frog pond Archives

Each year the Frog Pond in Boston Common has a Halloween festival a few weeks before Halloween where you can bring a small carved pumpkin and they will put a light in it and float it on the frog pond. Hundreds of people show up to this event and it’s pretty magical to see all the pumpkins glowing on the pond, and even more fun when you can point out yours adding to the light.

What to Know About Attending the Annual Frog Pond Pumpkin Float with Kids

We had the opportunity to go last year and we loved it. It was super easy to get to, we could wonder around wherever our son wanted to go and we had a blast kicking off the Halloween season with such a fun festival.

Things to Note:

1) Bring a Carved Pumpkin
Your pumpkin should be smallish, they recommend 8″ pumpkins and it’s a lot more fun to have a carved pumpkin because you can see it when it’s out on the water (ours was a bit last minute and it was painted). They will provide the light for you and it’s really fun to see all the pumpkins together lighting up the water. (When the festival is over all the pumpkins are donated to a compost company.)

2) Snacks
There are bunch of booths set up circling the pond giving out free stuff or having activities for children. We walked away with some granola bar samples, cheese, fruit rolls, flavored water and more.

3) Crafts & Fun
There are also a bunch of crafts set up around the Frog Pond. We made paper bag luminaries (again the lights were provided for us) and got to see our bag set up around the Frog Pond. There were also magic tricks and scary stories being told at different places.

4) Parade
Children are encouraged to dress up and midway through the night they will be instructed to line up, music will start playing and they can march around the Frog Pond. (Also, this is about the time that free glow sticks were handed out to all the children).

5) Crowds and Strollers
There were tons of people here and I was so glad that we didn’t bring our stroller. There were a few people that had them and watching them trying to make their way through the thick masses of people looked super stressful. If you have children that can walk this is one of the instances where I would suggest leaving the stroller behind, it’s a super short walk from the “T” and the stroller is likely going to cause more stress than it’s going to absolve.

6) Getting There &/or Parking
I would highly suggest taking the “T” to get here as the “Park Street” stop from both the red and green lines drop off literally at the park, giving you a thirty second walk to the pond. If you must drive there is a parking garage with a limited amount of parking at Boston Common as well.

Summary & Rating ★★★☆☆

Three stars. We had a lot of fun going and being able to add our pumpkin to the other pumpkins floating on the water, however the crows were crazy! Trying to get around the pond to see the different vendors took some fancy footwork and if you want to float your pumpkin your best bet is to get there when it starts because toward the middle/end of the event the line to hand off pumpkins was quite long. We enjoyed going, and I’m glad we tried it at least once but there are so many fun things going on around the city at this time of year that I think we’ll check out some new, less overwhelming, options next time around.

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.

Frog Pond Pumpkin Float
Frog Pond
Boston, MA 02108

Phone: 617.635.2120
Website: http://bostonfrogpond.com/2015/03/pumpkin-festival/

One of my absolute favorite summer activities is visiting the Boston Frog Pond! The Frog Pond is a giant pond in the middle of Boston common with water that’s 6-8 inches deep. There is also a huge geyser of water that fountains out of the middle and this pond that is meant to be splashed in. (Posted life guards and everything!)

I took my son and he loved every minute of it. He loved being there to play in the water, he loved having friends to play with and he loved following the other kids and trying new things like laying in the water on his belly and his back.

Touring Boston - What to Know About Visiting the Frog Pond Summer Splash Pad and Wading Pool

It was a really hot day and I was glad I came in my swimsuit because I was right there next to him sitting in the water to cool off. We had a great time and were so glad we had friends to join us.

Things to Note:

1) Price
Free, free, free. Just show up and start splashing.

2) Location & Amenities
Right in the heart of Boston, part of Boston Common. The Red Line on the “T” stops pretty much at the park so you can get there without even having to bring a stroller. There is a bathroom located right next to the Frog Pond that has lockers you can use for the day. There is also a snack bar attached to it if you need burgers and fries to get you through a busy day at the park. Life guards are posted around the pond. There is a carousel next to the pond ($3/ride) and an enclosed playground, not to mention plenty of trees and shade.

3) Hours
The Frog Pond opens in late June and seems like it usually open until about Labor Day. Hours vary, and it’s closed if the weather is bad. Generally its open 11am – 6pm.

4) Other Seasons
Even when the pond is closed there are all sort of events generally going on around the pond. In the winter you can ice skate on it, in the fall they have pumpkin floating festivals and more. All in all it’s a really fun place to visit.

Summary & Rating ★★★★★

Five stars. I think the Boston Frog Pond is a blast and my son has adored it since the first time we let him put his toes in it about a 1.5 years old. This past summer when he was 2.5 it was amazing to be able to sit on the side of the pond and let him run around in the water. The water is shallow enough that I didn’t feel like I needed to shadow his every movement and he had so much fun playing with the other kids in the pond and splashing around. This is one of our most favorite summer activities and if you’re around for the summer it’s something you shouldn’t leave Boston without trying.

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 Common Frog Pond
Boston Common
Boston, MA 02116

Phone: (617)635-2121
Website: http://bostonfrogpond.com/