Virtual - various times
Virtual - various times
Virtual - various times
Virtual - various times
Virtual - various times
Virtual - various times
Virtual - various times
Free and Fun Things to Do with Boston Kids: BIg Woods Hike, SteveSongs, and More, Nov 17-18
Our roundup of weekend events for kids and families in and around Boston features lots of outdoor activities, from a Dog Sled Fun Run in Milton to the Big Woods Hike in Ipswich. Other activities include a concert with SteveSongs, the second weekend of the Family Film Festival, and the opening of the new Boston Blinks! at Faneuil Hall. Read on for details, and remember that our Events Calendar is filled with many more ideas.
With Thanksgiving preparations just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to take a look back to 1621 and the first Thanksgiving; check out some recipes from that first celebration. The holiday season is poised to launch into full gear, and we begin our coverage with a roundup of dazzling tree lighting events, some of which take place this Saturday! Plus, for families hoping to focus a little less on getting and a little more on giving this holiday season, we’ve found some truly wonderful family volunteering and charitable giving opportunities.
Enjoy!
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Belmont World Film's Family Film Festival is based on the theme of Magic and Movies. The five-day film festival features 15 programs comprised of live performances and 55 exceptional live action and animated films from around the world. The festival is anchored by two Magic Fridays, magical programs of animated shorts, live action films, and live performances. $6 & up
Sleigh Bell Artisan Fair - Wenham Museum, Wenham
Fri 11/16 - Sun 11/18
The museum's annual holiday fair features the North Shore's best artisans offering one-of-a-kind gifts. Kids can enjoy the art of model railroading in Wenham Museum’s Train Time 17 model train exhibit featuring two room-size model train layouts with engines racing around a 400+ square foot O-Gauge track reminiscent of 1950s holiday department store displays and a Standard Gauge layout of the 1920s and 1930s.
Please share the joy of the season and bring an unwrapped toy for the 17th Annual Holiday Toy Drive to benefit North Shore children in need. Fair admission: Free; Museum visits: regular admission applies
Dog Sled Fun Run - Blue Hills Reservation, Milton
Sat 11/17
Kids can meet a furry sled dog up close and personal when the Yankee Siberian Husky Club with the Boston Snow Dogs presents an educational exhibit on dog sledding in New England. Demonstrations with wheeled rigs, if weather permits. Bring cameras for a great photo opportunity. (Demonstration only. No rides given.) FREE
Family Program: Day of the Dead - Peabody Museum, Cambridge
Sat 11/17
The Museum's monthly family series continues with a tribute to the Day of the Dead (11/2). Visitors can see special altars and decorations, leave messages for departed loved ones, explore the ancient Aztec origins of the festival and its food, enjoy music, and make their own paper marigolds, papel picado banners, and calaca (skull) masks to take home. FREE with admission
Boston Blinks Opening Celebration & Faneuil Hall Tree Lighting - Faneuil Hall, Boston
Sat 11/17
Holiday entertainment - bell ringers, holiday choir groups, dance troupes, and appearances by the Boston Ballet Nutcracker characters - begins at 11am and continues until the tree lighting ceremony at 5pm. Kids have the chance to get their picture taken with Santa, too.
Then at 6pm, Boston's newest holiday tradition, Blink!, launches with live music, dance presentations, and special events that include story hour with the Grinch. Check the website for a complete schedule. FREE
SteveSongs in Concert - Regent Theatre, Arlington
Sat 11/17
Get ready to rock out with children’s performer and PBS Kids co-host Mr. Steve”Roslonek of SteveSongs as he and his band take children along on another incredible, musical journey. $12 in advance; $15 at the door
The Enchanted Village - Jordan's Furniture, Avon
Opens Sat 11/17
The tradition lives on. Once called the Enchanted Village of St. Nicholas, the holiday display was created in 1958 for Jordan Marsh Downtown Crossing. It has passed through City Hall Plaza (late 90s) and the Hynes Convention Center (2006-2009), and now is at Jordan’s Furniture, where it has been restored and on display. The surviving collection includes 59 mechanical figurines and 18 vignettes. FREE
Show Me a Story - Brookline Booksmith, Brookline
Sun 11/18
Spark your child’s imagination and join in on a fun-filled workshop with educator and craft designer Emily Neuburger. Budding storytellers can make their own crafts, write their own stories, and develop their creativity, all from Neuburger’s 40 imaginative prompts. FREE
Big Woods Hike - Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Topsfield
Sun 11/18
Family and friends can take a two-hour naturalist-guided walk to discover the natural and cultural history of the sanctuary. The walk meanders along the edges of marshes and ponds, through deciduous forest and the old growth forest of Averill’s Island, featuring towering hemlocks and red pines. Warm up by the woodstove back in the Barn, where hot drinks, homemade soup, and desserts are available for purchase. Advance registration required. Adults $7-$8; Children $6-$7
