Central region offer indoor & outdoor fun for children and families

Everywhere you turn at Old Sturbridge Village in historic Sturbridge, MA, there is a shop, store, farm or home designed to draw families into life in a rural 1830s New England village. Watch the blacksmith or printer at work, see how food was cooked at a kitchen hearth, help with animals at the Freeman Farm. See how wool was prepared for spinning and how lumber was cut for the village in the sawmill. Kids will love visiting heritage-breed chickens, cows and pigs, riding in a horse-drawn wagon and checking out the graffiti on the original schoolhouse desks. There are nature walks, covered bridges, bakeries and souvenir shops, and dining is casual and delicious at the Bullard Tavern or Ox & Yoke Cafe. (Afterward, stop by the Village Scoop Shop across from the playground.)

If you think your kids will not fall in love with the Worcester Art Museum after a visit there, think again. The museum offers families several ways to enjoy its magnificent collection and special exhibitions, from ancient to contemporary art. Art carts let children draw pictures and touch materials. Hands-on displays and touch stations urge them to touch tools used to create art. Interactive arms-and-armor presentations let them try on armor from the beloved Higgins Armory Collection. (See the website from a list of great questions to ask when you’re experiencing art with kids.) The Cafe in the spectacular Renaissance Court features sandwiches and salads, pastries and beverages. There’s plenty of free parking — and children under 17 get in for free!

A day at Southwick’s Zoo brings fun and adventure for the entire family! Discover the over 850 animals that call Southwick’s Zoo their home. Dine at one of the many food venues in the park or make your reservation at Galliford’s Restaurant & Tavern, the full-service restaurant here at the zoo.
After lunch, continue exploring the zoo! Visit the EARTH Discovery Center to hear from one of our Earth Educators about the many ambassador animals. Explore the 35-acre Deer Forest and feed the fallow deer, journey through the North American Exhibit on the Woodlands Express Train to see the elk forest, and glide high above the sky on the Soaring Eagle Zipline! So much, so close…Your adventure begins at Southwick’s Zoo!