Contributed by Sarajane Mullins
We all know the greater Boston area is bustling with things to do. It's easy to find a myriad of websites, organizations, & blogs that advise us on what to do and when to do it. Overwhelmed by event listings, email blasts, and thousands of programs, one could spend years researching how to spend quality time living life. But, what about when we just need a little inspiration? I set out in search of the best online landing spots to guide us back towards our own creative impulses.
1. Boston Children's Museum's 100 Ways to Play Collection
Exactly like it sounds, this is a list of 100 creative ways to play in everyday life. With ideas ranging from the whimsical to the physically challenging, parents and kids alike can be delighted by this imaginative compilation. Barely anything on this list costs anything at all and the list also includes links to learn new things- for free!
Creative Ideas: Save this list for a rainy, boring, or otherwise blue mood day. It's also a great resource to glance at for ideas on how to help kids develop a new interest or hobby.
2. Boston Central's Nature & Outdoors Section
Why we love it: By far the largest and most clearly organized list of the outdoors around greater Boston. It can be easy to forget the variety of outdoor landscapes that are easily accessible from the greater Boston area. This huge list helps navigate families by both location and price of activities. It includes horticulture, fruit farms, orchards, national parks, & more.
Creative Idea: Save this list to your device and set the goal of checking off 5 outdoor places this summer and 5 places this fall.
3. Boston Public Schools' Digital Library
This simple subpage on the Boston Public School's website entices kids to either Read a Book, Play an Educational Game, or Investigate with the click of a button. In the scary internet world, it's easy to forget that many of our safest and most trusted educational resources such as libraries and school systems have put their resources online in an accessible way. With 2 clicks, a student can start reading a digital copy of a book OR listen out loud to popular titles. The homework help section is a great place for kids (or parents!) who get lost in those take home problem solvers. Not just another place to stare at a screen, this website opens another world of learning with click.
Creative Ideas: Try resting your eyes by listening to a story at bedtime for a way to easily wind down together. Design a book hunt and challenge your kids to see if they can locate the site's digital stories in paper copy at your local library.
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