Winter

Farmers’ Markets present great opportunities for supporting local farmers, buying fresh produce and other foods you can feel good about giving to your kids, cultivating a sense of community, finding unique gifts, enjoying live music, and learning something new. Just because it’s winter, that doesn’t mean your family should be deprived of the farmers’ market experience!

There are several winter farmers’ markets in the Boston area; read on for some of the highlights.

Have you noticed how February Vacation Week has been creeping up on us, so quiet and stealth? Recently, when I asked a few parents about their families’ vacation week plans, they looked completely panic-stricken. If you’re feeling a little panicky yourself, don’t worry – you can still register your child for an enriching vacation program.

The options are plentiful and varied, ranging from an hour to all day, one day to a full week, indoors to outdoors, drawing to playing sports. No need to panic – yet. If one of these programs looks right for your child, don’t wait until it’s too late to register! Of course, there are plenty of fun things to do during vacation week that don’t require planning weeks in advance. If impromptu is more your style, be sure to check our calendar for drop-in activities.

It’s been a long time coming, but we’ll take those few inches of the fluffy white stuff!

The first time we took our kids cross country skiing was in child carrier sleds that we strapped around our waists and pulled behind us - great fun for them, and a great workout for us. While they’ve since grown too big for those carriers and now prefer the speed of downhill, they are still willing to spend some family time together cross-country skiing. We usually go to a local forest to ski, although we also go to Great Brook, Farm State Park, in Carlisle. Great Brook is dependent on natural snow coverage, but when it’s good, the groomed trails are fun. For near-guaranteed coverage, Weston Ski Track has snowmaking on a 2K, lighted loop as well as additional groomed trails when the weather cooperates.

Read on for the details about these and other places to ski.

One of the things that makes Boston a great place to live with kids is you don't have to travel far to find family outdoor activities. Whether you head to the ocean or the mountains, many of these destinations are perfect for day tripping. For skiing, Boston families have their choice of three local ski areas: Blue Hills, Nashoba and Wachusett. While a good snowstorm has yet to show up in the forecast for the 2011/2012 season, the mountains are making as much snow as they possibly can. Please be sure to check hours and conditions before heading out.

Beginner and intermediate skiers will find that the terrain at these ski areas is manageable, and while advance skiers may find few challenges, the convenience and proximity more than make up for it. All offer numerous lesson, rental and ticketing options. Here's a rundown of the closest family ski centers near Boston.