Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure

Boston Common
Do you want to do something with your kids this weekend, but they’re a little too old for an Easter egg hunt? Have you always been a big fan of board games and/or the TV show, The Amazing Race? Are you planning to be somewhere in the Boston area this weekend? Well, if you answered yes to some or all of these questions, Urban Adventure Quest may have the perfect way for you to entertain your family this weekend.

This is because Urban Adventure Quest is hosting an Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure from 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. every Saturday from now until the end of the year. This event will take you on a two to three hour tour of Boston where you will have the opportunity to use your smartphone to figure out clues, carry out challenging objectives, and learn more about this incredible city that so many people call home. For more information on the Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure, which begins at Boston Common for approximately $50 a team of 5 or less (there are often promotional discounts and special offers available online for Urban Adventure Quest as well), please visit the Urban Adventure Quest website.

Photo credit: Vignesh Ananth via Visualhunt.com / CC BY

Things to Do on Father’s Day Weekend

What If Dark Vader Was A Good Father
This Sunday, June 21st, is not only the summer solstice but also Father’s Day. As a result, if you were focusing on the fact that the summer was officially about to begin and your vacation, whether it be from school or work, was rapidly approaching, you may have forgotten about at least one of these occasions (and, let’ face it, it probably wasn’t the summer one.) Fortunately, if you totally forgot about the fact that you’re supposed to celebrate your dad this weekend, there are a number of events in the Boston area that will help you show him how much you care.

First, if your father has always enjoyed seeing big animals or you just think he is an animal at heart, you may want to head over to the Franklin Park Zoo or the Stone Zoo this Sunday. This is because the Franklin Park Zoo and the Stone Zoo are offering free admission for all fathers in honor of Father’s Day, which means that you may have to pay for yourself but your dad can get in without taking out his wallet. For more information on Father’s Day at the Franklin Park Zoo, please visit the Zoo New England website.

Secondly, if your father is more into eating tasty, tasty animals than visiting them, you may want to check out the Pantry at The VERVE Crowne Plaza in Natick. The Pantry is offering a free 10 oz. Strip Sirloin Steak to every father who comes into the restaurant with their family on Sunday. This means that you, again, will of course have to pay for your meal (because the restaurant has to make money somehow), but your father won’t have to pay a dime. For more information on the Free Steak for Dad on Father’s Day at the Pantry, please visit the Pantry website or the VERVE Crowne Plaza’s Facebook page.

Finally, if your father is a big Red Sox fan (and the heart of all Red Sox fans goes out to him this year if that is indeed the case), PhotoWalks may have a great way for you to show your Dad how much he means to you. This is because PhotoWalks is hosting a Father’s Day Scavenger Hunt around Fenway Park from 12:30 to 2:30 PM on Sunday. This family-friendly photo scavenger hunt, which begins at the Cask ‘n’ Flagon, will allow you and your dad to solve a series of clues about the oldest baseball park still operating in the U.S., Boston’s beloved major league baseball team, and the surrounding area. For more information on the Father’s Day Scavenger Hunt and/or to make a reservation for the event, please visit the PhotoWalks website.

Photo credit: bsoist / Foter / CC BY-ND

Free Salem Scavenger Hunt

The Witch House (Salem MA)
Are you an art fan planning to be in the Salem area this weekend? Well, if you are, you may want to check out the Salem Art Festival. The Salem Art Festival is a three-day celebration of art in all its forms, including the culinary arts, dance, film, music, painting, performance art, photography, poetry, sculpture, writing, theatre, and a whole lot more. In fact, the festival, which runs from today (June 5, 2015) until Sunday (June 7, 2015) has been giving local artists an opportunity to show off their work for seven years now, so there will be no shortage of things to see and people trying to see him.

However, if you’re concerned that your children may be a little too young for a large amount of family-friendly art, or in other words, will be bored out of their skulls by the time you’ve reached the second painting, you may be looking for something to keep them busy. If this is indeed the case, you’re in luck because this free scavenger hunt designed for children under the age of 12 will have you children looking for all of the famous (and not so-famous) landmarks around downtown Salem while you’re moving from one art location to the next (just so you know, the last location will have your kids looking for ice cream. You have been warned.)

Clue 1:
A very large bird after a long day in the sky,
Would return to his home on these sticks up high.

Clue 2:
Just as water flows down the side of a great mountain,
So too will it flow over you as it leaps from the…

Clue 3:
I have two hands upon my face.
You check my time to keep your pace.

Clue 4:
I ride on this right out of the room,
I’m magically powered with a crescent moon.

