It’s A Rainy Day on the South Shore and You Need Something To Do With the Kiddos! Here is a Great List!

A couple of weeks ago I gave you some great day trip ideas if you live on or near the South Shore of Massachusetts, however they were all outdoor things.  That prompted me to put together a list of things you can do with the kiddos on rainy days (ie-indoor activities) around the South Shore.  So, without further adeu…..

New England Aquarium:  What an amazing way to spend a day with the kids – looking at sharks, fish, penguins, sea turtles and hundreds of other sea creatures.  They have in Imax theater and a few areas where you can touch the sea creatures.  It’s accessible by T (the Blue Line) or if you prefer to drive in, there is a parking garage right outside the aquarium.  Bring lots of cash with you, because the parking there is steep.  Library passes are available for the aquarium, so try to reserve them before you head into the city.  It will save you a bundle, trust me.  Kids under three are admitted free.

Easton Children’s Museum:  Let me just say, I love this place.  You can go in there and let your kids make a train wreck of the place.  There’s three floors of cool stuff like a stage with dress up clothes so the kids can put on a show, arts & crafts, a fishing boat in which the kids can pretend to be Captain Sig, a firetruck complete with firefighter uniforms to dress up in,  the Fetch Lab (Fetch Ruffman from PBS) with all kinds of science activities and a ton more.  I used to have a membership there & I can tell you from experience, it’s well worth it.   You can get a library pass (check your local library for availability) or flash them your AAA card to get in for a discounted rate.  Trust me, it’s worth the trip.  If it happens to be nice out the day you go, you can visit the Wild Place which is an outdoor exhibit.

Museum of Science:   This place is amazing.  Period.  Between the exhibits (many of which haven’t changed all that much since I was a kid), the planetarium and the Omni Theater (a 5 story Imax screen that wraps around the dome shaped theater) – this is one of my favorite places to take the kids.  There is so much to see and do here, that it will occupy the kids for hours and hours.  The cosmic light exhibit and To the Moon, which has a very cool Apollo Capsule replica,  are a few of my favs.  Library passes are available, so make sure to call and reserve them from your local library.  Kids under 3 are admitted free.

Go see a movie for $1.  Yup, at Regal Cinemas on Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 10 am, you can see a G or PG rated movie for a buck.  Check here to see if your local cimema is participating.  I usually go to the theater at the Independence Mall in Kingston & if that happens to be your theater of choice, here is the schedule.  Just an FYI, I am not sure if it’s $1 a person or $1 a family – the family movies used to be free every summer and this is the first year they are charging for them.

Monster Golf:  It’s an indoor glow in the dark 18 hole mini golf course.  There are five locations in Massachusetts with three of them being located close to the South Shore: Norwood, Fairhaven and Seekonk!  I’ve done it and it’s a blast.  They blast awesome music and there are  moster props throughout the course.  It’s tons of fun!

Go bowling!  It’s not too, too expensive and it’s FUN!

Imagination Island:  Located in Plymouth, MA, Imagination Island is an indoor play place.  They have 5,500 square feet of island-themed stuff to play on & it’s meant for kids ages 1-8.  Kids under 1 are free (so are adults) and kids 1-8 are $9.50 per child on weekdays – for the whole day.  I didn’t even bother to include the weekend price because you’d have to be nuts to go to a place like that on a weekend – it’s a mob scene.  My kids have always seemed to enjoy themselves whenever I’ve taken them!

The New Bedford Whaling Museum:  There are some pretty cool (and I do mean really cool) whale skeletons on display there amongst harpoons, whaling tools and all sorts of other historical and very interesting artifacts.  It may not sound like the most exciting place there is to visit, but it’s definitely worth a trip.  Kids under 5 are free!

Go to the Patriots Hall of Fame in Foxboro.  There is all sorts of Super Bowl paraphernalia, Adam Vinatieri’s motorcycle, a theater that shows a 15 minute film and tons of other stuff.  It’s a tad pricey, but everyone should go at least once, right? While you’re there, go over to Patriot Place.  There is a Bass Pro Shop, a movie theater, segways, a nature trail and a bunch of other stuff that’s worth checking out.

Roller Skating:  Carousel Skate has locations in Whitman and Fairhaven.  I haven’t been on skates since I rocked my Strawberry Shortcake roller skates in the early 80′s, but I think I’ll be taking my kids to skate at some point this summer.

The Cape Cod Children’s Museum: Another great place for children to explore and be creative.  It’s located down in Mashpee, so it’s a bit of a hike for those of us on the south shore, but very well worth it!  There is a pirate ship, a train, puzzles, crafts, a toddler play area and so much more.  It’s great fun and if you’re on the cape or in need of something fun to do on a rainy day, you have to check it out.

Rock climbing:  Carabiner’s is located in New Bedford, and although I have never been personally – my husband and 14 year old have been and they loved it.    It’s $19 for 1-3 hours, so it’s relatively cheap for all that fun.  You do need a belayer – or an adult to spot you on the ground, whether it’s someone in your party that doesn’t want to climb or a staff member (if available), so keep that in mind.  Looks like fun, huh? 

And last, but not least, the Highland Street Foundation has a whole list of FREE things to do on Fridays all summer long – including a bunch of the things I have listed here & listed in my post about Great South Shore Day Trips!  Big thanks to my friend, Sandii for sending me the link yesterday so that I could share it with all of you!

If you end up going to one of these places, please shoot me an email and let me know how you liked it!