Skip to content
Pragmatic Mom
Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Policies
    • Media Kit
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • KidLit Blogroll
  • My Book Lists
    • My List of Lists
    • Multicultural Books for Children: 60+ Book Lists
    • #OwnVoices
    • Summer Reading Lists for Middle School Kids
    • Asian American Children’s Books
    • African American Children’s Books
    • Arab American Children’s Books
    • Latinx American Children’s Books
    • Native American Children’s Books
    • LGBTQIA+ Children’s Books
    • Diverse Books for Kids
    • Best Books for Kids
  • Education
    • STEM/STEAM
    • Math
    • Social Studies
    • Art Projects for Kids
    • Applying to Art School
    • Applying to College
    • Book Club for Kids
    • 70+ Free Educational Games
  • Controversial
    • Sexual Misconduct in Children’s Book Publishing #MeToo #TimesUp
    • Rethinking & Examining Dr. Seuss’ Racism
    • Blood Feud over YA #BloodHeir
    • Tulsa Race Massacre: What They Don’t Teach You in History Books
    • The Chinese Exclusion Act – What They Don’t Teach in History Books
    • Segregation in California Schools: What They Don’t Teach in History Books
    • SCBWI Minnesota Racist Illustration and Gaslighting Response
  • My Books
    • My Book Announcements
    • We Sing From the Heart wins Julia Ward Howe prize for children’s literature!
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is Carter G. Woodson Book Award Honoree!
    • We Sing From the Heart makes Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year 2025!
    • The Traveling Taco on Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025!
    • The Traveling Taco featured in Booklist
    • Origami French Fries: Activity for THE TRAVELING TACO
    • Book Announcement: A Place to Call Home! {and a new title …}
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE makes Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction!
    • Cover Reveal of my latest picture book … FORTUNE COOKIES FOR EVERYONE!
    • Picture Book Announcement! BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
    • We Sing From the Heart gets a few stickers!
    • Book Announcement! Postcards from Malcolm X: How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Civil Rights Activist
    • Kirkus Reviews My Newest Picture Book: THE TRAVELING TACO
    • We Sing From the Heart is a Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner!
    • We Sing From the Heart gets a few stickers!
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART wins California Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
    • Dorktales Podcast: Simon Tam, Hidden Hero of History
    • Food for the Future Wins Nautilus Silver Book Award
    • Food for the Future makes Mass Book Award Long List!
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE Makes Green Earth Book Award Long List!
    • Food for the Future is a finalist for 2023 INDIES Book of the Year!
    • New! Food for the Future Activity and Discussion Guide!
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection!
    • ‘Food for the Future’ selected for Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best books
    • Scholastic Purchased CHANGING THE GAME!
    • Starred Review for FOOD FOR THE FUTURE from School Library Journal!
    • Sumo Joe makes Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year list!
    • How To Coach Girls wins Silver Award!
    • Posts on My Books
  • My Book Events
    • My Book Events
Menu
Blue Man Group Boston, best show for families Boston, best family show

Family Vacation in Boston

Posted on February 20, 2013May 24, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Family Multi-Generational Vacation in Boston

If you are thinking of traveling to Boston for a family vacation or a family reunion vacation, we just did a nice staycation. The Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge is a wonderfully child-friendly hotel that I’d recommend for being conveniently located and not astronomically expensive. There are lots of museums for kids: Boston Children’s Museum, Museum of Science, and New England Aquarium. Of these three, the Museum of Science is large enough to handle crowds so plan on that for the weekend when museums are the most crowded.

The bonus feature is that you can take the Boston Duck Tour from the Museum of Science as well. For the other two museums, I’d recommend going later in the afternoon when the little ones leave for their nap. You only need a few hours anyway.

We did the Boston Pops Holiday Concert and Blue Man Group for the first time. My kids gave them both the thumbs up! They are especially great for multi-generations. We saw lots of grandparents with grandkids and extended families at both shows.

