Fun and Free Things to Do with Kids in Boston - FunFest, Outside the Box and More

7/11/13 - By Audrey Trieschman

Boston families will find plenty of fun and free things to do in and around town this weekend. Take advantage of the great outdoors and head to the Circle the City festivities at Franklin Park, or the WGBH FunFest in Boston. New this summer is Outside the Box, a nine-day summer performing arts festival, that offers a variety of children’s entertainers - musicians, dancers, magicians, puppeteers, arts and crafts workshops, and more.

Looking for more things to do? Find out what's new at the zoos this summer - Franklin Park, Stone, Roger Williams Park and Southwick Zoos. Plus, Kristin reviews the work that was done to improve the New England Aquarium. Tara has the scoop on watching the PawSox games at McCoy Stadium, Pawtucket - a family-friendly, budget-friendly alternative to Fenway. And of course, we all love reading to our kids, but sometimes it's just so nice to listen to someone else read to them for a change.

Read on for more of our weekend picks, and be sure to check our Events Calendar for more ideas.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Outside the Box - Various Locations, Boston
Sat 7/13 - Sat 7/20
FREE

The performing arts festival turns public spaces like the Boston Common and City Hall Plaza into performance spaces, with over 200 events showcasing the best of Boston and Massachusetts, from theater to dance, the symphony to independent bands, classic to cutting-edge. See the website for a complete schedule.


WGBH FunFest - WGBH Studios, Boston
Sat 7/13
Tickets $10; Family 4-Pack $35        

The day of ice cream and music features ice cream and treats from some of your favorites, including Ben & Jerrys, Bon Me Food Truck, Friendly’s, JP Licks, Richardson's Ice Cream, and Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese Food Truck, plus live musical performances by family friendly artists like Little Groove, Ben Rudnick and Friends, Karen K and the Jitterbugs, and Alastair Moock. Kids can participate in interactive games and enjoy face painting, inflatable rides, and more. Purchase tickets in advance.


Alastair Moock - Henry Bear's Park, Cambridge
Sat 7/13
FREE

If you can’t make it to the FunFest, your children can still have the chance to listen to one of our favorite performers, Alastair Moock and Friends, as they celebrate the release of Singing Our Way Through, Songs for the World's Bravest Kids.


Author Visit: Night Before My Birthday - Lively Kids, Newburyport
Sat 7/13
FREE

Author Joni Rubinstein introduces her The Night Before My Birthday Book, is a magical poem read to children on the night before their birthday. It captures the feelings of children as they are tucked into bed, full of anticipation, with dreams of waking up a brand new age.


Circle the City Open Streets, Open Parks - Boston
Sun 7/14
FREE

Huntington Avenue is closed to cars and open to people. From the Prudential Building to Brigham Circle, the outbound side of the street will become a 'paved park', featuring fitness clinics, biking and walking tours, kids’ games, yoga, art activities, live music, dance classes and more.


Vintage Base Ball - Georges Island, Boston
Sun 7/14
FREE (ferry additional)

What better place to walk a historic ballgame than inside the walls of a Civil War fort on Georges Island. Two teams play against one another while adhering to rules set in the Civil War. Today: Hingham Vintage Base Ball vs Bristol Blues.


Photo: Outside the Box Performers