As a lifelong Bostonian, I’ll be the first to admit that winter is not my favorite season. But what makes the cold months bearable are the activities we do exclusively during the winter months! While I sometimes prefer to hibernate on the bitterly cold days, there is a lot of winter fun to be had in Boston with the family! Here are a few of our favorites:
1. Attend a Bruins game! Or, for a less expensive option, check out a Bruins practice — for no cost at all — at Warrior Ice Arena. There are a ton of great hockey options in Boston this winter!
2. Go sledding at any of these great hills. Make sure to get some hot chocolate after at one of these favorite places.
3. Have fun at Snowport in the Seaport District.
4. Watch the Boston Symphony Orchestra rehearse — for a fraction of the price of an actual concert.
5. Take your kids to a fancy afternoon tea after a morning out playing in the snow.
6. Cruise around an outdoor skating rink, like Frog Pond.
7. See a family-friendly play, musical, or other show — we love the classic Nutcracker during December and are looking forward to Peter Pan and Cat Kid Comic Club in January!
8. Go cross-country skiing at the Weston Ski Track.
9. Take an underground donut tour!
10. Paint your own pottery or create fun crafts at a local studio.
11. Eat unlimited ice cream and play in some magically sweet spaces at the new Museum of Ice Cream in Boston — there’s even a pool of sprinkles to jump in!
12. Visit the Museum of Science, where there’s always something new to see — check out a planetarium or Omni Theater show while you’re there.
13. Visit the Lego Discovery Center in Assembly Row or the Lego Maritime Festival at the USS Constitution Museum over February break (February 15-23).
14. Try a drop-in art workshop at the MFA. Create a nature journal or a gelli print on select Saturdays and Sundays (free with admission).
15. Discover the magic at Harry Potter: The Exhibition (now extended through April 27).
16. Relive your “Friends” memories with a coffee at Central Perk on Newbury Street.
17. Celebrate the Chinese New Year in Boston and witness the exciting and colorful Chinese New Year parade on February 9.
18. Dress warmly and check out ZooLights at the Stone Zoo (through January 5).
19. Have hot chocolate at Burdick’s in Harvard Square, Back Bay, or Brookline.
20. Put a few free (!) museum visits on the calendar!
21. Go snow tubing for some outdoor thrills!
22. Attend the Belmont World Film’s family festival (January 18-25).
23. Bounce away at an indoor trampoline park or explore an indoor play space to get your wiggles out!
24. See a children’s show at the Coolidge Corner Theater — try movies, concerts, magic shows, and more this season!
25. Go bowling at any of these cool spots!
26. Visit the North End for dinner or satisfy your pizza cravings on a pizza tour.
27. Visit the Boston Public Library, which has a great events calendar for kids of all ages.
28. Catch a Celtics game or the Harlem Globetrotters for some laughs (December 26 in Boston, January 4 in Springfield, January 5 in Worcester, and February 11 in Lowell).
29. See Disney on Ice at the Agganis Arena (December 19-30).
30. Try some indoor mini-golf at Puttshack.
