14 outings near Framingham to add to your summer bucket list
Pick your own berries
- PYO Strawberries in June at Hanson’s in Framingham, Sunshine in Sherborn, Belkin Family Lookout in Natick, Tangerini’s in Millis, Nourse in Westboro, Tougas in Northboro
- PYO Blueberries in July-August at Patts in Holliston, Nourse in Westboro, Tougas in Northboro, Tangerini’s in Millis
- PYO Raspberries in August-Sept at Sunshine in Sherborn, Tangerini’s in Millis, Nourse in Westboro, Tougas in Northboro
- Find all the local PYO spots on our Farm Map (filter by type of fruit)
- Always call ahead or check online as picking conditions and availability are variable
Try a new playground every week
- Local favorites for a quick outing:
- Cushing Park, Framingham [Approx. 68 Dudley Rd]
- KidSpot Tot Lot, Stone Park, Ashland [Approx. 87 Summer St]
- McCarthy School, Framingham [8 Flagg Dr]
- It’s worth a drive to:
- Hannah Williams Park, Wayland-Natick Line for a fenced-in playground, large sandbox, swings
- Sherborn Playground for a beautiful, shady new accessible fenced playground
- Smiles Playground, Sudbury for large variety of structures for all ages
- EMC Park, Hopkinton for a series of structures with some shade and covered picnic area
- Find these and dozens more (with GPS addresses) on our Activities Map (filter by “Outdoor Playground“)
Cool down at a splash pad
- FREE Splash Pads in Marlborough, Hudson, Northborough, Waltham, and Belmont
- Season Rates at the new Clearbrook YMCA splash pad on the Framingham-Ashland line
- Find all these and more (with GPS addresses) on our Summer Swimming Map
Swim in the ocean
- Got toddlers? Some favorite low-surf beaches are Wingaersheek in Gloucester, Nantasket in Hull, Scusset in Sandwich, Mayflower Beach on the cape, and Second Beach in Middletown, RI
- Got bigger kids? Horseneck Beach in Westport, MA or Scarborough beach in Narragansett RI have strong surf for boogie boarding, as do some of the beaches on the ocean side of the cape like Nauset Beach.
- Our favorite beaches (with GPS addresses) are on our Summer Swimming Map
Celebrate Independence Day
Parade in Natick, fireworks in Milford, festival in Needham… all the local July 4th festivities are on this list!
Enjoy a concert at the park
- Sundays in Hopkinton and Sudbury
- Mondays in Natick
- Tuesdays in Ashland and Holliston
- Wednesdays in Natick (Children’s)
- Thursdays in Marlborough, Wayland
- See them all on our Jam-Packed Event Calendar
- We mention the best upcoming Children’s Performers in our Weekly Newsletter
Stay up late for an outdoor movie
- Stone Park, Ashland on Thursdays
- Hopkinton Town Common on select Thursdays
- Davis Museum, Wellesley on select Thursdays
- Every movie (along with title, when available) is posted on our Jam-Packed Event Calendar
Make an animal friend
- Local zoos (See all on our Activities Map, filter by “Museums and Zoos“):
- Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro (bring a suit for the splash pad!)
- Southwick’s Zoo in Mendon (with kiddie rides)
- Roger Williams Zoo in Providence (with big animals like giraffes and camels)
- Animal Adventures in Bolton (animal rescue center)
- Franklin Park Zoo in Boston (Free Fun Friday August 3, 2018)
- Buttonwood Park in New Bedford (Free Fun Friday August 24, 2018)
- WWI Memorial Park in N. Attleboro (FREE petting zoo, massive slide, epic sandbox area, playgrounds)
- Local farms with animals (See all on our Farms Map, filter by “Animals“):
- Hanson’s Farm, Framingham
- Natick Community Organic Farm, Natick
- Belkin Family Lookout Farm, Natick (Fee)
- Medway Community Farm, Medway
- Nourse Farm, Westboro
- Wenger’s Farm, Bellingham
- Tangerini’s Farm, Millis
- Drumlin Farm, Lincoln (Fee)
Take a hike
- Ashland Reservoir, Broadmoor in Natick, Center Trail in Hopkinton, Hopkinton State Park, Walkup Reservation in Westboro, Whitehall Reservoir in Hopkinton, Purgatory Chasm in Sutton, Local Rail Trails
- All these and more are on our Activities Map (filter by “Hikes“)
Explore a new museum
- Check for discounted passes at the library, or look into memberships that offer reciprocal free admisssion to many additional museums. Museum of Science has a great one!
- Find all of these on our Activities Map (filter by “Museum or Zoo“):
- Discovery Musuems in Acton are a blast for toddlers and pre-K (Free Fun Friday July 20, 2018)
- Easton Children’s Museum is great with even young toddlers (Free Fun Friday June 29, 2018)
- Boston Children’s Museum is excellent for a variety of ages (Free Fun Friday July 6, 2018)
- Providence Children’s Museum has free parking and lots of hands-on fun
- EcoTarium in Worcester is at its best in the summer, with indoor and outdoor exhibits (Free Fun Friday August 31, 2018)
- Musuem of Science in Boston is best for kids in elementary school
- New England Aquarium is a local destination for your water animal fix, or it’s worth the trip to the Mystic Aquarium in CT
Make a mess at someone else’s place
- Drop-in Pottery Painting: Plaster Fun Time (Framingham), The Pottery Place at Park Street Books (Medfield)
- Drop-in Arts and Crafts of Many Types: Whimsy (Framingham), Kids Place for Fun (Needham)
Score a strike
- Kid Bowl Free with 2 free games each day all summer long when you sign up at www.kidsbowlfree.com (Valid at Pinz Entertainment in Milford)
- Our Activities Map also includes all the local bowling alleys, including Ryan Family in Millis, AMF in Shrewsbury, Sawyer’s Bowladrome in Northboro
Give mom and dad a moment of peace!
- See our detailed list of Summer Drop-Off Programs (camps and the like), where we list age range, dates, and times. Some are very flexible, with options for 1 or 2 days each week
Carnivals, Touch-a-Truck, Festivals, Free Library Events
- Community Kangaroo is a team of 10 parents in the Boston suburbs who bust our tails filling the calendar with hundreds of local family events each month.
- Framingham mom Jil writes this region’s free weekly newsletter, which is just as helpful as this list. Subscribe here, and have an awesome summer!