Boston Pops Holiday Kids Concert

Symphony Hall near Fenway and Back Bay Boston is so beautiful and has amazing acoustics. Apparently, acoustics is as much art as science.

Boston Pops holiday concert, Boston Pops family holiday concert

I didn’t realize that “orchestra seats” are the entire first floor for the Boston Pops Kids’ Concerts. All these seats serve food. We saw plenty of babies and toddlers too so feel free to bring kids of all ages. Crying babies are not a problem!

Symphony Hall Boston, amazing acoustics

My girls play the flute so I had to get a shot of the flutist warming up.

BSO, Boston Pops, flute player, flutist

The harpist had a solo for the Nutcracker piece.

harp, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, harpist

Orchestra seats come with crayons and coloring sheets for kids and a menu to order food and drink. 10:30 am was a little early for us to have a drink but that didn’t stop our neighbors! Beer and wine at all concerts!

We ordered food but next time we will get chips and dip and just drinks. The concert ends at 12:30 so you will have a better dining experience by eating elsewhere.  The kids enjoyed hot chocolate and hot cider!

Boston Pops orchestra seats, Boston Pops children's concert

If you are coming to Boston when the Holiday Pops is not playing, there are also great children’s concerts at the Boston Symphony Orchestra as well. They are great fun for kids and only an hour long!

 

Blue Man Group

My kids were very excited about Blue Man Group in Boston’s Theater District near Chinatown. We are Dim Sum first at China Pearl and then headed over.  Our seats were 2nd-row “poncho” seats. I wasn’t sure how messy that would be …

Blue Man Group Boston, best show for families Boston, best family show

No photos or videos are allowed in the theatre. I don’t want to ruin the surprise so let me just say: percussion, animation, streamers, comedy, banana squirting, and performance art. Yes, this is a performance at its most entertaining!

Blue Man Group, Family vacations Boston, show for kids in Boston, multigenerational show Boston

Someone we all got included in the show. My husband and PickyKidPix got squired with a mushy banana. GrasshopperandSensei received a flower from one of the Blue Men. My youngest was singled out to sing the national anthem (a little joke). Luckily his seat was empty when the spotlight found it. He was in my lap.

Blue Man Group, Boston, family shows Boston

As for me, I was in their digital streaming word sign “comedic warm-up.” Apparently, I had a headache!

Please come to Boston!

 

To examine any of the items listed, please click on image of item.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.

Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.

 

My books:

We Sing From the Heart picture book cover reveal of The Slants Simon Tam

 Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Cover Reveal: Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

  • Junior Library Guild Gold selection
  • Massachusetts Book Award Long List
  • Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
  • Starred review from School Library Journal
  • Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
  • 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
  • Green Earth Book Award Long List
  • Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids

 Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me

cover for Sumo JoeChanging the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia WenjenAmazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide

How To Coach Girls by Mia Wenjen and Alison FoleyAsian Pacific American Heroes

18 thoughts on “Family Vacation in Boston”

  1. Sammy & Claire says:
    February 20, 2013 at 5:08 am

    Seems as if you’ve had a great time in Boston! Such a family-friendly place!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      February 21, 2013 at 10:44 am

      Hi Sammy and Claire,
      We live in Boston so it was a staycation for us. But if anyone comes to visit with kids, I hope that they get a chance to see Blue Man Group. The Holiday Pops is wonderful too but seasonal. Have you been here yet?

      Reply
  2. Barbara Mojica says:
    February 20, 2013 at 8:10 am

    Glad you had a lovely time. These are wonderful suggestions. I especially liked the Boston Pops kid friendly concert.

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      February 21, 2013 at 10:47 am

      Hi Barbara,
      If you live near Boston or visit, I do highly recommend the Boston Pops kids concerts and they do have them year around, beyond the holiday version! It is a great way to introduce kids to music! The children’s conductor has the same charisma and connection to kids as Bill Cosby! He is truly wonderful! And funny as heck too just like Bill Cosby! My kids loved him!

