Category Archives: educational

Fantastic, Little Known, Cambridge Parks – 5 Things to Know About Heritage Rose Park

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Heritage Rose Park is such a fun place to visit during the summer.  They’ve got a great splash pad dotted with raised piping that sprays outwards, perfect for toddlers.  There is a great gated playground with slides, swings, and a climbing gym and best of all there are so many activities that go on at the park all summer long!

This past summer every day from 11:30-12:30 there was a free lunch (like something you would get in a elementary school cafeteria) available for any child under the age of 18. On different days of the week there were different activities going on all summer long such as “Arts in the Park” and “Book Bike”.  (You can read more about Book Bike here, but know that it’s an awesome summer program that goes park to park during the summer providing both activities and free books for kids).

Things to Note:

1) Parking
There is street parking and metered parking in the area, but I think you have to have a Cambridge Resident sticker to use it.

2) Stroller Friendliness
Totally stroller friendly.

3) Water Feature
Great water area with raised, chest high sprayers that sprit in all directions.  Also the spray park is in a different area from the playground so you can bring you kids and still play at the playground without worrying about them getting wet if you don’t want them to.

4) Green Space
This park has a really nice grassy field, perfect for field games.  In fact during the summer there is a “Get up and Move” crew that often has field games going and is there to encourage anyone who is interested to join in.

5) Benches and Chairs
There are a bunch of benches surrounding the splash pad and a few tables located in the playground area.  There isn’t great shade in any of the places with tables/chairs so you’ll have to choose if you’d rather be in a real seat or sitting on the ground in the shade to enjoy you activities.

Summary and Rating: ★★★★☆

Four Stars.  I think this is great park, I love the splash area and the summer programs probably make it a five star park, the only pit fall is that all summer long this place is also swamped with day care kids, so there are tons of little ones running around which can be a overwhelming.  The day care kids all seem to clear out at about 11:30 but for us there was always a cross over and little bit of chaos which was both good (more kids to play with) and bad (more kids everywhere).

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Green Rose Heritage Park

155 Harvard St,
Cambridge, MA 02139

Website: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/parks/parksinfo/Parks/greenrosepark

Fantastic, Little Known, Cambridge Parks – 7 Things to Know About Fulmore Park (aka Sand Park)

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Fulmore Park is a tiny park located toward the west end of the MIT campus.  The park is only .4 acres, but for a toddler it’s awesome.  We’ve also heard this park called both the Sand Park, and the Chicken/Rooster Park.

This park is fenced in and split into two main areas.  The water/sand area and the grass/tree house area.

Things to Note:

1) Parking
There is no designated parking for this park, though you may be able to find a spot along the street.

2) Water Features
This park has two and they are both great for toddlers.  It has a set of three or so mini sprinklers that come out of the ground and reach three or so feet in the air, it also has a water spigot that the kids can pump. The water comes out of the spigot and falls into a metal trough then runs down a long metal shoot into the sand, allowing lots of children to play in the water while one is pumping.

3) Sand
This park has a lot of sand and like many Cambridge parks there are generally community toys there so you can dig and haul water around even if you don’t bring your own bucket/shovel.

4) Wooden Blocks
I think one of the most fun and unique parts of this park is the wooden blocks they have there to play with.  There is a storage shed filled with blocks and planks of all sizes that the kids can drag around the park, build with, walk on etc.  It’s really fun to see some of the structures the kids come up with and it fun to have something so unique to play with.

5) Tree House
The park seems fairly well divided into the sand section and the grass section.  In the grassy/shady area there is a large wooden climbing structure built around a tree that the kids can play on and a small grassy area for them to run on.

6)  Day Care Kids
It seems like during the late morning, especially on nice days  (10am-12pm) the park is well used by the local day cares.  There is still plenty of space to play and my son enjoys having other little kids to be with, but if you want a more quite park visit going earlier or later might be for you.

