Community Corner

Kids' Activities in Boston During February Vacation Week

Here are some activities happening in your neighborhood and elsewhere in Boston to entertain the little ones this week.

[UPDATED Monday, Feb. 18, 9:10 p.m.]

You love your kids. You really do. But with the recent snow days and the entire upcoming week spent with them at home, you're simply running out of fun things to do together. 

Before you start pulling out your hair—and before they start pulling out theirs—check out these great family-friendly events happening in your neighborhood and elsewhere in Boston. 

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WEST ROXBURY

T.C.O.C. Teen Week: Featuring a field trip every day leaving from the Roche Family Community Center. Call 617-635-5066 for more info. Field trips cost money like Friday's trip to movies at Chunky's for $15.

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ROSLINDALE

Vacation Week Program from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. for grades 4 & 5 and K-1/K-2. $175 for week, vouchers accepted from CCCB. Roslindale Community Center. Call 617-635-5185. 

FENWAY/KENMORE

“Oliver”: Wheelock Family Theatre's production of "Oliver" will play all week with 1 p.m. matinees daily Monday, Feb 18 through Friday, Feb. 22 on theWheelock College campus (180 Riverway). Tickets are $20-$30. More info here. 

Museum of Fine Arts: Join the Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Ave.) and participate in free activities for youth all week. From art-making classes to story hours, there is something for all ages. Programs run Feb. 18-22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday to 8 p.m. More info here.

BACK BAY

Architecture Program at the Mary Baker Eddy Library: The free program, at the Mary Baker Eddy Library (200 Massachusetts Ave.), will introduce the topic of architecture, highlighting different building techniques and materials, as well as architectural vocabulary. Various activities will touch upon the concepts of construction and design, as well as the history behind the creation of our building and the Mapparium. More info here. 

BROOKLINE

Racecar Learning: The Larz Anderson Auto Museum (15 Newton St.,Brookline) is hosting BUCKLE UP! Fast, Fun, February this week. Learn what it takes to be a race car driver with fun, racing-related activities all week long. Kids activities begin on Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the special racing activities run Tuesday to Friday from 1-2:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children, students and seniors and free for children under six years old.More info here.

Puppet Show: Head to the Puppet Showplace Theater (32 Station St.,Brookline) to see "Under Night Sky," which follows three children on journeys united by threads of courage, love and hope. This show repeats all day. Admission is $8. More info here.

SOUTH END

Play Space: Drop by Coco Baby (1636 Washington St.) with your kids and enjoy toys, arts and crafts and musical instruments. The play space provides children with an area to explore their creative sides, interact with others their own age and get out all that excess energy. Cost is $8. More info here. 

DOWNTOWN

Ice skating: The Boston Common Frog Pond is open daily for public ice skating throughout the season. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5 for ages 14 and up and free for ages 13 and under. Skate rentals cost $5 for kids and $9 for adults. 

Love Boston, Paint BostonVisit Faneuil Hall Marketplace (1 Faneuil Hall Square) on Thursday, Feb. 21 and Friday, Feb. 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to paint your favorite Boston scene. All participants will be given a canvas square and painting supplies, and several pieces will be selected by local artists and put together to make one big "Love Boston" mural, which will be unveiled in the spring at Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

Street Theater Lunch and Learn: On Wednesday, Feb. 20, learn juggling, acrobatics, magic tricks and more from the Faneuil Hall Marketplace Street performers. Workshops will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ned Devine's. This event is open to all ages; children under 12 eat free. Sign up online for one of three time slots.

BEACON HILL

Hill House February Vacation Camp: Join Hill House (127 Mt. Vernon St.), for an action-packed week of art, sports, indoor swimming, ice skating, cooking, batting practice at Fenway Park and much more. Regular days run Feb. 19 to 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; extended days run from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. More info here. 

History Tour: Get a tour from the old State House through Beacon Hill and Back Bay with John and Abigail Adams and three generations of their descendants. Hear about the Adams family from Boston from the eve of the Revolution to the turn of the 20th century. Starts at 3 p.m. at 12 State St. Tickets are $15. More info here.

CHARLESTOWN

BPL’s Charlestown Branch (179 Main St.) is offering a list of events for February Vacation week:

  • Is Your Mama a Llama?” movie for ages 2 and up; Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m.
  • Drop-in Board Games—Choose from the library’s collection of board games to play with parents and other kids; Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2-5 p.m.
  • Drop-in LEGOs; Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2-5 p.m.
  • Black History Celebration with Ayanna Pressley—Children in grades K-3 can join Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley for a special story time and craft in honor of Black History Month; Thursday, Feb. 21, 3:30-4:15 p.m.
  • “Puss in Boots” family movie (Rated PG); Thursday, Feb. 21, 6-7:30 p.m.
  • Drop-in Craft—Make your own princess, pirate or airplane necklace. Supplies are limited, so email lmiller@bpl.org to reserve a spot; Friday, Feb. 22, 2-4 p.m.

Family fun at the USS Constitution Museum: Test your skills as a shipbuilder at the USS Constitution Museum (1 Constitution Plaza) with hands-on family activities that will be offered all week. View more than 60 handcrafted models and participate in a themed scavenger hunt, and check out the 34th annual Model Shipwright Guild Exhibit. More info here. 

SOUTH BOSTON 

Boat show: The 2013 Progressive Insurance New England Boat Show is running all week at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center (415 Summer St.). The show is open Monday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday from 1-9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. More info here. 

DORCHESTER

Franklin Park Zoo (1 Franklin Park Rd.) is hosting a birthday party for Little Joe the Gorilla. Little Joe, celebrating his 20th birthday, is a western lowland gorilla—and quite a character, too. Take off those winter jackets with a visit to the tropics and spend some time with gorillas, lemurs, ocelots and a giant anteater. 

Admission costs $11 for children ages 2-12, $17 for adults and $14 for seniors (age 62 and up). Children under 2 get in free. More info here

Parkscience Childern's Festival: Mayor Menino and the Parks Department invite families to the free Children’s Festival at the Franklin Park Golf Course Clubhouse (1 Circuit Drive). The event will provide educational fun during February School Vacation Week with indoor and outdoor science-related activities. Feb. 20, 10 a.m. to noon. More info here.



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