Boston is both the capital city and the largest city in Massachusetts.
It’s also one of the oldest municipalities in America.
If you have a trip to Boston planned, and you’re bringing your kids, you want them to have fun, and fortunately, there are plenty of fun things to do with kids in Boston.
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Things to Do in Boston With Kids
#1 Boston Museum of Science
Boston Museum of Science is different from your typical museum, and there are many exhibits for children to enjoy.
Over 70 million people have visited the museum since it opened, and the museum is a popular destination for elementary school field trips.
Every year over 150,000 students visit the museum on field trips, and over 18,000 children stay overnight every year.
There are many exhibits designed for children, including:
- Explore the Red Planet: This is one of the newest exhibits at the museum, and your children can take a virtual trip to Mars to see what it’s like on the red planet.
- Mazes & Brain Games: Your kids can maneuver through a collection of brightly colored, mind-bending illusions, 3-D puzzles, and kinetic play.
- Arctic Adventure: Exploring with Technology: Kids can become Arctic explorers while flying a virtual drone to find an Arctic fox. They can move around glaciers using radar, providing as close to a real-life experience as your kids can get.
- Hall of Human Life: This is a unique and fun exhibit where your kids can learn about how the human body works so they can understand their own biology. The exhibit is fun and exciting, so your kids won’t feel like they’re sitting in science class.
- Engineering Design Workshop- Powered by MathWorks: This exhibit allows your kids to design, build, and test solutions. They can see how engineers solve problems and can do it themselves.
- Colossal Fossil: Triceratops Cliff: This exhibit is excellent for kids who love dinosaurs. They can get an up-close view of this fossil that’s 65 million years old. It was discovered in the Dakota Badlands in 2004, and dinosaur lovers will be thrilled to see the fossil up close and personal.
- Dinosaurs: Modeling the Mesozoic: This is another exhibit that’s great for kids who love dinosaurs. They can check out fossils and life-size models and learn how paleontologists gather evidence. This exhibit will change how you and your children view dinosaurs.
- Live Animal Care Center: This exhibit allows your kids to see the animals of the Boston Museum of Science, and they’re the museum’s stars.
These are just a few of the many exciting exhibits at the Boston Museum of Science, and you can learn more about them when visiting the museum or checking it out online before your trip.
#2 Boston Children’s Museum
If you’re traveling to Boston with very young children, they might enjoy the Boston Children’s Museum more than the Boston Museum of Science.
There are several exhibits designed for children under ten years old.
Bubbles: Kids love bubbles, and your kids will love the Bubbles exhibit.
Kids can use various bubble-making tools to make bubbles in different shapes and sizes.
Investigate: This exhibit lets your kids look at natural objects closely.
For example, kids can crawl under the tank where the museum’s turtles from Frida and Georgia live.
They’ll be able to get a belly-eye view of the turtles.
Your kids can enjoy plenty of other natural-world objects close up.
- Kid Power: Kid Power is an excellent exhibit for active and adventurous kids. Your children can pedal fast to activate the Kid Power sign, shoot hoops, climb walls, and hop and bounce on power pump seats. The exhibit shows kids how powerful they are, and they’ll learn how healthy foods can make them stronger.
- Raceways: This exhibit lets kids learn about the laws of motion by rolling golf balls on various tracks. They can see how far the ball will launch from a ski jump and roller coaster tracks that consist of giant spirals and unique tracks.
- Art Lab: This exhibit is excellent for creative kids who love art. They can explore printmaking collages, paper, clay, and fabric for artistic purposes. Kids are encouraged to create art using self-expression, and you might enjoy this exhibit as much as your kids.
- Play: This exhibit is a common space for kids to play different games. They can create colorful patterns on the light tables or play musical chairs on singing chairs. There is also a giant chessboard and tic tac toe tables. Special events are also held in this area, such as space events, dance and music performances, and meet and greets with some of the museum’s most famous animals.
- Fantastic Forts: If your kids love to build forts out of boxes, pillows, and blankets, they will love this exhibit. Your kids can use differently shaped panels and connectors to build a fort, house, castle, or cave. They can even create a command center on another planet.
