Steeped in history and full of interactive museums, sprawling parks and fabled sports venues, this compact New England city has plenty to keep kids of all ages – and adults – entertained
PARK LIFE
America’s oldest public park, Boston Common is the perfect place for kids to let off steam with bail fields, the Tadpole Playground, a vintage carousel and the Frog Pond, which features a spray pool for little ones to cool off in in summer and transforms into an ice-skating rink in winter.
A quick stroll away, Boston’s Public Garden, the first public botanical garden in the country, will delight children with hundreds of squirrels to chase, traditional Swan Boats to ride around the lagoon and a row of bronze duck statues to pose alongside, inspired by Mrs Mallard and her ducklings in Robert McCloskey’s much-loved children’s book Make Way For Ducklings (available in bookstores across the city for bedtime stories). Parents can admire the beautiful flora and Victorian-era statues and the browns tone mansions of tony Beacon Hill across the street.
Running for almost 5km along the river from the Museum of Science to the Boston University Bridge, the Charles River Esplanade parkland encompasses three playgrounds with swings, slides, zip lines, tunnels and monkey bars aplenty and a separate section for toddlers. For teens there are also biking trails, boat rentals and plenty of scenic open spaces for ball games.