7) Wildlife…ish
I’m not sure who own chickens but a neighbor near the park must and I have seen chickens running around the park many many times.  They don’t seem to bug or mind the kids, though I suspect they are not supposed to be there.  Mostly just an FYI, you may come across some chickens flapping around. 

Summary and Rating ★★★★☆

Four Stars.  The park is quite small, but the park and equipment is unique and engaging. When we come we love the soft sand and the fun water features.  This past summer my son finally figured out how to use the water pump and he loves standing on the platform and watching the water come up.  This park is certainly for a younger audience, I would say it would be most interesting to ages five and below, and right now it’s perfect for us.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Fulmore Park (Cambridge)
223 Sidney St,
Cambridge, MA 02139

More Info Can Be Found At: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/parks/parksmap

Touring Boston – What to Know About Free Ferry Day and Visiting Georges Island

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Every year Boston celebrates the ferries again running to the Boston Harbor Islands by offering free ferry rides for the day, which is a pretty good deal considering tickets run about $20/person otherwise.

Last year Free Ferry Day was Saturday May 9th, so I suspect free ferry day will be in the near future. There are no advanced registrations and the first ferry leaves promptly at 10am.  If you want to do this, get there early!  This event is super popular,  we tried to get to the harbor early, we aimed for getting there at 9:45, though we didn’t end up actually getting there until closer to 10 but by then tickets were already sold out until 1PM!   That was a little too  long for a toddler and a pregnant women to be waiting around so we decided we would save the trip for when my mother came to town and instead took our time exploring the city for little bit.

A few weeks later we again made attempted the harbor trip and we were not disappointed.  The little kids loved riding the ferry and I didn’t realize at the time that we would get to have a historical tour while we rode Harbor Ferry. The tour included pointing out the different islands and why they were important.  We also had the bonus of seeing the Blue Angels (Military Jets) fly overhead in formation a few times for a special event which was pretty awesome.

The ferry ride was about 45 minutes from Boston Harbor to Georges Island.  We got off and let the kids explore the little play ground for a few minutes and then attended one of the islands free tours.  There we were able to learn all about the fort, hear some interesting stories about prisoners trying to escape, and learn about the Bostonians feeling bad for the southern prisoners during the Civil War and sending over blankets and boots so they wouldn’t freeze during the horrible Boston winters.  

I didn’t realize until we got there that swimming wasn’t allowed from Georges Island because of the strong currents surround it, but we ended our day with a nice picnic lunch and a gorgeous view of the city.

Things to Note:

1) Price
Free on Free Ferry Day, otherwise $17/adult, $10/children ages 3-11, under 3 free but call to make sure that they have space.

2) Free Ferry Day
No pre-reservations, and get there early if you want tickets because they sell out fast.  At 10AM (when they open) tickets were already sold out until 1PM.

3) Kid Friendliness
This is a great activity to bring your children too.  My toddler loved riding the ferry and once we got to Georges Island there was tons of things for him to explore from the playground, to the shoreline, to the green space to the open fort.

4) Stroller Friendliness
If you’ve got little ones you are probably going to want your stroller to walk around the fort.  We had no problem bringing ours on the ferry (but there weren’t many people riding the ferry) There seemed to be plenty of space on the ferry and I suspect they realize parents are going to need their strollers so on crowded days expect to collapse yours and have it stored in the corner for the ride.

5) Getting There
Take the “T”, parking downtown is an expensive mess. The Blue Line – Aquarium “T” stop is right around the corner from the ticket booth, less than a block away.

