12 outings near Westboro to add to your summer bucket list
Pick your own berries
- PYO Strawberries in June at Nourse in Westboro, Tougas in Northboro, Hanson’s in Framingham, Sunshine in Sherborn, Belkin Family Lookout in Natick
- PYO Blueberries in July-August at Nourse in Westboro, Patts in Holliston, Tougas in Northboro, Vandervalk in Mendon, Sunburst in Uxbridge
- PYO Raspberries in August-Sept at Nourse in Westboro, Tougas in Northboro, Sunshine in Sherborn
- 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:
- Town House Tot Lot, Southboro [Approx 17 Common St]
- South Union Playground, Southboro [Approx 21 Highland St]
- EMC Park, Hopkinton [Approx 131 Hayden Rowe St]
- It’s worth a drive to:
- Smiles Playground, Sudbury for large variety of structures for all ages
- Hannah Williams Park, Wayland-Natick Line for a fenced-in playground, large sandbox, swings
- 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 Pads in Marlborough (new in 2017), Hudson, and Northboro
- Day or Season Rates in Bellingham (purchase pass weekdays at DPW), at the Boroughs Family Branch YMCA in Westboro, and at Framingham YMCA’s Clearbrook Pool.
- 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
Parades in Natick and Milford, fireworks in Milford, block party in Westboro… all the local July 4th festivities are on this list!
Enjoy a concert at the park
- Sundays in Hopkinton
- Tuesdays in Holliston, Ashland, Milford
- Wednesdays in Westboro, Upton, Grafton, Shrewsbury
- Thursdays in Southboro, Northboro (with kids’ entertainter), Framingham (Jazz), Marlborough
- 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 a movie at the park
- Stone Park, Ashland on Thursdays
- Hopkinton Town Common on select Thursdays
- Hopedale Parklands on select Fridays
- Mill Villages, Grafton 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“):
- 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“):
- Nourse Farm, Westboro
- Hanson’s Farm, Framingham
- Drumlin Farm, Lincoln (Fee)
- Wenger’s Farm, Bellingham
- Natick Community Organic Farm, Natick
- Belkin Family Lookout Farm, Natick (Fee)
- Honey Pot Orchards, Stow (starting late July)
- Shelburne Farm, Stow (starting in August)
- Berlin Orchards (starting late summer)
- Scharner Farms, Bolton
Take a hike
- Center Trail in Hopkinton
- Hopkinton State Park
- Walkup Reservation in Westboro
- Whitehall Reservoir in Hopkinton
- Ashland Reservoir
- 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
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 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 12 parents in the Boston suburbs who bust our tails filling the calendar with hundreds of local family events each month.
- Hopkinton Mom Meghan Rediger writes this region’s free weekly newsletter, which is just as helpful as this list. Subscribe here, and have an awesome summer!
