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- 19 Awesome Things to Do in Boston with Kids - July 23, 2022
- 15+ Best Things to Do in Lincoln NH - June 11, 2022
Are you planning a family vacation in Boston? Boston is an amazing place to visit with kids, offering the perfect mix of history, culture, and just plain fun. There are many fun things to do in Boston with kids in this very walkable city, and public transportation is easy and visitor-friendly. With family friendly activities around every turn, Boston with kids can be easily planned whether your family is used to urban environments or not.
We’ve rounded up what we think are the best things to do in Boston with kids. Kids of all ages are sure to find something in Boston that completely fascinates and delights them. Ready to plan your Boston family vacation? Let’s go!
PS: Consider getting the Go Boston Card or the Boston CityPASS to save money on attractions! If you’re looking for family activities in Boston this weekend or what to do with kids in Boston today, check out this local Boston events calendar to help plan your Boston family trip!
Things to Do in Boston with Kids
Visit The Museum of Science
The Museum of Science offers Boston fun for kids aged 1 to 100 with hands on exhibits, an Omni Theatre, a 4-D theatre, and a planetarium. The Lightning Show is exciting for everyone, as are exhibits such as the science behind playgrounds.
Go on a Scavenger Hunt
You can create your own scavenger hunt as a fun way to explore Boston, or you can utilize one of the many scavenger hunt companies that provide exciting prompts and all of the help you need through the simple download of a phone app.
Try Let’s Roam or Operation City Quest to get started with a family-friendly Boston game to get better acquainted with the city.
Walk The Freedom Trail
There is an endless amount of history to be taken in throughout the city of Boston, and walking The Freedom Trail is a fun, immersive way for kids (and their adults!) with even the shortest of attention spans to explore the history of the city.
Check out our Guide to The Freedom Trail for more info!
Take a Boat Tour
A family friendly boat ride out to the Boston Harbor Islands will gift your family with the best of both worlds as you view the city from the water and visit the small islands in the harbor. These islands are natural playgrounds with beaches, hiking, forts, and various opportunities for exploration. Bring a kite along for some unique kite flying opportunities!
Play at Boston Common
So many Boston kid friendly activities are found in their incredible public parks, and if you’re looking for the best places to take toddlers in Boston, put this one on your list. In the warm weather months, your kiddos can splash in the Frog Pond spray park/wading pool, and take a spin on the Frog Pond Carousel. In the winter months, you and the kiddos can ice skate on it!
Take a Swan Boat Ride
When you’re looking for fun things for kids to do in Boston, taking a Swan Boat ride in the Public Garden (just across the street from Boston Common) is fun for the whole family! Make sure to visit the nearby Make Way for Ducklings statues. This is a great activity for little kids in Boston especially.
Check out the Boston Tea Party Museum
Especially fun for kids in Boston that are old enough to have learned the story of the Boston Tea Party in school, a visit to the Boston Tea Party Museum will provide your family with a multi-sensory experience on this floating museum as the actors reenact the spirit of the Boston Tea Party. Even the “coolest” of teens will enjoy this immersive historical experience!
Visit the Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts is a great Boston family activity as it does a wonderful job allowing both parents and children ways to enjoy the art simultaneously. In addition to the children’s audio tour, there are also self-guided and guide-led tours for families, creative art projects for kids during school vacation weeks, and family focused entertainment in the theater.
Walk the Rose Kennedy Greenway
Over on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, you will find a great greenspace with all kinds of opportunity for Boston family activities! With beer and wine gardens for the adults, fountains perfect for everyone to splash around in, food trucks, pop up markets, and a carousel to ride on, there’s something for everyone in the family to enjoy on the Rose Kennedy Greenway.
Tour Fenway Park
Are you in Boston with kids that love baseball? Then you definitely need to visit Fenway Park, “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark!” You can take a guided tour of Fenway Park in only 40 minutes, the perfect time for most kid’s attention spans.
Go Wild at the Franklin Park Zoo
Open rain or shine, the Franklin Park Zoo is always a good bet for fun things to do in Boston with kids! Who doesn’t love getting to see all the neat wild animals? You can even schedule a “meet and greet” with certain zoo animals, including tortoises, chinchillas, rabbits, iguanas, and more!
Play at Legoland Boston
What kiddo doesn’t love Legoland? One of the best rainy day activities Boston has for kids, Legoland is a must do on your things to do in Boston with kids list!
Visit the New England Aquarium
Kids of all ages will love a visit to the New England Aquarium where you can interact with sea lions, penguins, and giant sea turtles; you can easily spend an entire day at this stunning aquarium. The aquarium also offers an Imax theatre and is a perfect stop along the beautiful Harbor Walk.
Play at the Boston Children’s Museum
Boston Children’s Museum is especially fun for younger children, with a floor to ceiling climbing structure, hands on and educational play galore, and theatre shows in which your child can be a participant, your little ones can easily spend a full day making the most of this play-based museum. If you’re looking for fun places to take toddlers in Boston, Boston Children’s Museum is a must!
Eat fun food
Your family can eat their way through Boston for days and days, but there are a few favorites that are always a big hit for the kids. Fire + Ice offers a fun dining experience that’s a little bit hibachi, a whole lotta fun for kids to watch as their meals are prepared right in front of them! Shake Shack in nearby Chestnut Hill is a fun choice because not only is their very kid-friendly menu of burgers, fries, and shakes sure to be a hit, but they also have a great outdoor space for kids to run around in!
Quincy Market in Faneuil Hall will not only allow you to visit one of the most famous places in Boston, it will also provide a marketplace of food options that will have something for every member of your family no matter what they’re craving. If you would like a more modern take on a food market to satisfy several different preferences within the family, check out the beautiful Boston Public Market nearby.
Hang at the Lawn on D
This park and playground is sure to be a hit for the kids and the adults in your group! Live music, lawn games, and food festivals are often found at the Lawn on D, and there are modern swings and art illuminations that make for a unique Boston experience.
Be Entertained
Boston has free, family-friendly entertainment thanks to the amazing street performers of Faneuil Hall. You can also stop by the BosTix booth right there to grab discounted and last minute theatre tickets. Blue Man Group is a family favorite with multi-sensory sound and spectacle excitement that will keep everyone in the family highly entertained.
Become a Junior Park Ranger
Your little ones can become honorary Junior Park Rangers by completing fun activities as they take in historical sites. The Boston National Historical Park has two visitor centers where you can begin – in Faneuil Hall and in the Charlestown Navy Yard. There are many ranger-guided talks and tours and educational programs that the whole family can enjoy, and your kids will love earning a prestigious honor during their Boston vacation.
Take a Duck Boat Tour
The ultimate way to see all of the major sights in Boston with kids while also being entertained is to take a Duck Boat tour, one of the coolest boat tours in Boston!. These tours leave from the Museum of Science, the Prudential, and the New England Aquarium.
The tour guides will have your family laughing and learning together and will drive you through all of the must-see places in Boston via a duck-shaped vehicle and will also take you out to the water where your vehicle will float along the Charles River. This is one of the best family activities in Boston, hands down!
Bonus Boston Day Trip with Kids
Need to escape the city? Or dealing with a rainy day? Consider hopping in the car (or taking the train) just an hour away to Fitchburg, where you can enjoy the indoor water park at Great Wolf Lodge. This would make for a really fun thing to do with kids near Boston, and it’s one of the top water parks in New England.
Read these next:
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- Best Day Trips from Boston
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