Graverson Playground and Elsie Turner Field

Check out this newly rebuilt playground in Waltham, with a small sprinkler splash pad. Beautiful facility in a quiet neighborhood. The playground boasts two new structures, while the field has a walking loop, newly finished basketball hoop, and soccer nets. There are trees around the perimeter, but the playground itself is full sun exposure during the day.
Hours for the water area start at 10:00 am.
Graverson playground

Sprinkler head on the sprinkler pad.

Splash pad area, which is fenced off from the other sections.

Covered picnic area.

View of the field area.

Free Fridays

The Highland Street Foundation provides these activities during summer months. 

Click below for 2016 summer activities and sights:


Free Fridays

Chikki Plaza

Chikki Plaza is an English-Spanish bilingual playspace located in Cummings Park in Woburn (behind BankAmerica). Each weekday they run an activity for children in Spanish.  The clean playspace is for children from 1-5 with a separate snack/birthday party area upstairs.  The space is ideal for more low-key, indoor play.  It's on the smaller side, so high energy play could be tricky.  The play equipment appears to be new and is organized.  They provide coffee for parents and little complimentary snacks for children. 

Chikki Plaza link

Hours

Monday - Friday	9:30 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday, & Sunday	9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Admission

Child less than 1 year	Free with paid child admission
Child 1 year and up	$11
Extra child 1 and up in the same household	$7
Adults	1 adult Free with a child admission. (additional adults $2)

Imagine Indoor Playspace & Art Center

A two floor indoor playground opened in Cambridge, just outside the Fresh Pond rotary, last fall.  The space is large and aesthetically pleasing with artistic touches throughout.  There are paintings by various artists hang in on the walls and a little library area for kids to relax and have some down time.

The play area is divided into a library, snack area, sensory table, small climbing structure and ball pit, and a small bouncy house.  There are various toys throughout, Magna tiles, blocks, push and ride on toys, kitchen areas, etc.  Downstairs at this point is a more open space for running.

The space is also creating clubs for children and running some classes, such as CPR.  They are open for open play from 9-6 every day.

Upstairs at Imagine.

Ball pit and climbing structure.

It is $7 per child, with discounted passes and sibling rates.  Great space and art center!

Link to Imagine

Pumpkin Patch

For a little pumpkin patch option, the Second Congregational Church in Winchester runs an annual fall pumpkin patch.  It begins at the end of September and runs through until Halloween.   Located on Washington Street the patch is outside the stone church, with street parking on Washington Street and Kenwin Road.
A few baked goods are available and wagons to pick the pumpkins, which are priced from $1.00 on.  It is run by church members volunteering and most of the proceeds to go charity, specifically the Navajo Nation, the Winchester Middle School after school programs, and a local food pantry.

This year hours are:
Mon:  Fri 2- 7pm
Sat: 10 -5 pm
Sun: 12- 5 pm
and Columbus Day from 10-5
They also run special fair days, that include kiddie activities.

Beaver Brook Reservation and Spray Park

Belmont and Waltham are home to Beaver Brook Reservation, a conservation land of 59 acres.  The reservation includes hiking trails, bike paths, picnic areas, and a playground and spray park.  The trails are open year round, as is the playground, while the spray park is open in the summer from 9:30 am - 7:30 pm.  There are picnic tables at various points on the reservation and a covered pavilion at the park site, along with bathrooms, trash cans, and benches.

It is accessible by public transportation and also has parking lots and street parking, depending on which part of the park you are going to.


Click here for link to Beaver Brook Reservation and Spray Park

Arlington Spray Park

The spray park next to Thompson Elementary School in Arlington is a good cool down spot for the summer.  Other than the sprinklers, they also offer a playground with an area appropriate for both toddlers and older children.  There are a set of picnic benches also and shady spots for relaxing under the trees.  The spray park is open when school lets out in the early summer until the close of summer.

The easiest way to find the park is to locate Dunkin Donuts on Broadway in Arlington and it is a few blocks behind it.  Set in a residential neighborhood, there is street parking and parking at the elementary school.

Click here for link to park

Seacoast Science Center

A little marine center in Rye, New Hampshire is a great destination for the day.  It is set in Odiorne State Park and is a small aquarium on the coast.




The facility itself has a touch tank area, several tanks housing various sea creatures, and some hands on exhibits that include a submarine parts, and a row boat for pretend fishing.
There are hourly educational activities to join and tidal pools outside to explore.  In addition to the center itself, there is no shortage of picnic tables outside to eat a prepacked lunch (only vending machines available and no trash barrels) and a nearby playground within the park.
The setting is beautiful and bountiful rocks to climb on and places to explore.  Definitely worth a trip, just over an hour from the city of Boston.

There are two fees, one to enter the park (adults $4 and children 6-11 $2 each) and one for the Science Center (adults $7, seniors $5, and children 3-12 $3).

Click here for link to Marine Science Center

Tidal pools and rocks

Choosing Schools

With all the great public and private schools in the Greater Boston area, choosing a preschool or school can be a difficult choice.  One resource we found for looking at schools was attending open houses.  This is a good basis for determining what you want and what is out there.  Fall is a Open House "season" for private schools, with the application process beginning not long after.
The Independent Schools in New England website is one resource for tracking dates and locations:

Open House Link, Fall 2012

Some schools require advance registration for Open Houses, and if you miss the date, they will fulfill requests for scheduling (usually group) tours at later dates.

Creative Travel

No idea how to make or install this, but I thought it was a pretty cool and creative way to travel with two little ones.  I spotted it in Davis Square in Somerville one morning.

Make Way for Ducklings Boston Event

We attended this a few years ago, a great family event that takes place in the Public Garden in Boston.  This year it falls on Mother's Day, May 13, 2012.  The event celebrates Robert McCloskey's book Make Way for Ducklings.  There is parade that traces the ducklings route through the city and ends in the Public Garden, where there is entertainment and food.  This years parade takes place at 10:30 am.  There is a donation of $35 per family if you attend the parade (and prepay, it's $40 the day of).  Since our little one was only months old, we just went down and watched some of the music and walked around.  Kids dress up & some adults also.  A nice way to celebrate the beginning of spring and some local literature!

Make Way for Ducklings 2012