You could see the natural wonder of the sequoia national park. Or plan a trip to the gold mines in the local area for some fun and learn how to pan gold. Or even see if you could take a tour of Boeing and see how the worlds newest jet is built. 

 

 Tough call, for a fifth grader I would suggest my neck of the woods, sunny San Diego. You have Balboa Park with a rich and diverse wealth of museums. Not only is it educational, it's beautiful and fun, there are many interactive learning tours and next door to Balboa Park is "The World Famous San Diego Zoo" which is always an incredible visit. A few minutes away from that are sunny soft sand beaches and then as you explore said beaches you can find your way up to Sea World and learn all about the ocean. If you want to go inland about a half an hour away if the Wild Animal Park (which I believe is also world-famous) and if it aint it should be, you can see amazing animals in their natural habitat, and then on up the road you can go to Julian to see the apple trees and agricultural aspects of southern California and enjoy some of the best apple pie and cider you will ever have. On the way back down from there you can stop into Ramona (my hometown) and enjoy coffee from our gourmet shops, do some antique shopping (if you haven't gotten enough in Julian) and have an award winning cinnamon roll at the Ramona Cafe. Then make your way back downtown and enjoy the night life of San Diego in the gaslamp the possibilities are endless in this great city. The Birch Aquarium, Legoland, Whale Watching Mountain Biking, Nature Hiking, Knott's Soak City, and for the parents you can head up to Temecula for some excellent local wines and relaxation after all of that fun!