Clue 5:
During life, the falsely accused did their best,
But now their memorials all do rest,
By the side of the men who believed them unblessed.

Clue 6:
This museum is dedicated to people who were simply misunderstood
Because sometimes those who seem wicked are actually quite good.

Clue 7:
The first part of this place’s name is a person who uses a broom but has never swept the floor,
The second part of this place’s name is somewhere you live with your very own door.

Clue 8:
Looking for something oh so sweet?
Maria’s has something cold that is sure to help you beat the heat.

Answers: 1. The Stickwork Project’s Giant Bird Nests; 2. Fountain; 3. Almy’s Clock; 4. Bewitched Statue; 5. The Burying Point; 6. Witch Museum or Witch History Museum; 7. Witch House; 8. Maria’s Sweet Somethings.

Where Is All This Stuff? (All Locations are in Downtown Salem, MA):
1. The giant bird nests are part of the Stickwork art exhibit sculpted by Patrick Doherty, and these nest-like sculptures can be found in front of the Crowinshield-Bentley House at 126 Essex Street.
2. There are actually two fountains located on the pedestrian walkway on Essex Street, so you can look for one or both of them if you so choose. The first fountain (if you’re walking from the Crowinshield-Bentley House) is located in front of the Museum Place Mall and the second fountain is located across from Rockafellas at 231 Essex Street
3. The Almy’s Clock, which is the only thing left of the Almy’s, Bigelow, & Washburn Department Store that stood on the site until 1982, is located in front of the Commonwealth Financial Offices at 192 Essex Street.
4. The Bewitched Statue, which is a tribute to the fictional character Samantha Stephens from the famous TV series Bewitched, is located in Lappin Park at the intersection of Essex and Washington Street right in front of the Gulu Gulu Cafe.
5. The Burying Point, which was first established in 1637, is the oldest cemetery in Salem and the site of both John Hathorne, one of the judges that presided over the witch trials, and the site of the memorial to the victims of the trials. The Burying Point is located on Charter Street behind the Peabody Essex Museum.
6. The Salem Witch Museum and the Salem Witch History Museum, which are run by two completely different organizations, are both dedicated to teaching people about the events of the Salem witch trials and the innocent individuals who became victims of the witch hysteria. The Salem Witch Museum is located at 19 1/2 North Washington Square diagonally across from Salem Common and the Witch History Museum is located on the pedestrian walkway at 197 Essex Street.
7. The Witch House, which was the home of Jonathan Corwin, is located at 310 Essex Street. Jonathan Corwin was one of the judges that presided over the witch trials, and his home is one of the only structures from the period with a direct link to the trials that is still standing.
8. Maria’s Sweet Somethings is a souvenir, sweets, and ice cream shop located at 26 Front Street right around corner from most of the art festival’s exhibits.

Photo credit: openroads.com / Foter / CC BY

Geek Out This Mother’s Day

Steampunk Doctor Who
Are you a big fan of Star Wars, steampunk, or just all things geeky? Do random people see the costumes you wear and look at you like you’re actually from another world (Tatooine or Naboo, perhaps)? Have you ever tried to explain to someone what your geeky hobby is and why you do it? Well, if the answer to any of these questions is yes and you are a self-proclaimed geek, nerd, fanboy, or fangirl, you’ll be happy to know that there are several events this weekend that will help you show your friends and family what your geekiness is all about. In fact, if you’re a Star Wars fan, a steampunk Fan, or even an exercise geek, this is the perfect weekend to show Mom (or anyone else for that matter), the geeky things that you truly enjoy.

First, if you’re a Star Wars fan, you may want to head over to the Franklin Park Zoo this weekend. This is because the Franklin Park Zoo is hosting their annual Star Wars Day from 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Sunday (May 10, 2015.) This event will allow you and your friends and family to see stormtroopers from the 501st Legion, famous characters from the Rebel Legion, participate in a series of Star Wars scavenger hunts, watch animals play with special Star Wars themed enrichment items, and more. Best of all, if you are planning to bring your mother, the zoo is offering free admission to all mothers in honor of Mother’s Day. For more information on Star Wars Day at the Franklin Park Zoo, please visit the Zoo New England Special Events page.

Secondly, if you’re more of a steampunk fan than a Star Wars fan or you love both equally, you’ll probably want to be in Waltham this weekend. This is because the Watch City Steampunk Festival is this Saturday (May 9, 2015) from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on the Common in Waltham, Massachusetts. This festival will give you the opportunity to bring your friends and family into the world of steampunk with artwork, costuming, films, live performances, music, and a whole lot more. However, the thing that will probably truly put a smile on your face is the fact that you won’t have to pay a dime to get in because admission to the festival is free. For more information on the Watch City Steampunk Festival, please visit the Official Watch City Steampunk Festival website.

