Parenting in Greater Boston

Story Land

2019-07-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

Story Land is a manageable and affordable amusement park for younger children in the outskirts of the White Mountains in Glen, New Hampshire. It has an interesting history, the seed being planted by a German doll makers in the 1950s while the American founders were living overseas. The park opens at 9:30 during the summer and closes at 6:00 each day. Although refreshments and food are provided throughout the park, food and water are allowed to be brought in and areas are available to sit and eat.
There is an area for toddlers and smaller children which was the original area of the park when it first opened in 1954. This area is small houses designed around nursery rhymes and fairy tales, such as The Old Woman in the Shoe and the Three Bears Home. Children can walk through the interactive homes and see some of the characters. There is a sand box to play in a some shaded sitting areas and well as restrooms, etc. On the outer rim of this area there are some smaller rides such as tea cups, and swan boats, which glide on a little water area. Over the water is a bridge that leads up to a small Cinderella's Castle. A pumpkin coach also rides up to the castle on a track pulled by pretend horses. Cinderella herself sits in the castle for photos, which can be purchased or taken by parents, free of charge.

Another area of the park is an around the world experience, designed for older children, where there is a food area, an Arctic ride and Pharaoh's boat. Other rides compliment the area also. Additional rides throughout the park area faster, a couple of roller coasters, a log flume ride, and some others.
There are also some family rides, such as a short train ride around the park, a raft ride (one does get wet), and antique car ride.

Character dinners, Cinderella's tea, and other services are offered for additional costs.

There are often Group ons available for Story Land, which offer minimal discounts. There are also usually deals directly through the park for Father's Day and weekends. Perhaps one of the best tips though, is arriving after 3:00 pm and buying park passes, you are granted entry into the park that afternoon and issued return passes to use the next day or for use one other day that season. The also provide military and senior citizen discounts, children under 2 are free.


Antique cars that run on a track.

Story Land website

Graverson Playground and Elsie Turner Field

2019-06-28T06:49:00.001-07:00

Check out this newly rebuilt playground in Waltham, with a small sprinkler splash pad. Beautiful facility in a quiet neighborhood. The playground boasts two new structures, while the field has a walking loop, newly finished basketball hoop, and soccer nets. There are trees around the perimeter, but the playground itself is full sun exposure during the day.
Hours for the water area start at 10:00 am.
Graverson playground

Sprinkler head on the sprinkler pad.

Splash pad area, which is fenced off from the other sections.

Covered picnic area.

View of the field area.

Summer Meals for Children in Need

2019-06-26T09:44:00.001-07:00

Project Bread has released an app to locate meals for children in need to access at parks during the summer. Such a great resource to share with families or caregivers who the resources!

Summer Eats App

Childcare Co-op in Cambridge

2019-01-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

An alternative childcare arrangement for playdates and community building:

Advertisement below:

https://www.kidsclub.io

The way it works is you sign up to host one “playdate” a month. It can be as simple as “pizza and a movie,” or if you have a special talent like singing, yoga or robotics, you can offer an enrichment activity like a “coding workshop” or "improv class."
Then, you invite your friends and child's classmates to your playdate. In order for their kids to attend, they need to host their own playdate and invite you! You can invite as few as 2 friends, but if you want more childcare and activities, we suggest inviting as many friends as possible. You earn one playdate for every child who attends yours. So if 3 kids come, you earn 3 playdates! If 10, 10 playdates, etcetera...
You can also make new friends by booking playdates with people you don’t know yet. On the website, you can see who lives near you, message them to meet up for a parent-accompanied playdate or invite them to your playdate. If you see someone you're interested in sharing care with but haven't met yet, we recommend you find a time to meet up for a parent-accompanied playdate or a parent mixer so you can get to know them first.
Parents with babies are welcome too! If you have a baby, you can offer something like a daytime playgroup or a caregiver & me playdate.

