Guides - Boston.com

Guides for Parents

in the spotlight

$1 Friday nights at the Boston Children's Museum

"Target $1 Friday Nights" takes place every Friday night at the Boston Children's Museum from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

MUSEUMS

N.E. Aquarium

Located on Boston's waterfront, the New England Aquarium is home to penguins, seals, sea lions, and fish of all stripes.

Small wonders

With departures from traditional, family-friendly museums, children can discover whole new worlds.

Children's Museum

The Children's Museum opened in the early 1900s. Today, it stands on the waterfront - on Children's Wharf - and houses interactive, hands-on exhibits.

Garbage Museum

At the Children's Garbage Museum in Connecticut, kids can see big trucks disgorging heaps of trash and watch as bulldozers push it around.

The MIT Museum

Meet sociable robots, learn about holograms, and dissect DNA at this Cambridge museum.

The Science Museum

With the Mugar Omni Theater, Hayden Planetarium, and hands-on interactive exhibits, the Museum of Science makes science fun and accessible to all.

Kids museums

They teach our kids culture, science, and curiosity. And then there's a museum's most important function - being a go-to place parents can bring bored kids on a rainy day.

TRAVELING

18 picnic spots

Where do you picnic? We've come up with 18 locations, a summer's worth of options, most of which we bet you haven't tried.

N.E.'s corn mazes

As the competition for tourist dollars increased, farmers have added more extravagant offerings — such as corn mazes.

The great outdoors

Hike a mountain, rally around the campfire, and spend the night under the stars. New England state parks are venues for reconnecting with nature.

Kid-friendly travel

Here are 10 kid-friendly destinations around New England that provide everything from enlightenment to exercise.

Gearing Up

These gadgets will make traveling with your children easier... at least a little bit.

Family travel gadgets

Here are 10 products that will take the edge off traveling with kids, and make things easier once you arrive at your destination.

Kid-friendly N.E. inns

When traveling with children, options are a good thing. But simplicity is even better.

Riding the rails

On these journeys you might meet the rail buffs who saved the cars from the scrap heap, rebuilt the rust-seized engines, and even laid some of the track. All aboard!

Family Day Trips

Sometimes you've just got to get away from the house. Here are our favorite ways to grab a change of scenery, a breath of fresh air, and hopefully a little perspective in the process.

SHOPPING

Quirky shops for kids

Tired of the traditional toys that every child has? Here are nine local stores that stock playthings and clothing to knock your child's socks off.

Baby & toddler gear

Do today's supermoms actually juggle far more than previous generations did, or does it just seem that way because we have way better gear? Our guess is both.

Clothing Stores

Not all clothing shops are created equal; some selections are perfect for newborns, others stock best for tweens. We've ferreted out those stores that do each category justice.

JUST FOR You

Work-at-home jobs

Exposure to at-home employment opportunities has exploded, and a wide range of job ads are just a mouse click away.

Fitness Classes

You think chasing after your kids is a workout? Try these, our favorite exercise classes for all types of moms.

Time-out for Mom

You do everything for everyone else all day long; now do something - no matter how enormous, tiny, strenuous, or relaxing - for yourself.

Spa & Luxury Guide

Find day spas, resorts, and spa treatments throughout New England and beyond. Check out Globe reviews, Frommer's picks, and more.

off to college

Before student loans...

Here are 8 steps MEFA, a not-for-profit college financing resource, suggests student-loan seekers take before signing a loan agreement.

Things you don't need

To combat the spending sprees, personal finance magazine Kiplinger.com compiled a list of money-wasters college students are better off going without.

Covering tuition costs

Paying for college is an expense made more difficult to as families grapple with the recession.

Shopping for colleges

We visited four university towns in Massachusetts and compiled a list of reasonably priced and strategically located places to sleep and dine.

Community colleges

Across Massachusetts, students are flocking to two-year public colleges, which have become refuges in the recession.

Application process

Here are some tips to help high school seniors as they navigate the nerve-wracking and often bewildering process of applying for college.

misc.

Best of Barbara Meltz

Parenting expert Barbara Meltz's most popular advice columns of 2011 on topics ranging from sexuality to food struggles.

Rainy day fun

There are many local spots where you can take your family for an indoor day o' fun. Check out this list the next time rain, rain won't go away.

New England gardens

Want to take the kids to a place of beauty? Check out our round up of more than a dozen New England gardens, including opening days and pricing information.

Bring the Family

From indoor playgrounds to painting pottery, this weekly Globe column (it runs Saturdays in G) offers tips on activities for your family.

Myths of infancy

In three decades of treating children, one thing has remained constant in the office of Dr. Victoria McEvoy: the questions and concerns of anxious mothers and fathers.

Free things to do

If you're looking for places to take the family that won't break the bank, try one of these great suggestions.

New attractions

The region offers plenty of newly opened attractions, as well as new perspectives on art and new twists on familiar sports.

Outdoor games

We rounded up some classic yard games - plus a few games you might not have tried - that make for a terrific afternoon in the sun.

N.E.'s best ice cream

The region's ice cream shops are throwing open their doors for the summer season. Check out our picks for the 20 top ice cream locales around.

What locals do for fun

We asked local families to tell us the best places to go with their children in Boston.

Bloggers on family fun

We asked seven area bloggers for ideas about where to eat, play, and entertain children around Boston.

N.E. water parks

Water parks give visitors a sense of adventure with slides, wave pools, and other thrilling attractions aimed at keeping them cool. Check out: Indoor water parks

Cheap summer thrills

Looking for inexpensive ways to have some fun this summer? Check out these budget-friendly ways to enjoy the season.

Entertaining teens

Teens and tweens can be tough to please. No fear. Here are some activities that you and your "too-cool-for school" kids can do for fun in the city.

Birthday party ideas

From an indoor water park to ''The ImprovBoston Family Show'' to balloon artists, check out these ideas for fun kids birthday parties.

Have fun for cheap

Find great kids' deals for museums, restaurants, and more around Boston.

Family friendly farms

Several New England farms encourage visitors to experience what was once a part of everyday life: contact with farm animals.

Fenway Confidential

We've rounded up some of the best ways to get last-minute tickets, find parking, secure autographs, and find a not-so-typical venue for pregame activity at Fenway Park.

Local camping spots

If you are searching for a different camping experience, look no further than... the Boston Harbor.

Boston tour guide

Coming in from the suburbs? Sure, you can use guidebooks and maps to find your way around Boston, but there are other options to help you see the sights.

Children's classes

No, we're not talking about school. Enroll your kids in a cooking, ballet, or Spanish class to keep them physically fit and mentally challenged.

Parks & playgrounds

Here are Boston.com readers' favorite local parks and playgrounds. In and around Boston, you can fly kites, play ball, or just take a long walk.

For all types of kids

Looking for some parental guidance? Globe writers share strategies for satisfying many kinds of kid - from the hipster to the hiker.

Music that rocks babies and parents

We had some parents test-drive a few titles over several nights and nap times to see how successful they were at allowing the sandman to enter.

DINING

Food-themed trips

Food-themed destinations give kids permission to have fun with what they eat and to learn where it all comes from.

Kid-friendly eateries

When you and the brood are craving food that actually tastes good, turn to these kid-loving (and kid-loved) eateries.

Great take-out, fast

Parents often dread taking the kids out to a restaurant. So at the end of a long day, why bother? Here are our favorite places that get a great dinner on your table, fast.

in Boston & beyond