      Reply
  3. maryanne @ mama smiles says:
    February 20, 2013 at 8:31 am

    What an awesome staycation! The Royal Sonesta is perfectly situated for the Museum of Science!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      February 21, 2013 at 10:49 am

      Hi MaryAnne,
      You are right! It’s walking distance! Good thing to note since you can visit the Museum of Science AND take the Duck Tour from there!

      Reply
  4. Alexandra says:
    February 20, 2013 at 10:38 am

    It looks like a good city to visit, even though I would not put it in my top 10 list…Well, for my defence, we live in UK/Poland (swtiching countries can be really tiring!) and I want my kiddos to see the most beautiful European capitals first, then maybe we will do a US tour, when they are slightly older 🙂

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      February 21, 2013 at 10:51 am

      Hi Alexandra,
      I totally agree with you! We visited Barcelona last year and now we want to visit more European cities: Venice, anywhere in Greece, and Paris are at the top of the list as determined by our kids. We’d like to go to Costa Rica too.

      Boston is great particularly if you are doing a college tour visit! We have lots of colleges here!!

      Reply
  5. Jen Fischer says:
    February 21, 2013 at 9:43 pm

    You make me miss Boston. My husband and I lived there before we had kids and know it is a wonderful place for kids. Your post reminded me of that. Perhaps we will be able to take a family vacation there soon!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      February 22, 2013 at 7:53 am

      Hi Jen,
      I hope you do soon! Come in the fall if you can when the weather is spectacular! We are trudging through winter now and it’s not the best time to visit! A Red Sox game might be fun for your kids too!

      Reply
  6. Asianmommy says:
    February 22, 2013 at 2:39 pm

    We had fun visiting Boston in past years. The kids got a kick out of the ducks at the Public Garden.

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      February 23, 2013 at 2:07 pm

      Hi Asian Mommy,
      Did you get a chance to ride the Swan Boats in the Public Garden too? Kids also like to sit on the bronze Make Way for Duckling statues near there too. They are all shiny from all the kids bottoms! :). You might also like Frog Pond across the street in the Boston Public Common. It becomes a skating rink in the winter and a wading pool in the summer. There’s a great playground there too. Glad you had a great time with kids in Boston!

      Reply
  7. Natalie says:
    February 23, 2013 at 12:17 pm

    What a great vacation! I’ve always wanted to go to Boston (and see the Blue Man Group). I think my kids would love to see an orchestra play because we all are big music fans. Fun!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      February 23, 2013 at 2:11 pm

      Hi Natalie,
      I think Blue Man Group also tours but the theater in Boston is a nice experience too because it’s so intimate. I hope you make it here sometime soon with your family! Let me know and I’d be happy to suggest other things you all might like.

      Reply
  8. Jeanette Nyberg says:
    February 23, 2013 at 8:54 pm

    I love that they served food and crayons and coloring pages at the Boston Pops show. I saw the Pops with a friend of mine in college for a fourth of July celebration- It was soooo fun and what a perfect place to be on the fourth! Sounds like you had a great mini-vacation.

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      February 24, 2013 at 10:34 am

      Hi Jeanette,
      My kids honed in on the food and drink part though they didn’t really do the coloring pages much. It was a great show! I had been hearing wonderful things about it for years but worried my kids would be too squirrelly. We’d do it again next year!

      The kids raved about Blue Man Group too. It was their favorite. I’d like to bring them to Stomp too if it ever comes our way again.

      Reply
  9. Ann says:
    February 28, 2013 at 8:18 pm

    Fun! I love going to the museums in Boston and my kids love them too. Sounds like the pops would be a great first concert for kids!

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      March 2, 2013 at 10:40 am

      Hi Ann,
      You will have to make it up to Boston sometime to check out the Boston Holiday Pops! I think you and your family would enjoy it!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Looking for something? Search here.

I’m Mia Wenjen!

Mia Wenjen Pragmatic Mom

Hi, I’m Mia Wenjen. Nice to meet you!

I blog excessively about diverse children’s books (picture books through middle grade). I am also the co-founder of Read Your World Celebrates Multicultural Children’s Book Day on Jan 25, 2024, our 11th year!

