5 Fun Father's Day Activities

Have you thought about what to do for the dad(s) in your life this Sunday?  Here are some fun ideas!

1.  The current Boston forecast for Sunday is 80 degrees, sunny, and dry.  There are so many great Boston-area beaches to choose from!  If freshwater beaches are your thing, head to an inland state park such as Walden Pond and spend the day swimming, boating, and picnicking.  Or get an early start and head to the North Shore or even the Cape.

2.  Visit Stone Zoo or Franklin Park Zoo...dads get in free on Sunday!  What a deal!

3.  Dads also get in free at Old Sturbridge Village!  Enjoy the lovely day in Central Mass.

4.  Treat Dad to some good pub grub at John Brewers (Waltham and Malden) or Brewers Coalition (Newtonville).  Dads eat free there on Sunday.  They have a great kids' meal, too!

5.  Go for a picnic at one of my favorite picnic spots around Boston.

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?

Celebrate Kindness at Boston Children’s Museum on May 31!

KIND Snacks and Sprout, the TV channel, teamed up to launch Operation Kind Kids – a program designed to inspire kindness through everyday thoughtful acts.  On May 31, KIND and Sprout are hosting family-friendly events across the country, including the Boston Children's Museum, to celebrate kindness.

This event is included with paid admission and will feature a variety of activity stations, including:

· Get creative:  Kids will have the chance to express what kindness means to them and share their vision as part of a collage wall.

· A kind act a day: Attendees will take home a calendar to track daily kind acts

· Pay it forward: Nothing brightens someone’s day quite like a flower, which is why kids will be invited to pick a flower and share it with someone in their life.

· Strike a pose: The whole family will have the chance to capture their experience in front of a fun photo backdrop

· Snack better: KIND Healthy Grains bars will be on hand for parents and their little ones to enjoy

Visit www.operationkindkids.com for activities designed to encourage kindness at home and in the community.

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.

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!

Green Tones Eco-Friendly Wooden Musical Instruments Giveaway - Keen For Green

Green Tones Instruments

When I'm not blogging here, I'm over at Keen For Green, blogging, managing other bloggers, doing social media, etc.  Sometimes I run great giveaways!  Currently, we are giving away Green Tones Eco-Friendly Toy Instruments!

This is a $40 value!!!

Please visit to to enter!

5 Things To Do Mother's Day Weekend

Cookie decorating at L'Aroma is always a good time!

I haven't been blogging much lately, but even when I don't blog, I keep my Boston Families on a Budget Facebook page updated with deals, events, and more, so be sure to follow me there!

Anyway, this weekend is Mother's Day, so HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all you moms out there. If you're looking for things to do this weekend, here are a few ideas:

1.  Head over to West Newton Square on Saturday for another Kids Weekend with all sorts of freebies!  The event includes cookie decorating at L'Aroma, pizza at West Newton Pizza, popcorn from West Newton Cinema, sewing at HipStitch, and MORE!   Everything is free - the cookie, the pizza, everything...free!

2.  Another Newton event this weekend is its annual Kids FunFest!  Rides, entertainment, crafts, and more!   The event is on both days, but there are more activities and vendors on Sunday.

3.  Enjoy some charitable dessert with Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer.  Participating restaurants, bakeries, and stores have desserts where proceeds go to Dana Farber.

4.  Go to the zoo!  Moms get in free on Sunday!

5.  Visit the Arnold Arboretum for its famous Lilac Sunday!   The weather looks perfect for it.