Visiting Boston with kids is like taking them to a living history museum. No matter where you walk, bike or boat, you're covering territory that was important to American history. But Boston's not just about history. Throngs of college students from Boston's many colleges keep the city vibrant, pulsing and welcoming to kids. You'll find lots of fun and healthy activities in this city.
Parks
Boston's "Emerald Necklace" of nine parks includes 1,100 acres of linked parkland. Kids will clamor to go on one of the swan boats that putter around the lagoon at the Public Garden. They'll laugh at the bronze statues inspired by the children's book, "Make Way for Ducklings." At the park at Boston Common, kids will have fun riding a carousel, wading in a spray pool or skating on a pond. They can climb playground equipment, play frisbee or baseball, or just relax and picnic.
Water activities
Wherever you stand in Boston you're near water, whether it be Boston Harbor or the Charles River. So you'll find lots of fun water activities to do with kids. Kayak on the Charles River and get an up-close view of Harvard, M.I.T. and Boston University. Take paddling lessons. Go sailing around the islands in Boston Harbor, fish and go on overnight campouts on the harbor islands. Whale watching boats leave from Boston's downtown waterfront. The tours last 3 to 4 hours and give kids opportunities to see humpback whales, finback whales and dolphins.
History and culture
Boston offers so many ways to learn about history, but one of the most fun for kids is the Freedom Trail. Running 2.5 miles long, the red-brick trail leads to 16 of Boston's most famous spots, such as Paul Revere's house and historic Faneuil Hall. You can buy guides to the trail along the way or download tours onto your iPod. You can also hire a guide dressed in 18th century clothes. When the tour's over, kids will have fun going behind Faneuil Hall and visiting the marketplace, where there are more than 100 places to shop, eat and drink.
Biking
Boston is a college town, filled with students on the go, many of them on bikes. You'll find lots of well-defined bike paths, some of them with different paved lanes for bikers and pedestrians. One favorite is the Charles River Bike Path, a 14-mile loop that runs from the Museum of Science in Boston, then through Watertown and back along the other side of the river. Another fun bike path is the Battle Road Trail, which brings you through the Minute Man National Park.
Museums
Boston's museums are fun for kids because many of them are hands-on and interactive. Boston Children's Museum offers exhibits that focus on science, health and fitness, environmental awareness and the arts. At the museum, kids can go to a "Recycle Shop," where they grab bags and fill them with strings and fabrics. The "New Balance Climb" gives kids a safe way to try risk taking. At the Museum of Science kids can go on a simulator ride that shows what it's like to be in space and the deep sea.
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