Finally, if you like to show the world your geekiness by regaling your friends and family with tales of all of the places that you’ve run through and how quickly you ran through them (which is important if you’re trying to avoid imperial stormtroopers or some other nefarious group of villians), you may want to check out the Geek Day Virtual 5K. The Geek Day Virtual 5K is a virtual marathon that runs from now until May 31st. This event will actually allow you to make your own marathon by choosing a 5K route, running it, and then reporting your time (with the appropriate fee of course) to the organizers. You will then receive a Geek Day Medal and a portion of the money from all of the fees collected will go to charity. For more information on the Geek Day Virtual 5K and/or to report your time for the event, please visit the Virtual Run Events website.

Photo credit: Counse / Photo / CC BY

A Sunny End to April Vacation

Little Princess
If you’re the parent of a school-aged child living somewhere in the Boston area, April Vacation can be tough. In fact, since we had typical April weather (rain, rain, and more rain) on Patriot’s Day (which may have been the only day you had off this week), there’s a pretty good chance that your kids have been cooped up in your house for the duration of their April vacation. And, if they’re like most kids, they’re probably driving you just a little bit insane by this point. Fortunately, if you’re looking for a way to get your kids out of the house so they can enjoy the end of their vacation, you’re in luck because there are a number of kid-friendly activities scheduled for this weekend.

First, if your kid is a big fan of animals and/or fairy tale princesses, you may want to head over to the Stone Zoo this weekend. This is because the Stone Zoo is hosting a Princess and Frog Day from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. tomorrow (April 25, 2015.) This event will not only allow your kids to meet a number of different princesses from well-known fairy tales and Disney films but will also give your kids a chance to make some arts and crafts and learn about all the animals that the zoo has with a special focus on frogs. For more information on the Princess and Frog Day at the Stone Zoo, please visit the Zoo New England Events page.

If, on the other hand, your kids are big fans of the zoo but not such big fans of princesses, the Franklin Park Zoo may make more sense for your family this weekend. This is because the Franklin Park Zoo is hosting their annual Party for the Planet from 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. today (April 24, 2015.) This celebration will feature special eco-friendly exhibits, scavenger hunts, and a number of other Earth Day-related activities in addition to everything the zoo typically has to offer. For more information on the Party for the Planet at the Franklin Park Zoo, please visit the Zoo New England Events page.

Finally, if your kids are into all things science (or you would really like them to be), you may want to check out the Cambridge Science Festival this weekend. The Cambridge Science Festival, which is sponsored by MIT but takes place throughout Cambridge and the surrounding area, features a series of activities, demonstrations, workshops, and tours that are designed to teach children and adults of all ages about a wide range of scientific and technological discoveries. Topics that will be covered at the festival this weekend include fashion technology, martial arts, math, optics, the science of sound and music, sky and space flight, web development, and a whole lot more. For more information on the Cambridge Science Festival, which ends on Sunday, please visit the Cambridge Science Festival website.

Photo credit: B.Riordan. / Foter / CC BY

Entertaining Your Kids in the Winter

The Frog Prince
Parenting can be an extremely rewarding experience, but it can also be pretty tough because there is an amazing amount of work involved in raising a child. In fact, the average parent is regularly required to juggle work and home schedules, pay extra bills to clothe and feed their children, take care of their children when they are sick or upset, and perform a variety of other tasks with little or no sleep. However, one of the issues that many parents come up against in the wintertime is how to get their child to do something other than stare at a computer screen or a TV screen when sending them outside could potentially cause them to get frostbite in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, if you are looking for some ways to get your kids out of the house and away from their screens this weekend, there are a number of events in the Boston area that will help you do exactly that.

First, if your child is a fan of scavenger hunts and/or science, there is no better place to be this weekend than the Museum of Science. This is because the Museum of Science, with the help of Watson Adventures, is hosting the Mad Science Family Scavenger Hunt at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday (January 17, 2015.) This scavenger hunt will allow you and your family to search the museum for all of the best exhibits, including dinosaurs, hidden messages, a mad scientist’s laboratory, musical zebras, optical illusions, snakes, and more. For more information and/or to order tickets (which include admission to the museum), please visit the Watson Adventures’ Mad Science Family Scavenger Hunt webpage.

