Pro-Social Activity Ideas
Indoor Fun
Culinary:
Bake – cookies, cake, bread, etc.
Cook dinner or make lunch together – try new recipes and create your own cookbook!
Make homemade ice cream
Have a cookie baking contest, or a cookie swap
Make a hot chocolate bar, complete with candy and marshmallows!
Have themed meals with a movie – for example, make spaghetti and meatballs and watch "Lady and the Tramp"
Games and Activities:
Go old school – play a board game like Clue, Monopoly, and Sorry!
Learn and perform a dance routine...or better yet – host your own talent show!
Make your own SLIME!!
Do Mad Libs - or create your own!
Do sentence completion stories
Write your own play, and then act it out
Make your own crossword puzzle - http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/CrissCrossSetupForm.asp
Pretend you’re a newscaster, and find stories to report on
Play cards - UNO or Go Fish!
Write a short story
Play Jenga – change it up, add a twist, and play QUESTION Jenga!
Write a short story
Create your own scrapbook/memory book
Write a poem
Stretch out - do some yoga or take some deep mindful breaths
Learn about a particular subject by going to the library – like a different culture, a job, or a sport!
Go to an arcade and play games (have an air hockey tournament!)
Create your own at-home spa – paint your nails, do your hair, give yourself or your friends facials
Be a movie critic – buy or make your own movie journal to write your reviews in
Walk around the mall and have a scavenger hunt
Have a movie, pajama and popcorn day!
Outdoor Fun
Boston:
Explore the Rose Kennedy Greenway, which runs from Chinatown to the North End
Go to Castle Island in South Boston to walk around, walk the beach, and watch planes take off – BONUS – they have delicious food
Walk the freedom trail
Explore the Harbor Islands in the summer
Ice skate at the Frog Pond in the Boston Common in the winter
Go to the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain – it’s a great place to look at fall foliage and spring flowers
Hang out in the Boston Commons, and go on a swan boat!
Walk along the Charles River Esplanade – in the summer, enjoy free movies at the Hatch Shell
East Boston Airport Sprinklers
Winthrop and Surrounding Areas:
Walk Revere Beach – in the summer, enjoy the Sand Castle Festival!
Go to Deer Island in Winthrop and walk, run or bike the loop!
Hike the Fells Reservation in Stoneham
Go to Breakheart Reservation in Saugus – Hike in the summer, or dog sled in the winter
Other Ideas:
Have a picnic
Fly a kite
Plant a garden or make a succulent jar
Go to a park and create your own Olympics – obstacle courses, relay races, water balloon fights
Shovel someone’s driveway or side walk
Go to a college or high school sporting event
Build a snowman or make snow angels
Build a snow fort
Volunteer - clean your neighborhood, or visit your local animal shelter!
Play sports – soccer, basketball, etc.
Go for a walk or a run outside
Watch the fireworks on the 4th of July
Pick rocks from the beach to paint
Museums and Attractions
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - http://www.gardnermuseum.org/visit/offers_and_discounts
Children’s Museum – Friday nights are $1 admission - http://www.bostonchildrensmuseum.org
Museum of Fine Arts – Weekdays after 3pm, kids get in FREE - http://www.mfa.org/visit/plan-your-visit/visiting-kids
Coit Observatory, Boston University – Public Open Stargazing - http://www.bu.edu/astronomy/events/public-open-night-at-the-observatory/
Gilliland Observatory, Museum of Science – Free observatory nights! http://www.mos.org/public-events/astronomy-after-hours
MIT Museum – Free admission on the last Sunday of each month - http://web.mit.edu/museum/visit/hours.html
Stroll along Newbury Street
Explore Boston Public Garden and Boston Common
Take the ferry from Long Wharf to the Naval yard
Shakespeare in the Green – Boston Common during the summer
Watch a free concert at Copley Square in the Summers
Spray Pool at the Boston Public Garden
Swan Boats at the Boston Public Garden
Free Friday Flights at the Hatch Shell in the summer
Fun and Free Fridays in the summer! http://highlandstreet.org/freefunfridays.html
Helpful Websites
http://winthropma.myrec.com/info/activities/ - Winthrop Parks and Recreation
www.bostoncentral.com - Boston Central has suggestions for attractions, events and activity ideas
www.bostonkids.org - Boston Children’s Museum
www.boston.com/thingstodo - Boston Globe is the source for many events taking place in and around the city
www.bpl.org - Boston Public Library has a calendar of events including information on free and discounted tickets for museums
www.bostonyouthzone.com - Website sponsored by the city of Boston with ideas for children and teens
www.cityofboston.gov - City of Boston has up-to-date information on events and attractions around the city
www.familyzip.com - Family Zip is a resource for activities and events for families
http://www.boston-discovery-guide.com/boston-kids-activities.html - Ideas for fun places to visit and things to do around Boston
www.hatchshell.com - Many free events take place here over the summer
www.icaboston.org - Institute for Contemporary Art
www.mos.org - Museum of science
www.neaq.org - New England Aquarium
www.zoonewengland.org - New England Zoo
http://highlandstreet.org/freefunfridays.html - Fun, Free Fridays in the Summer to places all over the New England area!!
http://www.mass.gov/eea/state-parks-beaches/ - Department of Conservation and Recreation