6) Things to do on Georges Island

  • Play on the playground
  • Relax on the shoreline and enjoy the amazing view of the city
  • Walk through the small museum
  • Tour the fort with or without a guide 
  • Play in the “Yard” (Huge green space that the fort surrounds)
  • Have a picnic 
  • Climb the fort

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars.  We loved this outing and it seems like one that is perfect for people of all ages.  We all enjoyed the ferry ride and the bonus historical tour on the way to George’s Island.  The Island itself was both beautiful and fascinating.  We loved being able to walk around and explore the fort, when the tour guide was not moving fast enough for our young son it was easy to step away and run around with him, then jump back in at different points.  It was the perfect place for a picnic and all in all a wonderful day trip.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 
Boston Harbor Cruises – Harbor Islands

Long Wharf
Boston, MA 02110

Phone: 617.227.4321
Website: http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/harbor-islands/ 
Ferry runs about Mid May – Mid October

Georges Island
42°19’11.7″N 70°55’43.1″W
53 acres
7 miles from Boston

Website: http://www.bostonharborislands.org/#!georges-island/cld4

7 Things You Need to Know About Visiting The Rhode Island Newport Mansions with Kids

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If you live in the Boston area one thing you really have to see are the Rhode Island Newport Mansions.  It’s not to bad of a drive (2 hours from Boston) and the mansions are like nothing I’d ever seen before.

You can get tickets to see a whole bunch of mansions from the Preservation Society of Newport County but if you only have time to see one… or really the one you have to see is the Vanderbilt Summer Cottage.. which is about as far from a cottage as I can imagine.

The Vanderbilt mansion is huge and the Vanderbilt’s spared no expense when building it. They were part of New York’s elite Millionaire club and the home was built in the late 1800’s for a sweet $11 million.  We found out that a wall in one of the rooms was made of platinum,  the ceiling of the study had gold pressed over leather to give it a decorative texture of books and on the lower floor most of the rooms had rich gold and marble ornamentation.

I wish they would have allowed pictures inside because it was amazingly lavish.  At least I got some good ones of the outside and the incredible yard/lawn they had.  It was huge and went right to the cliffs edge, and was very very enviable.

After seeing the house we walked around the garden and finally ended our trip by walking along the Breakers cliff walk (thankfully most of it was fenced in).

Things to Note:

1) Price
The prices vary, but it’s a fairly expensive tour.  You can see 5 of the Newport mansions for $30/Adult, $11/children ages 6-17 (children under 6 are free)

To just see the Breakers $21/Adult, $7/children ages 6-17 (children under 6 are free)

2) Tour Options
At the Breakers you have the option of touring the place via audio tour.  There is an adult version and child version… personally I thought the child version was more entertaining, though you will learn slightly different things depending on what tour you listen to.

3) Stroller Friendliness
Zero amount stroller friendly.  They don’t even have a place for you to check a stroller should you bring one and instead ask you to leave it your car.  The reasoning being that they are abrasive and damaging to the historic surfaces.  :/  This was kind of lame since I ended up having to carry my giant two year old all around the place to make sure that he didn’t run under the velvet ropes to touch all the off limits things.

4) Child Friendliness
Children are welcome at the Newport Mansions, but if you have younger children you’ll need to keep a close eye on them since many parts of the mansion are only roped off by velvet ropes.  We went with a friend and she ended up having to chase her young daughter across those off limits sections…

5) Parking
There is free parking available right out side the front of the Breakers and most of the other mansion as easily within walking distance from there.

6) Green space
After you tour the mansions you’ll definitely want to tour the gardens and lawns, they are huge, amazing and a great place for kiddos to get some energy out after having to be hands off during the tour.

7) Photography
None of the mansions allow you to take pictures inside of them, but you can take all the pictures you want of the outsides and gardens.

8) Cliff Walk
There is an amazing cliff walk that runs along the backside of the mansions, most of it has bars preventing young ones from getting too near the cliffs and we really enjoyed the scenic view, but again you’ll want to keep a close eye on your tots.  Also the cliff walk is a couple of miles long, if you did happen to bring a stroller this is where you would want to use it.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

Summary & Rating ★★★★☆

Four Stars.  Honestly I thought that being able to see and tour a mansion of this caliber was incredible, if only it wasn’t so dang expensive!  I found myself fascinated seeing the lavish decor used in something as trivial as a summer home… one that was only used for a handful of years and to be able to imagine what it would have been like to live such a life style.  I feel like the opportunities to see this kind of wealth are fairly limited and in my opinion it was totally worth experiencing.