Secondly, if your child is more into comedy than chemistry, you may want to check out the Airborne Comedians. The Airborne Comedians, who are performing at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline at 10:30 A.M. on Sunday (January 18, 2015), are a pair of globetrotting jugglers. These jugglers will toss and catch everything from bird baths to lawn chairs while they crack jokes on unicycles (yes, you read that correctly. They will be balancing on unicycles while they juggle and joke.) For more information and/or to order tickets for the Airborne Comedians’ show at Coolidge Corner Theatre, please visit the Coolidge Corner Theatre website.

Finally, if your child would prefer a good fairy tale to some learning or laughs, you may want to try the BCA Black Box Theatre in Boston. This is because the imaginary beasts are performing Kerplop! The Tale of the Frog Prince at the BCA Black Box Theatre every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from January 17, 2015 to February 7, 2015. This show will give you and your children the opportunity to see a Panto retelling of the classic story of an unfortunate prince who is turned into a frog and has to convince a princess to kiss him. For more information and/or to order tickets for Kerplop! The Tale of the Frog Prince, please visit the Boston Theatre Scene website.

Photo credit: ingermaaike2 / Foter / CC BY

Kid-Friendly Activities This Weekend

Easter on the Death Star
Wow.  Even these guys know that spring is here!

Let’s face it. Winter in New England is cold, and if you’re a parent who isn’t a big fan of your kids losing their extremities, you may have been a little less than keen on the idea of letting them go outside and dive into a snow bank in 10 degrees. The only problem is that when you keep a child cooped up in the house all winter long, they tend to go a little stir-crazy and take you right with them. Fortunately, if the weather outside is any indication, the time to let them escape is finally upon us. In fact, if your wallet is feeling a little light after all of the money that the nice heating man (or woman) took to keep your house warm all winter, there are a number of kid-friendly activities this weekend that won’t make you (or your wallet) scream in pain.

First, if your kids just can’t wait to have an Easter egg hunt and/or your Easter plans really don’t leave a lot of time for a hunt next weekend, you may want to head on over to Pope John Paul II Park in Dorchester tomorrow. This is because Phillips Candy House is sponsoring the 22nd Annual Department of Conservation & Recreation’s Spring Egg Scramble in the park from 11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. tomorrow, April 12, 2014. This event will allow your children to join an enormous number of other children to search the park for nearly 10,000 eggs filled with toys. Best of all, the event is completely free. For more information on the 22nd Annual Department of Conservation & Recreation’s Spring Egg Scramble, please call 617-333-7404.

Secondly, if your kids are more interested in magic and optical illusions than they are in eggs (which, depending on the purpose of the eggs, may not be such a bad thing), the Davis Museum at Wellesley College has a program that your kids won’t want to miss. This is because the Davis Museum at Wellesley College is hosting a special program tomorrow, April 12, 2014, entitled “Family Day at the Davis: The Art of Illusion” from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. This event will allow you and your family to see artwork that is designed to trick your eyes, watch magic tricks, take part in a scavenger hunt, and a whole lot more. Best of all, the museum and all of its programs are completely free. For more information on Family Day at the Davis: The Art of Illusion and other programs at the Davis Museum, please visit the Davis Museum Event page.

Finally, if your kids would really prefer to hear some music, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA may have a show that’s more up your alley. This is because the Coolidge Corner Theatre is hosting Josh and the Jamtones tomorrow, April 12, 2014 at 10:30 A.M. This group is a Boston-based rock band that plays family-friendly music for kids 3 and up, and seeing them perform won’t break the bank because tickets to the show are only $10 for adults and $8 for kids. For more information on the Josh and the Jamtones show at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, please visit the Coolidge Corner Theatre website.

Photo credit: JD Hancock / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

How to Have Some Winter Fun in New England

Snow Much Fun (Snow Tubing)

New England has been known for its harsh winters ever since the first English settlers stepped foot upon its soil. However, just because the area is regularly buried in snow with a temperature ranging anywhere from 0 to 50 and a wind chill of who knows what doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t enjoy the weather outside. In fact, if your children are going a little stir crazy (and, in turn, driving you crazy), there are a couple of wintry activities this weekend that are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.

First, if you and/or your kids have always loved snow tubing, you should definitely check out Amesbury Sports Park. This is because Amesbury Sports Park boasts the steepest snow tubing hill in all of New England, and with 8 lanes that are kept almost constantly snow-covered during the winter (temperature allowing), your entire family should have no problem enjoying the hill over and over again. Best of all, it’s only $27 a person for up to three hours of snow tubing, and you don’t have to buy your own tube. It is important to remember though that you cannot bring your own sled, and you will have to sign a waiver for each person going down the hill before anyone in your group can go sledding. For more information on Amesbury Sports Park and its facilities, please visit the Amesbury Sports Park website or call 978-388-5788 ext. 106.

