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Things To Do With Kids in Boston

Today I’m starting a new series — What To Do With Kids in *Insert City Name Here* — and I hope you like it! I plan to coerce my friends all around the country to contribute to this column so we can get an insider’s view into each of these cities. I hope you’ll add your ideas to the comments, making this a great resource for anyone traveling with kids.

The very first city I’m featuring is near and dear to my heart. It is Boston. I took my first trip to Boston when I was in high school, and I fell in love with the city. In fact, I ended up returning to the area for college, when I got to know Boston quite well.

My good friend and fellow blogger, Christine Koh, runs the parenting site, Boston Mamas. She generously agreed to share her insider info with us on things to do with kids in Boston! If you’ve never taken your family to Boston, I hope you’ll add it to your bucket list. It is definitely one American city not to be missed!!! Here’s a picture of our family at a Red Sox game not too long ago. SO FUN!

shane family at fenway.png

12 Awesome Boston Attractions

Despite being a Boston lifer, I never tire of the offerings of this amazing city, which is replete with culinary and cultural attractions, great shopping, green space, and kid-friendly activities. I feel as if I’m just scratching the surface, but here are 12 of my favorite recommendations for you to consider on your next visit to Boston:

  1. Boston Common/Public Garden. No trip to Boston is complete without a trip to the Boston Common/Public Garden; a truly wonderful spot for families. Simply walking the grounds is beautiful, but your kids will no doubt gravitate towards the swan boats, Make Way for Ducklings statues (hello, photo op!), playground, and splash pool (turned skating rink in the winter).

  2. Beacon Hill. For the quintessential Boston experience, take a stroll around Beacon Hill, particularly Charles Street if you’re up for a little window (or real) shopping. Wear flats to save your heels on the cobblestone sidewalks!

  3. Paper Source. If you’re looking for great gifts and paper craft supplies, look no further than Paper Source. Though this store now has many locations across the country, one of the store’s original locations was the Cambridge store. The Boston store on Boylston Street (just minutes from the Public Garden) is loaded with fun goodies for all ages.

  4. Honey Jo Hair Stylist & Color Specialist. If you can steal away for an hour on your own, I highly recommend you visit my friend and brilliant cut/color hair stylist Honey Jo at Studio 9 on Newbury. She has the technical experience and stylish intuition to know exactly how to make you look even more awesome.

  5. Esplanade Playspace. Grab a coffee and head over to the Esplanade Playspace, where your kids can climb to their heart’s desire and you can kick back and take in the beautiful view of the Charles River.

  6. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Boston is home to many spectacular museums and the Gardner is one of my favorites. The collection is impressive and the original structure —  with its beautiful courtyard — takes you back in time. My 9-year-old was also transfixed by what wasn’t there: the empty frames from the unsolved 1990 theft remain.

  7. Gelataria. People often flock to pastry shops like Mike’s and Modern in the North End, but I go for the gelato! In which case I head to Gelataria on Hanover Street.

  8. Flour Bakery. If you’re looking for a tasty yet quick bite to eat (and plenty of treats), you can access Flour Bakery at three Boston locations (Fort Point, South End, Back Bay). The menu offers a nice mix of kid-friendly options as well as fancier grown up sandwiches (hello, grilled tofu).

  9. Rose Kennedy Greenway. Though the Big Dig construction project (which moved elevated highways underground) caught a lot of grief for the time and expense it took, one of the most stunning results is the Rose Kennedy Greenway. This series of parks and gardens has brought gorgeous green space to some of Boston’s oldest neighborhoods; the area immediately near the waterfront includes a carousel and spray fountain.

  10. Fenway Park. Between tickets, snacks, and souvenirs, a family outing to Fenway will cost you but the Red Sox experience is truly something! Actually, around here we refer to it as wicked pissah.

  11. Boston Opera House. Performing arts lovers must take in a show at the Boston Opera House. This venue is magical and opulent, the perfect setting for the Boston Ballet’s yearly Nutcracker run, among other performances.

  12. Eldo Cake House. Boston’s Chinatown is replete with eating establishments, and if you’re looking for a classic bakery, visit Eldo for their cake rolls and so much more, all at stunningly affordable prices.

ChristineKoh-ZacWolfPhotography-square-tightChristine Koh is a music and brain scientist turned multimedia creative. She is the founder and editor of the award-winning lifestyle/parenting blog Boston Mamas, the graphic designer behind Posh Peacock, a digital strategist at Women Online/The Mission List, and co-author of Minimalist Parenting. Her work has been featured in Boston MagazineThe Boston GlobeParentsRedbook, the New York Times, NPR, ABC News, and other fine media outlets. Christine lives in the Boston area with her husband Jonathan and daughters Laurel and Violet. She tweets about it all at @bostonmamas.

 

 

For more family travel, see all of my Things To Do With Kids posts.

Join The Conversation

9 Responses

  1. Oh, I love this so much. We lived in Boston for almost four years and I miss it all the time! This just makes me a little homesick and it looks like I need to plan a trip to show our son his hometown 🙂 xoxo

  2. Good one, I live in Boston and couldn’t stop myself from adding the following as the things to do are with kids 🙂
    Cann’t miss duck tours, freedom trail walk, children’s museum, Aquarium and Harbor cruises

  3. Boston is a city I have never had the proper time to explore. I love this list because it includes more than the ‘traditional’ must-see list. Perfection.

  4. Great ideas. Going through Boston this year before our annual Cape Cod adventure. Now we have some places to go. Thanks for the info.

  5. I LOVE finding family friendly lists – hopefully we can get to Boston sometime soon!!!

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