The 3 Best activities for Young Kids
The Blue Hills are a wonderful place to spend time outside with your family. Here are three great activities that young kids – and your whole family – will love.
Swim, Hike and Play at Houghton’s Pond
You’ll enjoy Houghton’s Pond with your young kids any time of the year. Throughout the year, young kids will enjoy the playground visible from the parking lot. Even young kids hike can enjoy a hike around the pond. Just follow the Yellow dot trail to enjoy the mile hike with great views of the pond.
In the summer months, young kids love going swimming in the pond and playing on the sandy beach. As a parent, you’ll appreciate the free parking, as well as the life guards and the separate area for babies and toddlers to play. Even on the main beach, swimming is restricted to prevent people from going in water over about four or five feet. If you forgot to pack lunch or need a cold snack, you can walk back towards the parking area to find the snack bar on your left. And if you want to take a break from the water, you can wonder over to the visitor center that is close to the playground to learn about the first inhabitants of the Blue Hills.
If there’s parking available, park at the main parking lot, 840 Hillside Street, Milton, which is closest to the beach. If the lot is full, check out the overflow parking on Blue Hill River Road. (Take a left out of the main parking lot. Take a left at the stop sign and the parking will be on your left.)
See the Animals at Blue Hills Trailside Museum
An all-time family favorite is the Blue Hills Trailside Museum located at 1904 Canton Ave, Milton. Your children will delight in the small zoo, where they will find snowy owls, turtles and a river otter.  Inside the museum, you’ll find exhibits on the history of the Blue Hills and even more animals.
The museum is operated by Mass Audubon and entrance into the museum costs $5 for adults and $3 for children.
Socialize and Enjoy the Outdoors at Peek a Blue Hikes
Okay, we may be a little biased, but we think these free, bi-weekly hikes for tots and their guardians are some of the best on-going activities for young children in the park!  Organized by the Friends of the Blue Hills, families with young children – who are walking, in strollers or in backpacks – can enjoy free, healthy snacks and a walk geared for kids that lasts about one hour.
Hikes start from the main parking lot at Houghton’s Pond (840 Hillside Street, Milton) at 11:00 am every other Tuesday. Click for more information about Peek a Blue Hikes for young kids.
