more originals are soon on the way.

Buchanan is a peaceful small town having a historic downtown and beautiful natural resources. When asked, “What’s the best thing about Buchanan? The residents declare, Pears Mill.” Pears Mill, a two-floor brick building fitted with machinery for pounding grain into flour, was constructed in 1857, listed on the Michigan Historical Register in 1987 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

10 . I’m standing on Rio’s beach, one of the most famous _______ of sand. In this lively, multicultural country, the beach is not just a place;it’s a state of mind—a way of thinking and living.

Every Brazilian has his or her own ideas of the perfect beach, _______ to tell you where to find it. I’m happy to take their advice but my ultimate goal is to find my own dream beach. First, I go to Prainha’s beach _______ by a row of perfect palm trees, moving softly in the ocean breeze. Its beauty is magnificent-its perfect graceful lines are like something in a _______. But for me, it’s somewhat too perfect. I am searching for something a bit _______.

I continue my search heading north to a legendary beach: Jeri. As an international destination, it attracts visitors from Tokyo to Toronto. Luckily, Jeri hasn’t been _______ by tourists mostly because of its isolated(偏远的)location—at least five hours from any airport. I take a beach buggy(沙地车), driving for three hours. The boats lie on their sides while nets _______ to dry on lines between fishermen’s houses. Peaceful and beautiful! How can it possibly get any better? I _______.

My final stop is the islands of Fernando, _______ a few hundred kilometers out in the Atlantic. They once were used as a prison and later by the army. Today, they are a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, ________ with birds and sea life. The beach there is a perfect ________of sand, sea, and sky. The water is pale blue and warm, alive with colorful fish, ________, and other marine life; the sand is the color of ________. In the rocks and strong winds that ________ come in from the Atlantic, there is the wilderness I was seeking. Finally, I’ve found the beach of my dreams. I ________ my toes in the sand deeply and imagine I can hold on to this place forever.