Preschoolers

The 2013 Free Fun Fridays schedule is out, and it’s time to start planning your family’s summer adventures! Every summer, the Highland Street Foundation gives us the opportunity to visit cultural attractions in Massachusetts for free each Friday, from the end of June through August.

The Free Fun Fridays are truly a gift and offer the chance to visit varied attractions, from art museums to historical villages. This year, the fifth anniversary of the program, there are six options each Friday – some venues are right here in Boston, while others are as far away as Western Mass. With so many wonderful choices, it can be difficult to decide which ones to visit.

I have chosen five to highlight, taking into consideration whether other significant discounts (such as library museum passes) are available at another time, how much money is saved, proximity to Boston, and whether the place is good for children.

If you’re like me, by the end of the week, you may just have an assortment of stale bread ends hanging around. That, and, at least in the spring, an unreasonable desire to ditch your work shoes and play in the sunshine. Last Friday my two year old and I went on a mommy and daughter date with a friend and her daughter. The girls are still talking about it five days later. Here are five simple ways to occupy a toddler (or two) and connect with nature in one of the city’s most beautiful and peaceful green spaces.