From Staycations to Snowshoeing: 9 Ways to Have February Break Fun
February break is upon us once again (because our kids haven’t had enough days off this month, right?).
Wondering how you’ll keep the little ones entertained? From staycations to snowshoeing to festivals to puppet shows, we’ve got nine ideas for ways your family can play this February vacation.
Book a Boston Adventure:
Get a $50 gift card to Boston Common’s Frog Pond as part of this staycation.
Is your family a city family at heart? Or perhaps you’re looking to ditch your country digs for a little slice of Boston this February break.
Book the Hotel Commonwealth’s “Bundles of Fun’’ February break staycation package and you’ll take a tour of Fenway Park, go ice skating on Frog Pond, and spend the night at Hotel Commonwealth. Oh, and don’t forget the milk, cookies, and goodie bag.
Hotel Commonwealth, 500 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston. Saturday, February 21. $299. www.hotelcommonwealth.com.
Children’s Winter Festival:
Franklin Park will be full of family fun Feb. 19.
Bring the family to Franklin Park in Dorchester Thursday, February 19, for tons of winter fun at the Children’s Winter Festival, hosted by Mayor Martin Walsh and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department.
Kids can check out a tadpole exhibit by the New England Aquarium, an artifact display hosted by the Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology, go on a Boston Nature Center scavenger hunt and nature hike, watch a live horse demonstration with the Boston Park Rangers, do winter arts and crafts, and more. The LL. Bean Outdoor Discovery School will help kids navigate a Snowshoeing Discovery Course through Franklin Park. Snowshoes and sleds will be provided.
Franklin Park, William Devine Golf Course Clubhouse, 1 Curcuit Drive. Dorchester. Thursday, February 19, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Free. www.cityofboston.gov.
Go Snowshoeing:
The Trustees of Reservations has the perfect showshoe outing for you.
If you haven’t tried snowshoeing, we’d argue (and few would disagree) that this is the winter to do it. The Trustees of Reservations, which preserves scenic and historic properties statewide for public use and enjoyment, has many snowshoe adventures to choose from.
Take part in “Snowshoe Shenanigans’’ Saturday, February 14, at Notchview Reservation in Windsor. Compete in a three-person relay and kid’s obstacle course, all on snowshoes. Enjoy hot cider, snacks, and a bonfire as well. $5 per person/$10 per family for members; $10 per person/$20 per family for nonmembers.
Explore the fields, trails, and summit views of Tyringham Cobble in Tyringham Sunday, February 15, on showshoes during the “Frosty Snowshoe.’’ The trek will be followed by a yoga session beside the fireplace at Ashintully Gardens. $25 members; $30 nonmembers.
On Sunday, February 22, there will be a group excursion around Field Farm’s fields and woodlands in Williamstown, followed by hot chocolate. Members and children are free; $5 non members.
While we’re talking snowshoeing, Bondir restaurant in Concord is offering a “snowshoe valet’’ this winter, where guests can check their (snow)shoes at the door and enjoy lunch or hot chocolate by the fireplace. Bondir suggests starting at Minute Man National Park and making the 1-mile journey through historic Concord to the town’s center, where the restaurant is located.
Bondir, 24 Walden Street, Concord. www.bondirconcord.com.
Send the Kids to Ski Camp:
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Skiers and riders across New England are absolutely thrilled with this month’s conditions. Send your kids into the epic powder for a three-day ski camp at Pat’s Peak in Henniker, New Hampshire.
Kids will enjoy six hours of skiing per day. The $315 price includes lunch and lift tickets. For ages 6 to 14 years old and for all abilities. Kids must be registered by Friday.
Pats Peak, 686 Flanders Road, Henniker, New Hampshire. Monday-Wednesday, February 16-18 and February 23-25, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $315. www.patspeak.com.
Think Pink:
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Need more pink in your life? Look no further than Boston Children’s Theatre’s presentation of “Pinkalicious The Musical.’’
This show is based on the popular books by Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann. It tells the story of a young girl who loves everything pink — especially pink cupcakes. But when her love of pink goes a bit too far, the only cure involves the color green. Ask about the Grandparents Package, which includes two tickets to the show, a special souvenir, and a photo with the cast.
Boston Children’s Theatre, Cambridge YMCA, 820 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge. Saturday-Sunday, February 14-22. $27. www.bostonchildrenstheatre.org.
See a Puppet Show:
“Lollipops for Breakfast’’ is playing at Puppet Showplace Theater in Brookline.
You’re not about to give your children lollipops for breakfast, no matter how much they beg. So take them to the next best thing — a puppet show about it. The show “Lollipops for Breakfast’’ with Bonnie Duncan of Jamaica Plain is playing in Brookline Saturday-Monday, February 14-16.
The show follows Sylvie, who decides she’s going to have lollipops for breakfast, even if it means she has to make her own amazing lollipop from scratch. Follow her as she searches for ingredients for this magnificent pop. The performance, told entirely without words, features puppetry, music, acrobatics, and audience participation.
Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station Street, Brookline. Saturday-Monday, February 14-16. $8 members, $12 general admission. www.puppetshowplace.org.
Channel Spring:
Think flowers at Tower Hill Botanic Garden.
Over at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, your family can channel spring by participating in a series of plant- and flower-inspired activities.
There will be scavenger hunts, story times, crafting (on Tuesday, February 17, kids will make a wooden flower press; Thursday, February 19, kids will make a no-wax batik), and games. Explore the lush indoor conservatories and examine an indoor igloo made of milk cartons. Kids age 8 and older may be dropped off for a Flower Arranging workshop Friday, February 20.
If your family prefers the outdoors, dress the kids appropriately for a session of fort building and snowshoeing.
Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive, Boylston. Saturday-Sunday, February 14-22. $12 adults, $7 kids. Kids under 6 free. www.towerhill.org.
Solve a Crime:
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Take the kids on a crime-solving scavenger hunt at The Children’s Museum in Easton, where they will solve “The Case of Home Sheep Home.’’
Kids will search for clues by examining animal tracks, learning to use a compass, analyzing fibers, practicing their mapping skills, and more. Each day features science and art activities and a chance for the kids to join the case, solve the mystery, and get a reward.
The Children’s Museum in Easton, 9 Sullivan Avenue, North Easton. Monday-Friday, February 16-20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $9. www.childrensmuseumineaston.org.
Play Hockey:
Spend time on the ice.
Does dinner converation at your house focus around talk of a puck? Sign your little Patrice Bergeron up for a February Vacation Mini Camp with the Boston Junior Terriers at Canton SportsPlex.
The camp will feature on-ice instruction with Brian Yandle and the Pro Evolution skills coaching staff. Your child will work on stickhandling and shooting. All skill levels welcome.
February Vacation Mini Camp, Canton SportsPlex, 5 Carver Circle, Canton. Monday-Thursday, February 16-19. Mites/Squirts 9 to 10:20 a.m.; Pee Wee/Bantam 10:30 to 11:50 a.m. $130. www.globalhockey.org.
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