Our aim is for it to be a great way to share childcare with your friends and child’s classmates - and hopefully to make new friends too! If you're interested, you can sign up here to be part of our first group of families to try out the website and give us feedback! (IT'S FREE)
It takes a village to raise a child so let’s make it easier by helping each other out! To learn more or sign up, visit : https://www.kidsclub.io

Discovery Museum

2019-01-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

The Discovery Museum in Acton recently reopened as one renovated building with new and updated outdoor space. The museum which has been around for 35 years, received a large donation from Middlesex Savings Bank, and reworked much of the interior space.

The museum is kid-friendly, hands on, and has a room for babies, one for toddlers, and plenty of activities for school age children.
Indoor space includes a water play area, light and sound rooms, ball runs, a pirate ship loft area, and other exhibits. A big air machine is a hit and a magnetic gear wall upstairs is fun to interact with. There is a work area where kids can create and craft projects with recycled materials and wooden machinery that can be put together with tools.

Outside a new playground and tree house structure have been erected, which abut the Discovery Woods. The museum has a great educational program for schools and groups, or activities for parents and children to join. Their website gives a calendar of upcoming events.
click below:
Discovery Museum Website

Light activities.

Light room.

Water play, building Legoes to stop water flow.

Outdoor swing.

Sound room, each bulb makes a different pitch.

The museum does get crowded on school vacation weeks and during the winter months. Traditional naptimes are a good time to go, or with little ones, during the school week.

Marching with Kids

2017-01-18T10:23:00.002-08:00

A good resource if you are planning on any of the marches this weekend:

Parent tips for marching

Here is the link to the Boston Women's March:

Boston Women's March

Free Fridays

2016-06-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Highland Street Foundation provides these activities during summer months.

Click below for 2016 summer activities and sights:

Free Fridays

Connors Memorial Pool

2015-07-28T17:33:00.001-07:00

Great new(ish) pool open to the community. Perfect for a family visit, the pool starts off with a shallow- walk-in end and gradually gets deeper, with a pretty visible divide. There are fountains and water jets for kids to play in and locker rooms for men and women. Life-guards are attentive and rule-enforcing. Great summer find!

The address is 330 River Street in Waltham, it is open 7 days a week from 11am- 7 pm.

Chikki Plaza

2015-05-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

Chikki Plaza is an English-Spanish bilingual playspace located in Cummings Park in Woburn (behind BankAmerica). Each weekday they run an activity for children in Spanish. The clean playspace is for children from 1-5 with a separate snack/birthday party area upstairs. The space is ideal for more low-key, indoor play. It's on the smaller side, so high energy play could be tricky. The play equipment appears to be new and is organized. They provide coffee for parents and little complimentary snacks for children.

Chikki Plaza link

Hours

Monday - Friday	9:30 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday, & Sunday	9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Admission

Child less than 1 year	Free with paid child admission
Child 1 year and up	$11
Extra child 1 and up in the same household	$7
Adults	1 adult Free with a child admission. (additional adults $2)

Free and Reduced Museum Times

2015-04-13T10:00:00.001-07:00

I put this together for students whom I teach, but it's a quick guide for some local museums:

Exploring Museums

Boston Children’s Museum

http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org/

Fridays, 5pm – 9pm $1 admission

308 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
617.426.6500

From Downtown Crossing: The MBTA #7 bus stops in the Downtown Crossing area at Summer and Otis Streets and at South Station (See walking directions from South Station to the Museum). The bus will indicate that the destination is City Point.

Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum

http://www.gardnermuseum.org/home

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
25 Evans Way (not gps address)
Boston, MA 02115

18 and under – Free

Take the Green Line E train to the Museum of Fine Arts stop, or the Orange Line train to the Ruggles stop

Harvard Art Museum(s)

http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/

32 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 495-9400

Saturdays 10- 12pm- Free (under 18 always free)

5 minute walk from Harvard stop red line

Museum of Fine Art

http://www.mfa.org/

465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
(617) 267-9300

Wednesdays 4 pm- 9:45 pm pay what you wish

Take the Green Line E train to the Museum of Fine Arts stop, or the Orange Line train to the Ruggles stop

MIT Museum

http://web.mit.edu/museum/

465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115
(617) 267-9300

Last Saturday of every month- Free (except July and August) The MIT Museum is a 7-minute walk from the Central Square stop on the Red Line.
The # 1 bus stops on Massachusetts Avenue a few blocks from the MIT Museum.

deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum

http://www.decordova.org/
First Wednesday of each month is free

51 Sandy Pond Road
Lincoln, MA 01773

781.259.8355

Imagine Indoor Playspace & Art Center

2014-08-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

A two floor indoor playground opened in Cambridge, just outside the Fresh Pond rotary, last fall. The space is large and aesthetically pleasing with artistic touches throughout. There are paintings by various artists hang in on the walls and a little library area for kids to relax and have some down time.

The play area is divided into a library, snack area, sensory table, small climbing structure and ball pit, and a small bouncy house. There are various toys throughout, Magna tiles, blocks, push and ride on toys, kitchen areas, etc. Downstairs at this point is a more open space for running.

The space is also creating clubs for children and running some classes, such as CPR. They are open for open play from 9-6 every day.

Upstairs at Imagine.

Ball pit and climbing structure.

It is $7 per child, with discounted passes and sibling rates. Great space and art center!

Link to Imagine

Stone Zoo

2014-05-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

In Stoneham, just off of 93N, there is a small zoo, the perfect size for young children. The newest attraction is the addition of a few alligators. The zoo is a good size for a few hours and is open from 10:00- 5:00pm on weekdays, April 1- September 30 and on weekends from 10:00 - 6:00 pm, and the winter hours which run from October 1- March 31, are 10:00 am- 4:00 pm.

Rates are available at the link below. Stone Zoo Link

The zoo runs daily Birds of Prey shows, has a small gift shop, a food vendor during summer hours, restrooms and a few rides for children.

Concord Museum Christmas Trees

2013-12-27T18:29:00.001-08:00

Each year the Concord Museum, in Concord, Mass, puts up themed Christmas trees. The trees are based on children's literature and copies of the books are displayed next to each tree. The thirty plus trees are located throughout the museum and range in all shapes and sizes. The trees and stories change each year. Admission this year ran at $15 per adult, $6/child, and children 3 under being free. Parking is street parking along Lexington St and is also free. (Be careful crossing the street, cars drive very quickly on Lexington St). The museum opens the exhibit just after Thanksgiving and it stays open through January 1. Throughout the duration of the exhibit, various authors of the books will visit, sometimes characters from the books, and other events take place. Checking the website will give you the annual calendar.

Concord center, just down the street is also a quaint, lovely little town center which is great for Christmas shopping or wandering around. Metered street parking is available there.

Museum Address: 200 Lexington Rd, Concord, MA 01742

Phone:(978) 369-9763

Hours: April- Dec. Mon- Sat: 9- 5:00 Sunday 12- 5:00
Jan- March: Mon- Sat 11:00- 4:00, Sun 1:00- 4:00

Click here for Concord Museum Link

Pumpkin Patch

2013-10-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

For a little pumpkin patch option, the Second Congregational Church in Winchester runs an annual fall pumpkin patch. It begins at the end of September and runs through until Halloween. Located on Washington Street the patch is outside the stone church, with street parking on Washington Street and Kenwin Road.
A few baked goods are available and wagons to pick the pumpkins, which are priced from $1.00 on. It is run by church members volunteering and most of the proceeds to go charity, specifically the Navajo Nation, the Winchester Middle School after school programs, and a local food pantry.

This year hours are:
Mon: Fri 2- 7pm
Sat: 10 -5 pm
Sun: 12- 5 pm
and Columbus Day from 10-5
They also run special fair days, that include kiddie activities.

