Central region offer indoor & outdoor fun for children and families

Your kids will go wild for all the attractions at Southwick’s Zoo. With more than 850 animals in naturalistic habitats, there are so many creatures to see, from lions and tigers and giraffes to chimpanzees, white rhinos and two-toed sloths. You can walk among colorful parakeets and cockatiels in an aviary and feed them with seed sticks, pet pygmy goats, take a ride on a camel or pony or check out tarantulas and lizards in the reptile and insect exhibit. And then there are the adventure rides, including the seated, two-person Soaring Eagle Zip Line, the Skyfari Sky Ride and the Rainforest Adventure Maze. For the young at heart, don’t miss the all new Play Park. Dining is right next door at Galliford’s Restaurant & Tavern, open for lunch and dinner year-round.

Beginning November 12, 2022, two amazing events come together at Southwick's Zoo - Winter Wonderland with the Festival of Illumination - creating an extraordinary and memorable holiday experience for guests of all ages.

History is more than educational, it’s downright fun, at Old Sturbridge Village, where generations of families have been coming for years to explore rural life in an 1830s New England village. Kids (young and old) love visiting with the cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens at the Freeman Farm and watching how food was cooked at the kitchen hearth. Families can walk across a covered bridge along the riverside, hear a sampling of 1830s music, or make a craft such as a punched tin ornament. Take a horse-drawn wagon ride, play old-time games, then grab ice cream at the Scoop Shop or an all-time favorite (and famous) cookie from the bake shop. Your family will be delighted that Old Sturbridge Village is more than a museum.

Looking for an art museum that will engage the kids as well as the adults? At the Worcester Art Museum, families are a top priority. That means new interactive elements in many galleries (some that involve iPads), special family guides, 20-minute “zip tours: that focus on one artist or work of art, scavenger hunts and other fun activities from drawing to designing your own jousting helmet. (The kids will love the chivalric arms and armor collection.) Special touch carts allow children to, yes, touch things in a museum! On community days, there’s art-making, storytime, demonstrations and music-making. The museum, with exhibits ranging from medieval to modern times, also has a quiet-time Family Nook. Check the website for timed-admission information and safety protocols.