West/North of Boston area Moms - looking for kid friendly places

[kss611]

My girlfriends and I are looking for a central meeting place somewhere off of 128 to meet. We are coming from MA, NH and RI. Anyone have a good suggestion for a kid friendly meeting place? We know that the Burlington Mall or Natick Mall would be a central location, but want to see if we can find something that the kids would enjoy at their various ages 5 - 10. Any suggestions?

[sidmand]

Davis' Farmland? I know you have to go with a child under 12, I don't know if it would be too young for some of the older ones. It's in Sterling, MA. Kind of a hike for the Rhode Islanders, but Corie's done it (right Corie!?). It's in Sterling, MA, but only open weather-permitting from April to October or so...

The Butterfly Place in Westford, MA?

Hopkinton State Park and or EMC Park in Hopkinton, MA?

I have a littler one, so I'm not great with places for older kids. I know a friend and I have desperately been trying to find a good halfway point between Worcester and Franklin, MA and haven't had so much luck yet!

I think somewhere in MA would probably be the halfway point, right? I know there's a play place at the Natick Mall, but again, that's geared more toward toddlerish age. I don't think the bigger kids would like that.

Debbie
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[Corie]

First off, Karen, you didn't tell me that you were in the area!!

We've done Davis Farm a few times. My kids love it! It takes us about an hour
to get there. Not too bad! We witnessed a baby goat being born the last
time we were there!!

I probably would not do the Butterfly Place. It is a fairly small place with very
narrow walkways. It would be very hard to have any adult conversations and
the kids can't run around.

I agree with Debbie about the play area at Natick Mall. It is geared more for
the younger crowd. There might even be age requirements.

What about meeting at a zoo? Southwick Zoo or Roger Williams Zoo or
Franklin Park Zoo

I'll keep thinking!!

[oneplustwo]

I was also going to suggest the Southwick Zoo. There's lots to do for that age range.

If you wanted to go to the Natick Mall b/c it's centrally located for everyone, you could spend a little time there and then head to a place like Whimsy on Route 9, not far from the mall. Whimsy is an arts and crafts place that also has a mining sluice where the kids can pan for gems. There's also a nice little play area for the younger ones in your group who might not take as long to do a project as the older ones. Their website is http://www.whimsyartsandcrafts.com/index.htm. We love to go there on rainy days! Corie is right, BTW, the play area at the Mall is for younger kids only.

An outdoor, low-key area to visit in that area is the Garden in the Woods: http://www.newfs.org/garden.htm There are nice places to walk around and picnic, and if you go on July 23 or August 6 you can attend an animal show there by the Animal Ambassadors. They usually have animals like a lizard, tree frog, chinchilla, snake, alligator, etc. that they talk about and the kids get to touch some of them (safely of course!).

Trombetta's Farm has miniature golf inside a greenhouse and an ice cream stand and is located in Marlborough: http://www.trombettasfarm.com/ We’ve been there for a birthday party, and my DD really liked it. There’s supposed to be an arcade too but I didn’t see it when we were there.

Belkin Family Lookout Farm in Natick has a lot of activities for kids starting in late August and the fall when they offer pick-your-own apples. During that time they have a little train ride, petting zoo, and even pony rides for ages 3 to 10. More info at http://www.lookoutfarm.com/ We haven’t been there yet but it’s a popular attraction in this area.

Tougas Family Farm in Northboro is also very kid-friendly. There are pick-your-own crops throughout the summer and fall, hayrides, a farm-themed playground geared for elementary school ages, barnyard animals, etc. I think it would work well for the ages of your kids. The only thing is that it does close some days b/c of rain. More info at http://www.tougasfarm.com/index.html

Another low-key place to go to is Great Brook Farm and Dairy in Carlisle. It’s a working dairy farm where you can tour the barnyard and milking shed, and they make the BEST ice cream!! There’s also a very small petting zoo and a lovely pond with ducks. It’s in the middle of the Great Brook State Park, so there are also many trails for hiking and walking. A great place to bring a picnic and hang out for the day.

Davis Farmland is GREAT, there's tons to do and would be fun for both the young and the old kids.

Whew! What a farm-y list of suggestions.

ETA -- Just thought of another idea. A new water park just opened in Danvers, called Coco Key Indoor Water Resort, or something like that: http://cocokeywaterresort.com/

HTH –

[kss611]

Ladies - thank you, thank you for so many wonderful suggestions. These are my college girlfriends and we usually get together without our children, but thought it would be fun to get everyone together. I am so glad to have this many suggestion and look forward to trips in the future to hit all of the suggestions. Davis Farm looks like a fabulous place to go in the fall.

[kss611]

Corie,

Yes, I am in RI for the month of July and the first week of August. It is good to be up here especially when it has been in the 90's everyday at my house. I was actually freezing the first week that I was here. I think that I am starting to develop southern blood.

Thanks for the suggestions. I am actually going to the Roger Williams Park Zoo on Friday. By your list of suggestions, you have certainly gotten around New England!! You can tell that you are not a Rhode Islander - 20 minutes is a long drive for them! Hope you are enjoying the New England summer.