Raspberry Picking at Wright-Locke Farm

2013-10-06T08:48:00.001-07:00

Raspberry picking is available at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester through the first frost. Located on Ridge Street in Winchester, the raspberry bushes are organic and is the perfect size for an outing with toddlers and preschoolers. Entrance is free and you pay per pound for the raspberries. It's a fun, local and fast picking alternative to apple orchards. There are a few animals to see and chickens to feed the underripe raspberries to.

Wright-Locke Farm site

Beaver Brook Reservation and Spray Park

2013-08-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Belmont and Waltham are home to Beaver Brook Reservation, a conservation land of 59 acres. The reservation includes hiking trails, bike paths, picnic areas, and a playground and spray park. The trails are open year round, as is the playground, while the spray park is open in the summer from 9:30 am - 7:30 pm. There are picnic tables at various points on the reservation and a covered pavilion at the park site, along with bathrooms, trash cans, and benches.

It is accessible by public transportation and also has parking lots and street parking, depending on which part of the park you are going to.

Click here for link to Beaver Brook Reservation and Spray Park

Arlington Spray Park

2013-08-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

The spray park next to Thompson Elementary School in Arlington is a good cool down spot for the summer. Other than the sprinklers, they also offer a playground with an area appropriate for both toddlers and older children. There are a set of picnic benches also and shady spots for relaxing under the trees. The spray park is open when school lets out in the early summer until the close of summer.

The easiest way to find the park is to locate Dunkin Donuts on Broadway in Arlington and it is a few blocks behind it. Set in a residential neighborhood, there is street parking and parking at the elementary school.

Click here for link to park

Funtown Splashtown USA

2013-08-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Funtown Splashtown USA is about an hour and a half from the city of Boston, in Saco, Maine, just off of 95 and is a good sized amusement park for children. It is another, bigger option to Canobie Lake. There are two sides to the park, identifiable by the bracelets one purchases upon entering. (The entry fees are confusing, after speaking to two representatives and having friends have completely different experiences purchasing their bands, I couldn't explain it). Splashtown houses about twenty water slides and pools for various heights and ages. If you read the height requirements however, it will reduce the number of water slides and rides to a lot fewer available to a given group of people. Funtown has rides for all sizes and at varying speeds also. There are several "family" rides, such as antique cars on a track, kiddie rides including airplanes and bumper boats, and much faster rides, for older children or more daring folk. Park hours begin sporadically in late May, and pick up in June. The park closes again in September. During the summer, the parks open at 10:00 on a daily basis and Splashtown closes at 6:00, Funtown at 9:00.

Food is available in the park, but you are also allowed to bring food in, just no glass containers. There is some shopping and various other park activities, such as arcades and games. Often during the week in the summer, camp groups will go, so weekends aren't that much busier comparatively.

A family of four would probably spend between $100-150 for a day at the park, with admission and purchasing food. Children under 38 inches ride for free, so it is a good option for little ones!

Click here for link to FuntownSplashtown, USA

Seacoast Science Center

2013-07-30T12:48:00.001-07:00

A little marine center in Rye, New Hampshire is a great destination for the day. It is set in Odiorne State Park and is a small aquarium on the coast.

The facility itself has a touch tank area, several tanks housing various sea creatures, and some hands on exhibits that include a submarine parts, and a row boat for pretend fishing.
There are hourly educational activities to join and tidal pools outside to explore. In addition to the center itself, there is no shortage of picnic tables outside to eat a prepacked lunch (only vending machines available and no trash barrels) and a nearby playground within the park.
The setting is beautiful and bountiful rocks to climb on and places to explore. Definitely worth a trip, just over an hour from the city of Boston.

There are two fees, one to enter the park (adults $4 and children 6-11 $2 each) and one for the Science Center (adults $7, seniors $5, and children 3-12 $3).