If your kids are too young to enjoy the exhibits at the Boston Museum of Science, they’ll have a blast at the Boston Children’s Museum.
#3 New England Aquarium
New England Aquarium is a great place to visit with children of all ages.
Your kids can see sea creatures up close, and the museum has the largest shark and ray touch tank on the East Coast.
Your kids can also enjoy some of the aquarium’s most popular exhibits.
- Amazon Rainforest: This exhibit allows your family to travel to the Amazon Rainforest without leaving Boston.
- Giant Ocean Tank: This four-story exhibit allows your kids to see Myrtle, the famous green sea turtle, and hundreds of other Caribbean reef creatures.
- New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center: This exhibit allows your kids to watch California sea lions play in the open-air exhibition, and you might even see some fly through the air.
- Sea Jellies: This exhibit lets your kids see jellyfish up close and personal without getting stung. Your family can watch these magnificent creatures swim and float gracefully.
- Penguin Colony: New England Aquarium is home to 50 African and southern rockhopper penguins, and your family can watch them play and interact together the same way they do in the wild.
Your kids can enjoy the wonders of the sea during a trip to the New England Aquarium.
#4 Thomas Menino Park and Playground
This play area is a 10-minute walk up the pier, and your kids can play on a wide array of play structures to climb on.
You can take your kids to the playground to play and make it an afternoon out by packing a picnic lunch.
#3 Codzilla
If your kids find ferries boring and love speed and adventure, they will love the Codzilla.
This is Boston’s only high-speed boat that provides a thrill ride.
The boat has two turbo-charged diesel engines that generate 2,800 horsepower and can reach speeds of up to 40 miles an hour.
The boat is fun, loud, and fast, and it’s a great place to visit when you’re in Boston.
#5 Boston Segway Tours
If you’re traveling to Boston with teenagers, they’ll love the Boston Segway Tour.
Most kids don’t want to take historical walking tours in the city, but they’ll love taking the tour on a segway.
The tour makes plenty of stops for teens to take selfies and family photos
This is the most unique way to explore Boston.
#6 Fenway Park
If your trip to Boston falls between April and September, your kids will love attending a Boston Red Sox game.
Your kids can see the Green Monster in person, which is the nickname for the 37-foot high wall in left field.
A baseball game, hot dogs, pretzels, and soda are great ways to spend an afternoon in Boston with your kids.
Coloring Pages
Going to Boston with the kids?
Get our Free Boston Coloring Pages for Download (Printable PDF)
Boston Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Boston Safety Review
Safety Index:- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get around while visiting Boston?
There are many ways to get around Boston, such as the T, water taxis, the Boston Hop-On Bus Tour, rental cars, and land taxis.
You can also use the Hubway, which is Boston’s bike-share program, or take city tour trolleys.
You can also walk, allowing you to see the sights close up.
Is Boston a safe place to visit?
Yes, Boston is a safe place to visit.
The city is busy, and purse snatching and pickpocketing aren’t uncommon, but as long as you pay attention to your surroundings, you have nothing to worry about.
Are there child-friendly places for my family to stay while visiting Boston?
Yes.
There are plenty of places to stay in Boston that your kids will love, including:
- Stateline Campresort & Cabins (If you’re traveling during the summer months)
- Aqua Blue Hotel has strollers for young children and a pool.
- Hilton Garden Inn Boston Logan Airport has a pool and free WiFi.
- Sheraton Boston Hotel has a pool and an on-site restaurant.
- Double Tree Suites By Hilton Boston has free WiFi, a pool, and gorgeous harbor views.
Where can I take my kids to eat in Boston?
There are several kid-friendly restaurants in Boston, and the most popular restaurants include:
- Picco
- City Tap House
- The Paramount
- Stockyard
- The Independent
There are plenty of fun things to do with kids in Boston, including visiting the Boston Museum of Science, exploring the exhibits at the Boston Children’s Museum, and seeing sea creatures up close at the New England Aquarium.