Cooler days and longer nights mean it’s not easy to let kids run off
energy outdoors. Metro’s guide to the best activities for children and
families in Boston this fall.
Arts & Crafts
Design and Sew
Oct. 1 to Dec. 10
Eliot School
24 Eliot St., Jamaica Plain
The MFA are offering a 10-session workshop where students will take an existing pattern and piece of clothing and reverse it. By the end of the workshop, students should have completed a pattern and a piece of clothing. The course is designed for children aged 12 to 16, no experience is required and tools needed are listed on the website.
Preschool Art Classes
Oct. 7 to Nov. 4
2:30 to 4 p.m.
Museum of Fine Arts,
465 Huntington Ave.
This fall MFA are commencing art classes that combine gallery experience and art project work in the studio for children ages 4 to 5. Class one celebrates the landscapes and traditions of the Americas and has students experimenting with ceramics, basket weaving and rattle making. Students will need an adult present and to register phone 1800-440-6975.
Music
Music and Movement with Miss Carolyn
Sept. 30, 10 a.m.
Children’s Discovery Museum
Free with admission
177 Main St.
Explore sound through singing and playing at the Discovery Museum. Professional musician Miss Carolyn will have kids moving, making music, listening and learning to the sounds of music. The course is designed for children of all ages.
Outdoors
Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day at Blue Hills
Oct. 2 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Blue Hill River Road, Milton
free
Tired of staying in the city for the weekend? Take a 30-minute drive down to Milton and enjoy a day of cycling with your young ones. There are new biking trails around the Ponkapaug Pond, which may interest you, or you can sign up for the family-friendly guided tour. Participants should bring their own bikes and helmets and any other safety gadgets that they may deem necessary.
Free fun in Franklin Park
Oct. 1 1 to 4 p.m.
Franklin Park Forest
Blue Hill Drive
Free
Franklin Park offers free outdoor activities such as tree climbing, bike riding tours, nature hikes and edible plant foraging on the first Saturday of October. The activities are aimed towards children of all ages and their families. Times for each activity are different and the minimum climbing age is 6 years old.
Verrill Farm Harvest
Festival and Fundraiser
Oct. 15, noon to 4 p.m.
11 Wheeler Road, Concord, Free
Consider heading west to Concord for a nice afternoon of having fun and doing good. In this farm setting, visitors may enjoy pony rides, a hay treasure hunt and other games and prizes, while being entertained by an in-house clown and live music by the Boston Road Bluegrass. All proceeds from this event will go towards helping the Pediatric Care Unit at Emerson Hospital.
Film
‘The Kid’
Oct. 8 2 to 3 p.m.
Paramount Center
559 Washington St., $10
Presented by ArtsEmerson, this 1921 classic is directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, of which, it tells a tale about a man who found an infant and their subsequent adventure in the years that follow. It is one of the most successful films from Chaplin, and it is surely a great movie where your children can get to enjoy and understand more about silent films.
Science
First Friday Night
Oct. 7 to June 2012
Science Discovery Museum
177 Main St., free
Explore the museum at night. Yes, that’s right, on the first Friday of every month the SDM is offering you the chance to explore the museum when the lights go out. Food and hot and cold drinks will also be available from the food cart throughout your visit.
Special
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus’ Barnum 200
Oct. 12-16
Boston Garden Pro
100 Legends Way
$20-$140
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey are back in town, bringing a spectacular circus experience that is guaranteed to give your family a most wonderful time. Be dazzled by acrobats from the Russian Asadullin troupe and the Romanian Trupe Fantasy, along with performers from Mongloia and Trinidad. Rein back your children for safety as ferocious felines are slated to accompany the circus cast.
Halloween Zoo Howl: Franklin Park Zoo
Oct. 29-30
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Franklin Park Zoo
One Franklin Park Road
Adults $16, children $10
This weekend, head over to the Franklin Park Zoo where a whole range of activities and games await you and your family. Dress up your kids in their Halloween best, and take part in the costume contest; or summon up some courage and go through the haunting maze together. Don’t forget to check out some of the spooky souvenirs that will be on sales that day!
Culture
HawkFeather Dancers: Celebrate!
Nov. 25, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
John F. Kennedy Library and Museum
Columbia Point, free with RSVP
Learn more about the American Indian culture with hoop dancer Pete TwoFeathers and other members of the Mohawk tribe. Part of the “Celebrate!” series, this program aims to highlight the rich cultural diversity of America through the arts and on this Friday, special attention is being paid to the Native American heritage, as audience is being treated to a short session of dances, music and fabric displays.
Workshops
Blue Discoveries Family Days
Oct. 16 and Nov. 13
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
New England Aquarium
1 Central Wharf
Free with aquarium admission
Bring the kids out for an unconventional class where they can learn more about the blue planet through a variety of activities. In October, the special focus will be on seals while the November edition moves the spotlight onto sea turtles. Be prepared to learn about a world that is so majestic, forbidding yet enticingly beautiful. All activities are included with Aquarium admission.
