Tag: Frog Pond

Friday Fun: How To Avoid Melting

Has your thermometer given up even trying to show a real temperature and is just reading “Hot, Hot, Hot? Has your air conditioner, realizing that there is no hope of cooling down your house, gone on strike? Are you afraid that if you don’t find something cool to do this weekend, you’re going to end up melting like the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz? Well, if you answered “yes” to any of these questions, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re in the U.S. right now. With temperatures approaching 100 degrees in many areas throughout the country, finding a way to stay cool is definitely at the top of most people’s to-do lists. Fortunately, if you’re in the Boston area this weekend, there are a number of events that are not only taking place at cooler places or cooler times of the day, but a number of events that are also absolutely free.

First, if you and/or kids are looking for a cool and refreshing treat, you may want to head over to Taza Chocolate in Somerville, MA tomorrow (Saturday, July 20, 2013.) Taza Chocolate is offering free Mexican-style popsicles, which are also known as Paletas, from 12 to 3 p.m. as part of their Chill Out Saturdays. These treats are made by a local vendor based in Cambridge, MA, known as Real Pops, and they come in a variety of flavors. For more information about Taza Chocolate’s Chill Out Saturdays, please visit the Taza Chocolate website.

If you are looking for a way for your kids to have some fun in the water, you may want to check out the Frog Pond Spray Pool & Fountain, the Rings Fountain on the Greenway, or the Veterans Memorial Swimming and Wading Pool. The Frog Pond Spray Pool & Fountain, which is located on Boston Common, features a free wading pool for young children and a 70-foot spray plume for children and their parents. The Rings Fountain on the Greenway, which is located in the Wharf District Parks in Boston, features a giant circular spray fountain that uses 64 nozzles to spray water in a series of circles around the people in its center. The Veterans Memorial Swimming and Wading Pool, which is located on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, features a full-sized swimming pool that adults and kids can use for free and a free wading pool for younger children.

Finally, if you and your kids are looking for something that is a little dryer but still pretty cool, you can always head on over to the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The Faneuil Hall Marketplace not only has a number of shops, restaurants, monuments, and museums that everyone can enjoy, but also has a free light show called Summer Blink every night from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. until September 6th. This special show features over 350,000 LED lights that will allow you see the entire Marketplace and the entire Boston skyline light up as the Standell’s famous song about Boston, Dirty Water, plays in the background. For more information, please visit the Boston Blinks website.

Friday Fun: Things to Do During February Vacation

This weekend marks the end of February Vacation for students throughout most of the Northeastern United States and a number of other areas as well. As a result, there’s only a couple days left for all the parents out there to find something to do with their kids, and many parents have already begun their desperate search for an activity that will keep their children entertained this weekend. Unfortunately, trying to locate an activity that your kids will find entertaining is often as easy as trying to get your children to pick up their toys, and you may be having trouble coming up with an idea that your kids will truly enjoy. However, if you’re looking for something to keep your kids entertained for a few more days or you’re just trying to make up for the fact that you had to work all week, you may want to consider taking your kids ice skating.

Ice skating can be a fun and a relatively inexpensive way for you to spend a day, and you will be able to find at least one ice skating rink in most areas. In fact, if you live in the northern section of the United States or anywhere that typically experiences colder weather during the winter, you may be able to find an outdoor rink that offers free skating and/or low-priced skate rentals. In most cases, the best way to find an outdoor rink is to check out the website for the closest major city.

For example, if you live in the Boston area, you may be able to skate on the Boston Common Frog Pond by calling the Boston Centers for Youth and Families at 617-635-2120. Skating on the Frog Pond is typically free for skaters younger than 14 and $5.00 for skaters age 14 or older. Skaters below the age of 14 can also rent skates for a fee of $5.00, and skaters age 14 or older can rent skates for a fee of $9.00. If you can’t find an outdoor rink or you’d rather find an indoor one, you may be able to find an ice skating rink by using Map Muse’s Ice Rink Locator.

If, on the other hand, you or your kids are about as coordinated as I am (or, in other words, you put on skates, walk two inches, and then end up face first against the ice), you may want to check out the websites for some of your local art, science, or children’s museums. A lot of museums, especially museums that are more geared towards children than adults, have a number of special events to keep kids and their families entertained during each school break.