Category Archives: free

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 – 6 Things to Know About David Nunes Park (aka Old Morse Park)

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This park is located one block over from Fulmore Park and is amazing for older children, (I would say it’s best suited for ages 5+).  The have a giant climbing structure made from thick rubber mats, a basketball court, ping pong/table tennis tables, a giant water sprinkler and lots of other fun stuff to keep your older children engaged and moving.

Things to Note:

1) Parking
There is no dedicated parking for this playground, though you might be able to find street parking near it.

2) Water Feature
There is a big geyser of water in this park that shoots ten or so feet into the air.  My two year old son was both fascinated and terrified of it, but the older kids seem to love it.

3) Climbing Structure
This park has a really unique and fun climbing area.  There are a bunch of thick black rubber pieces strung up that create small, wobbly platforms for the children to climb up and crawl on. There is also a thick rubber slide made out of the same material and a rope/net climbing area.

4) Seesaw
This park has a suspended seesaw and I have to admit I played on it with my husband and have not laughed so hard in a long time.  You climb onto a disk shaped seat that has a rope coming out of the middle of it.  That rope is attached to some mechanism high above your head and somehow it becomes a combo between a seesaw and a swing.  I would not dare put a young child on it, but it was a blast to swing on as an adult.

5) Courts
This playground has an enclosed basketball court as well as couple of enclosed table tennis/ping pong tables.

6) Pizza
Okay… not that you’re going to come here looking for food, but right next to the park is a little pizza joint and we have spent a couple of great evenings enjoying a pizza and playing in the park. Check out Cambridge Pizza for pricing and to learn more.  I happen to think they make a pretty good pizza myself…

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars. Though I think my son is too young to fully enjoy this park we still had fun at it.  I love the uniqueness of the playground and I love that there are no swings (my son would happily sit on a swing for hours)  it’s all about climbing and playing, but it’s also a park for older kids.  If you have toddlers or children under five I would suggest checking out Fulmore Park, which is exactly one block south of this park, a super short walk, and it’s perfect for younger kids.

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. 

David Nunes Park/ Old Morse Park
129 Allston Street
Cambridgeport, Cambridge, 02139

Learn More: http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/parks/parksmap

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 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

Touring Boston – What to Know About Visiting the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum with Children

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Before moving to Boston I participated in a book challenge at my local library and as part of it I ended up reading “The Gardner Heist” a book about an unsolved major art heist.  The book was interesting but hearing about how the museum responded to the heist was even more facilitating.  

I’ll summarize:    
Two people broke into the Isabella Steward Gardner Museum one evening dressed as police officers. They did a smash and grab and stole a total of 13 art works from various rooms in the museum before escaping.  To this day they haven’t been found. 
What I found even more interesting is that in Isabella’s will she said she wanted her estate to become a museum, but because she had put so much time and effort into each of the rooms of her estate nothing was to be moved or changed.  Ever.  If there were changes made then she would no longer allow her house to be opened as a museum.
What that means is that while walking in the museum you will occasionally see empty picture frames on the wall. Since the curators are not allowed to change anything they have simply left the empty frames in their spots on the wall awaiting the day when the paintings might be recovered.  
I thought it made the walk through the museum so much more fun having read the book first and slowly dawning on the realization that this was the museum I had read about and then looking for the empty frames.  Some are fairly subtle and some are impossible to miss, but it makes for a unique viewing experience for sure.  

Things to Note: 

1) Price 
$15/Adult (Students with ID $5)
18 and under Free
2) Stroller Friendliness 
Stroller are permitted… kind of.  You can bring a single stroller, but double and oversized strollers are not allowed and can be checked in at the coat check.  This is unfortunate, but necessary because some of the entry ways are fairly tight and your not going to be able to fit through them with a huge stroller. 
3) Kid Friendliness
Semi kid friendly.  In the sense that children of all ages are welcome and encouraged to come and learn more about art, but there are a lot of things that might be tempting for little hands to touch that aren’t suppose to be touched.  

Summary & Rating ★★★★☆

Four Stars.  If I was just going as an adult I would have given this a solid five stars because I thought the price was fair (especially since we’re students) and the museum was gorgeous. Plus having the additional background from my heist book made the whole thing a bonus as we saw the empty frames and the realization that this was the place I had read so much about dawned on me.  However, keeping little hands away from delicate works of art is not an easy feat and it’s something you should certainly keep in mind if you want to go with little ones.   
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. 
Isabella Steward Gardner Museum 

25 Evans Way
Boston, MA 02115

Phone:
General Information: 617 566 1401
Box Office: 617 278 5156
Website: http://www.gardnermuseum.org/

Hours:
Open daily from 11 am to 5 pm
Thursday until 9 pm
Closed Tuesday