Boston Winter Activities with the Family

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! We’re looking forward to a week with family and to creating new traditions with the little ones. For anyone visiting Boston this time of year, I wanted to share a few family-friendly activities we’ve enjoyed this winter with the kids!

1. Exploring Seaport

• Snowport Holiday Market – but on weekdays because the super long weekend lines are not worth it.
• Grab a photo by the pretty white trees across from Snowport (where we snapped these pics!)
• For those who eat dairy, Taiyaki fish-shaped ice cream are usually a kid pleaser
• Children’s museum – $1 admission on TJX Sunday afternoons with an online reservation
• Martin’s park is within walking distance with two sections to play in
• Our usual kid & allergy friendly spots to eat: Bar Taco has a good kids menu, Kokoda has poke bowls and sushi hand rolls for the kids and a fully dairy-free, nut-free menu.
• Trillium Brewery – a favorite spot for craft beer enthusiasts and $1 oysters (VERY hard to find these days in town) 2-4pm on weekdays.

Other popular ice skating areas: The Landmark Center by the Time Out food market, and the Quincy Outdoor Ice Skating Rink which is free (FYI: select time blocks are for Quincy residents only).

2. Exploring around the Boston Public Garden

• Skating at Boston Common Frog Pond. Such an iconic Boston winter activity that I haven’t done since my college days! I love it as a winter date activity and our kids got off to a shaky start but enjoyed it as well. On weekends get there early if you need to rent a skating aid (Bobby the Seal), because there can be a wait. P.S. there’s restrooms inside!
• Kids can play at the Tadpole Playground a few steps away after skating.
• The charming Beacon Hill Bookstore is a 5-10 minute walk away with a cute kids section.
• There are lots of places within walking distance to eat, but we went to Shabu Zen in Chinatown to warm up and grabbed some buns and egg tarts (for Nick & I) at Top Bread Bakery. We love hot pot in general but especially with the kids for food allergy purposes, since the ingredients are pretty transparent!