I’d love to chat with you. Let’s connect! PragmaticMomBlog (at) gmail (dot) com or through my social media handles.

Free Blog Updates in your Inbox (RSS feed)

Monthly Newsletter with Subscriber Only Giveaways in your Inbox

My Linktree (click for my links & socials)

my linktree

My Websites

  • How To Coach Girls
  • I Love Newton
  • Mia Wenjen (My New Author Website)

Camp Cody: Overnight Camp in New Hampshire

Read Your World LGBTQIA+ Books Save Lives Merch!

https://www.pragmaticmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Read-Your-World-FINAL-Merchandise-Video.mp4

Purchase Read Your World Merch

LGBTQIA+ Books Save Lives Merch.

Buy it here!

Search Amazon

Find Children's Books

Newton Children’s Book Festival 2025

Newton Children's Book Festival 2025

Get My Books Signed or Inscribed through my shop (click to purchase)

Mia Wenjen signed books

Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! (click to purchase)

Cover Reveal: Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!

We Sing From the Heart (click to pre-order)

We Sing From the Heart picture book cover reveal of The Slants Simon Tam

FOOD FOR THE FUTURE (click to purchase)

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

CHANGING THE GAME (click to purchase)

Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia Wenjen

SUMO JOE (click to purchase)

Sumo Joe cover reveal

Asian Pacific American Heroes (click to purchase)

Asian Pacific American Heroes by Mia Wenjen

GNOMES & UNGNOMES: Poems of Hidden Creatures // I have 3 haiku poems (click to purchase)

GNOMES & UNGNOMES: Poems of Hidden Creatures 3 haiku by Mia Wenjen
Read Your World is Multicultural Children's Book Day

ClothingRIC- A Premium Coupon Website!

ThingsFromMars- The Wondrous World of Wacky Gift Products!

How to Get Kids Reading

  • Multicultural Books for Children: 60+ Book Lists
  • Getting Kids to Love Reading
  • Summer Reading Lists for Kids By Grade
  • Summer Reading Lists for Middle School Kids

Heim Nest Kid Mattress Exclusive Deal

Heim Nest Kid Mattress

AdvancedWriters.com is an expert writing service which helps students with academic writing.

educational toys

CEX.IO is a versatile crypto exchange platform where users can buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies, as well as access resources and tools to learn how to trade effectively.

MyPaperDone.com
is surely one of the best when it comes to paper writing assistance.

My Custom Essay
will guide you through academic life.

Essay Writing Services

If you ask "write my essay", Topessaywriting can help you with paper writing

TranslationReport can help you to choose the best translation service

If you are looking for the most trusted essay writing service, check this article about best essay writing service reviews at Econotimes

educational toys from dhgate stores

Assignment Writing Services Offer Assignment Assistance In UK Based Company 50% Discount Students

Playing at online casinos can be an exciting and rewarding experience, and you can find the best options at casinoszondercruksonline.com. 

For those seeking a safe and reputable gambling experience, the Meest betrouwbare buitenlandse casino lijst is an invaluable resource.

Archives

Categories

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship (click to purchase)

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide

HOW TO COACH GIRLS (click to purchase)

How To Coach Girls silver award winner

Archives

I’ll be sharing WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I STARTED MY KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

HOW TO COACH GIRLS book trailer by Mia Wenjen & Alison Foley

https://youtu.be/j74M0bBxrGg

Recent Posts

  • Read Your World Celebrates AAPI Heritage Month Virtual Event July 16, 2025
  • The Traveling Taco Unboxing! July 14, 2025
  • The 2026 PADIBA Awards are now open for submissions! July 11, 2025
  • We Sing From the Heart wins Julia Ward Howe prize for children’s literature! July 9, 2025
  • Changing the Game’s 4th Birthday & 4 Signed Book GIVEAWAY! July 7, 2025

Categories

© 2025 Pragmatic Mom | Powered by Superbs Personal Blog theme
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT