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.)

Your family will never be bored when you visit North Central Massachusetts. Head to an alpaca farm to say hello to the animals, glide across the snow in a horse-drawn sleigh at Cornerstone Ranch in Princeton, MA or give your skis and snowboards a workout at Wachusett Mountain. Try your hand at axe throwing, corn hole, basketball or volleyball at Game on Fitchburg, MA, or have a blast at an indoor water park and ropes course at Great Wolf Lodge. Winter hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are spectacular in the area’s parks, preserves and recreation centers. With a variety of performing arts venues, historical museums and galleries, there really is something for every age and interest. - Read more about North Central Mass. here!

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!

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.