Secondly, if really steep hills seem a little unnecessary to you and/or the price of tubing doesn’t really sound like such a great deal when you have eight kids, you may want to take a trip down to Holyoke, Massachusetts. This is because the Third Annual Holyoke Winter Carnival runs from today, February 7th to Sunday, February 16th, 2014. This event will give you and your family the opportunity to enjoy arts and crafts, chili cook-offs, dancing, hockey, hot chocolate, ice-skating, music, quilts, races, scavenger hunts, and a whole lot more. For more information on the Third Annual Holyoke Winter Carnival, please visit the Holyoke Winter Carnival website.

Photo credit: gfpeck / Foter / CC BY-ND

Friday Fun: Fireworks and Mysteries

The fireworks may be over but that doesn’t mean that the fun has to be. In fact, if you missed out on the 4th of July festivities, you may be in luck as there are still some places that are having fireworks tonight and tomorrow. As a result, if you’re looking for something to do now that the 4th of July has come and gone, you may want to look into some of the fireworks displays and other events that are happening this weekend.

First, if your kids love arts and crafts and are really into fireworks, you may want to think about taking them to the Boston Children’s Museum this weekend. The Boston Children’s Museum is holding a special event entitled Kitchen Science: Fireworks in a Glass on Saturday, July 6, 2013 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. This event will allow your children ages 5 and up to use oil, food coloring, and other items found around the kitchen to make colorful firework-like designs in a glass. For more information, please visit the Boston Children’s Museum website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for an activity that you can do without the kids and/or you’ve always been a fan of murder mysteries, the Museum of Fine Arts may have exactly what you’re looking for this weekend. The Museum of Fine Arts and Watson Adventures is hosting a Murder at the Art Museum Scavenger Hunt at 1:00 pm on Saturday, July 6, 2013. This event, which is only open to adults, will feature a series of clues related to the art in the museum that will help you to determine why the museum curator was killed and, most importantly, who killed the curator. To find out more about the event or to register for it, please visit the Watson Adventures website.

Finally, if you were hoping to catch another fireworks display or you missed all of the displays earlier in the week, Falmouth, Hudson, Lowell, and Waltham are all having fireworks displays that begin somewhere between 9:00 and 9:30 pm tonight (July 5, 2013.) If you can’t make it to any of the displays tonight, however, don’t worry. Ayer, Brockton, Hudson, Salisbury, and Wilmington are also having fireworks displays this weekend, but each of these displays will begin somewhere between 9:00 and 10:15 pm tomorrow (July 6, 2013.) For more information, please check your local paper.

Friday Fun: How to Beat the Heat

It may not officially be summertime yet, but the warm weather is definitely here. In fact, if you’re living in the Boston area or you’re planning to go just about anywhere in the Northeast this weekend, you’ll probably see temperatures in the mid 80’s to low 90’s. This means that while the weather may be perfect if you’re planning to spend a few hours outside, it’s going to be pretty hot if you’re planning on doing anything other than sitting or swimming. Fortunately, if you’re looking for a way to entertain your family without succumbing to the heat, there are some upcoming events that are conveniently located in air-conditioned buildings (or somewhere with a cool ocean breeze.)

The first place that you may want to check out if you’re looking for a way to beat the heat this weekend is the Boston Sailing Center. The Boston Sailing Center is offering free sailing cruises from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 1st. Each of these cruises will typically last approximately 20 to 30 minutes and will give you the opportunity to either sit back and relax as you cruise down the waterfront or try your hand at steering the boat. For more information on the Boston Sailing Center’s Free Sailing Open House, please visit the Boston Sailing Center website.

The second place that you may want to check out if you’re looking for a way to escape the heat this weekend is the New England Aquarium. The New England Aquarium is offering free admission to its IMAX theatre at 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 2nd. This means that you and your family will be able to see sharks, turtles, fish, and all of the other creatures that live in and around the coral reefs of the world (12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.) or more penguins than you’ve ever seen before (1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.) on one of the biggest screens you will ever see without paying a dime. For more information, please visit the New England Aquarium’s website.

The third and final place that you may want to check out if your kids are big fans of Harry Potter and you’re looking for somewhere cool to spend the day is the Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum of Fine Arts and Watson Adventures is holding a Wizard School Scavenger Hunt at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday. This event will allow kids ages 10 and up (even kids that are technically adults, but still kids at heart) to track down centaurs, dragons, giants, owls, unicorns, and other creatures and objects from the world of Harry Potter in the artwork of the museum. To find out more about the event or to register for it, please visit the Watson Adventures website.