Fun at Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary

We're always looking for kid-friendly hikes.  (Meaning, mostly flat, not too long, ones that loop around)   I also love to take advantage of our Mass Audubon membership.  So, when my husband said that he wanted to do a Father's Day hike, I suggested Broadmoor in Natick.  We had a truly lovely time.  The weather was great, the trails were totally doable for even my 4 year old's little legs, and we saw some fun critters.

Check out what we saw:

Favorite Places to Picnic

Water play at the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway

We love picnicking!  It's one of our favorite pastimes during the non-winter months.  Here are a few favorite places to picnic around Boston.

1.  Castle Island in Southie.   Lots of picnic tables, a beach, watching the airplanes take off, and a great playground!  If you forgot to pack anything for your picnic, Sullivan's has cheap eats.   You can spend all day at Castle Island.   

2.  Boston Common.  Enjoy the landscaping, the sights, and in the summer you can wade in the Frog Pond for free!  There are lots of nice spots for a picnic, and afterwards you can do the Swan Boats and the carousel, or take a stroll up Newbury Street.

3.  Artesani Park.  There are picnic tables galore at Artesani Park in Brighton.  There's a big parking lot and it's only a 10 minute bus ride from Central Square.  The playgrounds are fun and the wading pool in the summer is really awesome!  

4.  Cochituate State Park in Natick.  Make a day of it!  Rent a paddleboat, go swimming, throw around the ball, and have a picnic.  There are even barbecues.  Last year, the DCR offered nature programming for kids and hopefully will do the same this summer.  Take a peek at last year's schedule for an idea of what they offered.  Bring cash, as there's a $5 parking fee.  (Or buy a season parking pass - we go frequently and it pays for itself!)

5.  Auburndale Cove in Newton.  A trail, ducks to feed, a big mountain of sand, playgrounds, and a picnic area.  The Cove is one of Isaac's favorite playgrounds!  It's nice and wooded and perfect for a picnic.  

6.  Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.  Head over to the North End for some pizza and pastries and bring them over to the Rose Kennedy Greenway!   There are tables, plenty of places for kids to run, a carousel, and free entertainment!  

What are your favorite places to picnic?

SKYBOKX 109's Kids Eat Free and $6 Happy Hour Appetizers!

Dino chicken nuggets at SKYBOKX 109

Earlier this week, we went to SKYBOKX 109 in Natick for dinner and had a great time!

Last year I listed all of the Boston-Area Kids Eat Free restaurants but I didn't realize that SKYBOKX 109 also offered kids eat free.  I had noticed it before when going to Burlington Coat Factory or the Natick Mall, so I'm glad I finally go to go.

The offer Kids Eat Free on Mondays.  They have bunch of fun kids options, from pizza to mac and cheese to dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, which was Isaac's choice.  Meals come with a drink and either fruit or french fries.

On top of that, SKYBOKX 109 also offers $6 happy hour apps from 4-6!

SKYBOKX was a fun place to visit - it's totally kid-friendly, but has a fun, modern feel.  Isaac already asked when we could go back!

Easter Bunny Visits

Less than a month until Peter Cottontail comes hoppin' along the bunny trail!  Looking for a place for your kids to meet the Easter Bunny?  Here are some fun options.  I will add more as I find them!

Bunny Bonanzoo at the Stone Zoo.  You can take your own photo with the Easter Bunny for a suggested donation of $5. All proceeds benefit Stone Zoo.  This is in addition to regular zoo admission.  The Bonanzoo also includes crafts, music, and other Easter festivities!  This event is only on April 19.

The Easter Bunny at Roger Williams Park Zoo.   Head down to Providence's awesome zoo.  Get your kids' picture taken with the Easter Bunny and do a craft!  The event runs from 10am to 12pm and 1pm to 4 pm. The price is in addition to general Zoo admission - is $10 for children ages 3-12, and $5 for toddlers ages 0-2.  Adults are free.  This event will take place April 12, 13, 18, and 19.

Waltham's Easter Bunny Celebration.  Hop to Waltham on Saturday, April 12, 2014 from 9:30am-12:00pm at the Arthur J. Clark Government Center, 119 School Street. Snap photos with the Easter Bunny, enjoy balloons, do arts and crafts, and meet Patches the Fire Dog!

The Easter Bunny at Natick Mall.  The Easter Bunny will be there for pictures from 3/29/2014 - 4/19/2014.  Here is a 30% off coupon for photos - for  only $29.00 you get four 5”x7” Portraits, four 4”x6” Portraits, eight Wallet Size Portraits AND a Digital Download.  You do have to buy in advance, though.