Click here for link to Marine Science Center

Tidal pools and rocks

deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park

2013-07-01T18:20:00.002-07:00

A great place to go with kids to expose them to art from an early age. The sculpture park is perfect for your active little ones who want to run and discover and enjoy the outdoors. The sculpture park encompasses about 35 acres of land and is surrounded by trees. Some sculptures are interactive and some integrate into the natural surroundings. The deCordova also can be accessed with a Minuteman Library pass so that admission is free. Additionally, in the summer they host yoga sessions for both adults and children on the weekends, as well as artist talks, and sculpture garden tours. The museum also has workshops and is home to a nursery school. The interior of the museum is host to changing contemporary art exhibitions.
The grounds are perfect for picnicking and enjoying a full day of exploring.
One last family-friendly point is that the restrooms all have changing tables!

deCordova Link

Watertown Indoor Playground

2013-01-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

For an indoor play space with lots of room to run, Watertown Indoor Playground has a good amount of space and equipment. It is geared to children from age 0-5 (2-5 being on the more appropriate end of the scale). There is one large, open room with another room for quieter, less movement oriented play.
The equipment includes two bouncy houses, ride on toys, climbing areas, a kitchen set, ball pit, and exercise area. There is much more beyond the options mentioned above. Kids are required to take off shoes and socks and it is fairly clean (a little weird to visit the bathroom shoeless, but I guess everyone does it). Upon entering, there is a seating area to have and buy snacks, but you can bring in your own food. Earlier in the day, it is fairly empty, and can be quiet.
Hours are less restrictive than other indoor playgrounds that we have visited and are less booked for events and birthday parties.

Monday to Saturday 9- 8pm
Sunday 10- 8pm

Pricing differs slightly, the winter being a couple of dollars more, but kids are generally $10 for the first child and $8 for each additional child, and the first adult is free. There are rocking chairs and Wifi for adults. The parking is around the back of the facility, as is the door to enter. Further information and birthday party info is at the link below.

Worth a trip for those cold days of cabin fever!

Watertown Indoor Playground

McCue's Flower Outlet

2012-12-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

For Christmas trees and decorations that are well-priced and last, visit McCue's Flower Outlet in Billerica, Ma. Their Christmas trees tend to be slightly below prices of greenhouses and garden centers that are in the city or suburbs and they have a wide variety of Christmas plants, decorations, wreathes, Kissing Balls, and garlands.

They are open throughout all the garden seasons. We tend to go a few times a year, in the spring for planting season and before Christmas. They also have great sales at the end of the season(s) (particularly late spring).

To keep up-to-date, I check out their Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/mccuesfloweroutlet

Choosing Schools

2012-10-21T10:17:00.001-07:00

With all the great public and private schools in the Greater Boston area, choosing a preschool or school can be a difficult choice. One resource we found for looking at schools was attending open houses. This is a good basis for determining what you want and what is out there. Fall is a Open House "season" for private schools, with the application process beginning not long after.
The Independent Schools in New England website is one resource for tracking dates and locations:

Open House Link, Fall 2012

Some schools require advance registration for Open Houses, and if you miss the date, they will fulfill requests for scheduling (usually group) tours at later dates.

Brooksby Farm

2012-10-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

A little farm and pick-your-on spot in Peabody, close to Route 1, Brooksby Farm offers seasonal fruit picking and has a few animals for kids to view also. The animals include llamas, a variety of birds, and some pigs. It's a manageable spot for a day trip with little ones and not too far to walk into the Orchard and picking areas. They also have a great little farmstand with fresh produce and baked items, as well as homemade jellies and jams. Weekday summer picking is not crowded and the fruit is plentiful.

Brooksby Farm Link

Creative Travel

2012-08-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

No idea how to make or install this, but I thought it was a pretty cool and creative way to travel with two little ones. I spotted it in Davis Square in Somerville one morning.