Newport Mansions (The Breakers Mansion)
44 Ochre Point Avenue
Newport, RI 02840

Phone: 401-847-1000
Website: http://www.newportmansions.org/explore/the-breakers
Hours: Vary

Touring Boston – What to Know About Visiting the USS Constitution (or Old Iron Side) with Kids

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The Freedom Trail is pretty well split into two parts, the city part, where everything is pretty close together – you can easily see many famous buildings in a short amount of time, and the monument part (I guess I’ll call it?)…

To get to this second half/monument part you walk away from the main city, over a huge bridge and then are rewarded by seeing the USS Constitution and the Beacon Hill Monument, which are fairly close together.

The USS Constitution, or Old Iron Side, is the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy.  In order to keep her title she has to sail at least one nautical mile every year, so on Independent Day they sail her half a mile out into the harbor and half a mile back in. She was also named by President George Washington after the constitution of the United States.

The ship was incredible, and fierce.  It totally looked like a pirate ship, and you could walk onto it and see the different levels.  Mostly I just felt like barking orders and saying “Land Ho” which my husband might have found a little obnoxious.  🙂

In any case being able to walk all over the ship and explore it’s nooks and crannies was something I had been missing out on and is easily my new favorite part of the Freedom Trail.

Things to Note:

1) Price
Free… with a suggested donation.  This amazing ship is sitting in the harbor just waiting to be visited by you and yours at whatever price you fancy… or don’t fancy.  You can walk through the gift/shop museum, then past the navy officers stations at the ship right onto the boat.  No charge, but an amazing chance to walk around a very cool ship.

2) Identification
Because this is still a navel ship they require some form of identification for anyone over 18.  This can be in the form of a passport, driver’s license, or state issued ID, and you will have to pass through a security check.

3) Stroller Friendliness
You can bring your stroller through the gift shop, but not onto the ship.  We were able to leave ours with one of the navy people stationed outside the gift shop and we carried our son onto the ship.  It makes a lot of sense since once you’re on the ship there is no space for a stroller and it would be impossible or at least very dangerous to try to bring one up and down the steep ship stairs.

4) Child Friendliness
Yes!  They love kids and they love seeing children being able to explore the ship.  There are giant wheels to see, cannons, port holes and all sorts of interesting things to touch, but you will be on a ship so you’ll want to keep an eye on your little ones to make sure they don’t try to climb on anything to dangerous.

5) Parking
Off street parking is available at the Nautica Parking Garage, located at 88 Constitution Road, Charlestown, MA 02129 (Validation is available at the museum and the National Park Service Visitors Center). The Museum is few minutes walk from the garage. Street and metered parking are available around the area.

Summary and Rating: ★★★★★

Five Stars. I thought this ship was amazing!  I loved being able to walk around and both touch and see it, and being able to do it all at the price I choose was great.  The ship was amazing and though my son was fairly little at the time I think he is only going to be more and more interested in seeing it as he grows older.  I would highly suggest walking the second half of the Freedom Trail to experience this gem.

Have you been here before?  If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below. 

USS Constitution, or Old Iron Side
Charlestown Navy Yard, Building 22
Charlestown, MA 02129

Phone: 617.426.1812
Website: https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/ 

 Museum Hours 
 April 01 – October 31 Open Daily | 9:00 – 6:00
 November 01 – March 31 Open Daily | 10:00 – 5:00

USS Constitution Hours 
October 1 – October 28 Open Tuesday – Friday | 2:30 – 5:00 Open Saturday – Sunday | 10:00 – 5:00 Closed Mondays
October 29 – March 13 Open Saturday & Sunday | 10:00 – 4:00* Closed Monday – Friday, *Last tour leaves at 3:30