5 Things to do this Week!

After an amazing family vacation to the island where my mom grew up in Croatia, I'm back and ready to blog!  Here are 5 free/cheap things to do this week.

1.  Spray parks.  There are going to be a few scorchers this week - Tuesday is supposed to be 88 and Wednesday is supposed to be 90.  So why not hit up a spray park?  Waltham not only has some excellent spray parks, but during the week the Boys and Girls Club is at a few of the locations giving free lunches to kids.

2.  Frog Pond.  Keep cool in Boston by taking a wade in the Frog Pond.  Enjoy the shade in Boston Common, a picnic, a ride on the carousel, and cool off in the Frog Pond.

3.  See a free outdoor movie.  The Sandlot is playing in Newton Highlands after live Irish music.  The Hatch Shell has Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.  Both on Friday.

4.  Visit the MIT Museum or the Franklin Park Zoo for free on Friday, courtesy of Highland Street.  Get there when it opens, though!

5.  Check out tide pools.  Drive on up to Joppa Flats in Newburyport for tide pooling.  $2 per kid.  Afterwards, I suggest visiting Bob Lobster for some fresh seafood!

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?

5 Things to do over Memorial Day Weekend

The unofficial start of summer - Memorial Day!  Here are some ideas for things to do.

1.  Kids can do the Kids Fun Run associated with Boston's Run to Remember.  On Saturday, the kids fun runs begin at 10:00 AM on top of the Seaport World Trade Center.  Afterwards, visit the Sports and Fitness Expo.  There's bouncy houses, clowns, free samples, storytelling, music, and more.

2.  Do the whole Boston Common thing!  Picnic, Swan Boats, carousel, wander around the gardens...the weather looks great for Sunday and Monday so ENJOY!

3.  Venture to Rhode Island for a PawSox game on Monday.  Monday nights are $1 menu Mondays at McCoy Stadium, so enjoy hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, chips, and Cracker Jack for a buck!  After the game, there will be fireworks!  View their schedule for more info.

4.  Head up to Newburyport for their annual Springfest.  There's kids entertainment, music, crafts, and food in lovely Newburyport!

5.  Lastly, let's not forget the real meaning of Memorial Day.  Honor those that served our country and attend a Memorial Day Parade.  Here's a schedule of local Memorial Day Parades.

5 Fun Things to do this Week!

image from mycutegraphics.com

I hear it's going to be a snowy/icy/slushy/yucky week - but wasn't the weekend such a treat?

I'm going to start post weekly ideas of free or inexpensive things to do.  It's a toughie in the winter sometime and some of these indoor activities are a little costly.  (The Armory indoor playspace in Somerville is $15 - what?!)  Here are some reasonably priced ideas.

1.  Go to the Watertown Library on Monday afternoon for Kindergarten Yoga!  Kids aged 4-6 can enjoy a brief introduction to yoga.  Free.

2.  Head over to Henry Bear's Park in Brookline on Friday afternoon for a musical show with children's performer Marcie Joy!  This also includes stories, crafts, and a coupon for Clover Food Lab.  Event starts at 5 PM.  Free.

3.  Go ice skating!  The Charles Hotel in Harvard Square offers ice skating with inexpensive rates and of course there's the Frog Pond.  Get in the spirit of the Winter Olympics!

4.  Check out open gym on Tuesday or Thursday at Exxcel Gymnastics in Newton.  For $8, you child can enjoy trampolines, balance beams, and more.

5.  Pottery Barn Kids has some activities going on this week.  Aside from their weekly Tuesday morning storytime, they also have a Valentine station this week and cookie decorating on Saturday!  Free.

Boston Common - Visit it on the cheap!

Make Way for Ducklings..and Isaac!

The summertime fun in Boston Common ends in a few weeks, so hurry up and visit there if you haven't yet this season!   It's the quintessential  Boston outing, and you can do it while only spending a little bit of cash.

First, take a ride on the Swan Boats!  For only $3 per adult and $1.50 per child (under 2 is free), you can take a delightful 15 minute cruise.  Enjoy the scenery, the ducks, and the willow trees.

Afterwards, head over to the carousel.  It's only $3 a ride, and if your kid is on the younger side you can go with them for free.

Then, put on your bathing suits and head into the Frog Pond - which is FREE!

Don't forget to visit the famous Make Way for Ducklings statues!  (They make a great photo op!)

A family of four can get away with only spending $15 for several hours of fun.

We also love to take the T.  We live in Newton, so we hop on at Woodland and get off at Arlington.