14 outings near Franklin to add to your summer bucket list
Pick your own berries
- PYO Strawberries in June at Tangerini’s in Millis, Wards in Sharon, Tougas in Northboro
- PYO Blueberries in July-August at Gianetti’s in Franklin, Jane & Paul’s in Norfolk, Tangerini’s in Millis, Big Apple in Wrentham, Vandervalk in Mendon
- PYO Raspberries in August-Sept at Big Apple in Wrentham, Tangerini’s in Millis
- 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
Find a new playground
- Local favorites for a quick outing:
- Bellingham Common [Approx 15 Mendon St]
- Fletcher Field, Franklin [Approx 59 Peck St]
- Nason Street Tot Lot, Franklin [Approx 24 Nason St]
- DelCarte Playground, Franklin [Approx 459 Pleasant St]
- Dacey Field Playground, Franklin [Approx 660 Lincoln St]
- Kasper Playground, Silver Lake, Bellingham [Approx 10 Blackmar St] (Pass from DPW needed. Fee for non-residents)
- It’s worth a drive to:
- Norfolk Kids Place Tot Lot for a turf-covered fenced in tot lot
- WWI Memorial Park, North Attleboro for a multi-story slide, massive sandbox, big playground and free petting zoo
- Payson Park, Foxboro for lots of slides and climbers for all ages
- Sherborn Playground for a beautiful, shady new accessible fenced playground
- EMC Park, Hopkinton for a series of structures with some shade and covered picnic area
- Find these and many more (with GPS addresses) on our Activities Map (filter by “Outdoor Playground“)
Cool down at a splash pad
- FREE Splash Pad at Choate Park in Medway. For others, you’ll have to drive to Hudson, Northboro, Woonsocket RI, Waltham, Belmont, or Marlborough
- Day or Season Rates in Bellingham (free pass for residents), at the Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro, and at the Franklin or Foxboro YMCA.
- 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 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
Carnival and fireworks in Franklin, parade in Milford, fireworks in Bellingham… all the local July 4th festivities are on this list!
Enjoy a concert at the park
- Sundays in Wrentham
- Tuesdays in Milford
- Wednesdays in Bellingham/Mendon (with free pony rides) and Franklin
- Thursdays in Norfolk
- See them all on our Jam-Packed Event Calendar
Stay up late for an outdoor movie
- Choate Park, Medway on Wednesdays
- Patriot Place, Foxboro on select Wednesdays
- Hopedale Parklands on select Fridays
- Every movie, along with the title (when available) is 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)
- 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“):
- Wenger’s Farm, Bellingham
- Fairmount Fruit Farm, Franklin
- Medway Community Farm, Medway
- Tangerini’s Farm, Millis
- Jane & Paul’s Farm, Norfolk
- Briggs Nursery, N. Attleboro
- Adams Farm, Cumberland RI
Take a hike
- DelCarte in Franklin
- Blackstone Gorge
- Blackstone River and Canal
- Hopedale Pond
- Joe’s Rock in Wrentham
- Bird Park in Walpole
- Cranberry Bog in Foxboro
- Stony Brook in Norfolk
- Upton State Forest
- 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: Kidz Plaster Zone (Franklin), The Pottery Place (Medfield)
- Drop-in Arts and Crafts of Many Types: Whimsy (Framingham)
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 and Splitsville in Foxborough
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.
- Jen in Franklin writes this region’s free weekly newsletter, which is just as helpful as this list. Subscribe here, and have an awesome summer!