Easter Events at Patriot Place.  Lots of stuff going on there!  Bass Pro Shops has Easter Egg Hunts on April 12, 13, 19, and 20 from 2-3 PM.  They're also offering an opportunity for FREE photos with the Easter Bunny!  There's also Easter crafts!

Meet the Easter Bunny at the Watertown Mall.  The Easter Bunny will be there on April 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, and 19.

Phillips Candy House 22nd Annual Spring Egg Hunt. An egg hunt, hot chocolate, and photos and a meet and greet with the Easter Bunny himself!

Easter Party at JamTime.  JamTime has locations in Maynard and Natick.  April 18 and 19.  The Easter Bunny, games, sweet treats, and crafts.  Free with the cost of admission!

5 things to do this week & next!

This will be my last "5 Things to do this Week" (and day late - darn!) until the week of March 17, so I'm going to extend it to cover next week as well.    We're leaving for California on Friday and crossing fingers for some springlike weather when we return.  I'll be doing a Groupon roundup tomorrow and that's it for the next few weeks!  However, I will still be posting on my Facebook page if I see anything cool going on, so follow me there if you don't already!

Anyway, here are 5 things to do this week and next week!

1.  Maple Days at Old Sturbridge Village.  Learn about how maple sugaring was done in 19th century New England!  Maple Days are March 1, 2, 8, 9, 15,  and 16.  Kids are FREE all of those weekends!!!  There's also a Groupon running right now.  Bundle up and have fun.

2.  Visit the Butterfly Place in Westford.  They just opened for the season a few weeks ago.

3.  See Ben Rudnick and Friends at Tico in Back Bay on March 8.  The show is free, coffee/tea/juice is free, and there's brunch ($).  Plus, benefits proceed Birthday Wishes.

4.  Check out one of the Kids' Shows at the Coolidge Corner Theater.

5.  Grab a Groupon for the Body Worlds Vital Exhibit in Fanuiel Hall.

ETA bonus stuff:

6.  Stacey Peasley is doing a singalong at Colores Kids in Natick on 2/28 @ 10am!  FREE!

TEN Inexpensive Indoor Ideas to do this Week!

Jump Around is a great place to get some energy out!

Updated on 1/27/14!

It's another cold week ahead of us, so here are ten (inside!) things for you to do this week.  I tried to find some good deals or otherwise inexpensive things to do.  Some of the indoor activities are so expensive - one thing I found was an indoor play area for $15!  That's more expensive than the Children's Museum!

So, here are some cheaper options to keep you warm while getting out of the house.

1.  Grab a Groupon for Jump Around in Framingham.  Seriously.  Do it.  I bought one and we went on Friday when the temperature was only about 12 degrees.   Isaac really needed to get some energy out and this helped!

2.  Or buy a Groupon for Kids Fun Stop in West Roxbury.   The deal is $30 for five drop-in play visits, so it's half off.   Best for kids 6 and under.

3.  Visit the Harvard Museum of Natural History.   Their regular rates are quite affordable, but they also offer times to go for free for Massachusetts residents.  If you get there Sunday morning from 9:00 am to noon or on Wednesday from 3:00 to 5:00 pm, you will get in free.  (Side note:  Free Sunday mornings happen year-round, but free Wednesday mornings are only from September until May)

4.  Spend Friday evening at the Boston Children's Museum.  Courtesy of Target, it's only $1 from 5-9 pm.

5.  Visit the Boston Fire Museum on Saturday morning.  It's only open on Saturdays, but there's no admission - just bring a donation.  It's not a big museum, but it's fun, especially if you have a kid who likes fire trucks!

6.  Stop at Kelly's Roast Beef for Kids' Night. It's every Monday in Saugus from 5-8 pm, every Tuesday in Danvers and Medford from 5-8 pm, and every Wednesday in Natick from 5-8 pm! There's storytelling, face painting, balloons, arts and crafts projects, and ice cream!  It's free to enjoy the activities, but the food is not free of charge.

7.  Skip cooking one night and go to one of the Boston-area kids eat free nights.

8.  Go to a Tuesday morning story time at Pottery Barn Kids.  It's going to be in the teens tomorrow (ugh) so head to an indoor mall with a PB Kids and maybe grab lunch and hit up the play area to kill some time.

9.  Meet Dora the Explorer tomorrow at the Patriot's Place story time inside Showcase Cinema De Lux.    (Showcase Cinema De Lux has these story times every Tuesday with a different character appearance!)

10.  Paint something at Plaster Fun Time.   You can keep this low cost by picking out lower-priced items.  They have magnets for under $4 and regular pieces start at about $9.  If you join their email list, you'll get coupons sent to you.   They have 9 locations.