Watertown Indoor Playground

For an indoor play space with lots of room to run, Watertown Indoor Playground has a good amount of space and equipment.  It is geared to children from age 0-5 (2-5 being on the more appropriate end of the scale).  There is one large, open room with another room for quieter, less movement oriented play.
The equipment includes two bouncy houses, ride on toys, climbing areas, a kitchen set, ball pit, and exercise area.  There is much more beyond the options mentioned above.  Kids are required to take off shoes and socks and it is fairly clean (a little weird to visit the bathroom shoeless, but I guess everyone does it).  Upon entering, there is a seating area to have and buy snacks, but you can bring in your own food.  Earlier in the day, it is fairly empty, and can be quiet.
Hours are less restrictive than other indoor playgrounds that we have visited and are less booked for events and birthday parties.

Monday to Saturday 9- 8pm
Sunday 10- 8pm

Pricing differs slightly, the winter being a couple of dollars more, but kids are generally $10 for the first child and $8 for each additional child, and the first adult is free.  There are rocking chairs and Wifi for adults.  The parking is around the back of the facility, as is the door to enter.  Further information and birthday party info is at the link below.

Worth a trip for those cold days of cabin fever!

 Watertown Indoor Playground

McCue's Flower Outlet

For Christmas trees and decorations that are well-priced and last, visit McCue's Flower Outlet in Billerica, Ma.  Their Christmas trees tend to be slightly below prices of greenhouses and garden centers that are in the city or suburbs and they have a wide variety of Christmas plants, decorations, wreathes, Kissing Balls, and garlands.

They are open throughout all the garden seasons.  We tend to go a few times a year, in the spring for planting season and before Christmas.  They also have great sales at the end of the season(s) (particularly late spring).  

To keep up-to-date, I check out their Facebook page.  http://www.facebook.com/mccuesfloweroutlet

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.

Brooksby Farm

A little farm and pick-your-on spot in Peabody, close to Route 1, Brooksby Farm offers seasonal fruit picking and has a few animals for kids to view also.  The animals include llamas, a variety of birds, and some pigs.  It's a manageable spot for a day trip with little ones and not too far to walk into the Orchard and picking areas.  They also have a great little farmstand with fresh produce and baked items, as well as homemade jellies and jams.  Weekday summer picking is not crowded and the fruit is plentiful.

Brooksby Farm Link

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.

Cape Cod Children's Museum

This children's museum is located in Mashpee, Cape Cod, near Falmouth.  It is housed in what seems to be a warehouse type space.  The museum is open for summer hours starting at 10 am.  It is host to exhibits that cater to the toddler set through mid elementary school, with areas like an interactive post office, kitchen/restaurant space, a submarine to explore, and a pirate ship to climb.  The museum is affordable at $7.00 per person (they start charging at 1 year old), but a visit probably won't last longer than a few hours.  The summer can get crowded, particularly on rainy days, when Cape visitors don't have a lot of other indoor choices for kids.  However, during the school year and winter months, Cape residents and visitors will find an open, fairly quiet facility.   Another drawback is the lack of an outdoor area, including not having a sitting area for outdoor snacks.  The museum staff are friendly and helpful and the exhibits range enough to provide experiences for varying ages.  They also host field trips and birthday parties.

Cape Cod Children's Museum

Edaville: A Day with Out With Thomas

For anyone with Thomas the Train obsessed toddlers and preschoolers, Edaville, in Carver, Ma, holds a Day Out with Thomas twice a year.  Thomas and Sir Topham visit in June and October.  The park is open to the usual public, but you can also buy train tickets to ride "Thomas" separately.  The tickets can be bought ahead of time online and mailed to you, for particular departure times.  If you arrive when the park opens, at 9:00 on Thomas days, the crowd is minimal.  The park is also fairly extensive for the little guys, various rides other than the train, a shady playground area, a small pond to walk around, and tents that host musicians and storytellers.  There are food vendors, but the park allows picnics to be brought in also.

                  Park play area that tends to be less crowded and quiet.

Edaville: A Day Out with Thomas