3 Kids Friendly Cultural Experiences in Boston

Courtesy of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau Convention & Visitors Bureau

Visiting Boston was one of those family vacations that blew me away. What I thought would be a fun but standard family trip to a big American city, turned out to be a life-time-memory making experience we will never forget. Why? Because Boston is a hub of kid-friendly cultural experiences!

Yes I know I just used the words culture and kids in the same sentence but stay with me…

While there are many fun things to do with kids in Boston – so many in fact we could easily fill more than one week – there are also child-friendly adult-inspiring cultural experiences to be had too! Ones that will not have you yelling “sit down” or “don’t touch that”.

Blue Man Group

I had never seen Blue Man Group before so did not know what to expect, except that anyone we asked promised it would be a memorable experience for all ages and one of the highlights of our trip to Boston. The kids were not disappointed! The Blue Man Group is a truly interactive experience, with tons of audience participation and is WAY more than a bunch of blue men drumming on stage. It’s also a great way to introduce kids to theatre with this highly colourful, musical, funny and always full of the unexpected (including the occasional need for the provided poncho) performance. Book an evening performance though; since many Boston attractions close in the early evening you can spend all day touring, grab some dinner then let the Blue Man Group entertain you!

Museum of Fine Arts Boston

Boston Museum Childrens Programs

Kids and families participating in MFA Playdates at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
*Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

When I posted on Facebook that we were headed to Boston as a family and asked for recommendations one of my friends insisted we visit Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. When I skeptically reminded her we were going with the kids, she sent me a link to MFA’s Kids and Family programs. There are excellent resources available to help you and your kids both enjoy the incredible exhibits including Art Connection Cards (which get kids searching for objects and images throughout the exhibits) and tote bags available at the visitor centre with sketching supplies and suggested activities. Their website also offers handy tips for parents to help get their kids ready to visit. An added bonus is kids 6 and under are always free and kids 7 – 17 are free during non-school hours including weekends and holidays.

Rose Kennedy Greenway

Rose-Kennedy-Greenway-Carousel-Boston

If you ask, Bostonians will gladly tell you about the “Big Dig” that began in 1991 and saw all of the highways in downtown Boston moved from above ground to below ground, leaving a mile and a half of public parks right in the middle of the city. Now known as the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway or “the Greenway”, it’s the perfect place to let the kids burn off some energy while the adults stroll through the park and innovative contemporary art installations. Picnics, conversations with fellow-park goers about the exhibits and running through the water features barefoot are all encouraged. Even the carousel (which the kids loved!), is a beautiful and fun exhibit of sculpted animals native to Boston and inspired by drawings from Boston school children.

PS: Looking for more family fun things to do in Boston? Check out 14 Awesome Things To Do With Kids In Boston.

Many thanks to Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau for providing my family with passes to some of the above attractions.