Boston is often considered the educational capital of the world! It’s home to 20+ colleges and universities including BU, Berklee, Northeastern, and Suffolk. The city is also close neighbors with Harvard and MIT. So how do our little ones take advantage of this specialized learning? There's plenty of opportunities on campus, in the community, and online. Below are some examples:
Program | Age | University | Description | Price |
5-7 | MIT, Tufts, and Boston College | Young coders and digital artists create, problem-solve, and express themselves online through projects. | FREE | |
8+ | MIT | Young computer programmers experiment, build, and collaborate using a block-based coding language. | FREE | |
All ages | MIT | Anyone with a tablet or phone can code a game or story. | FREE | |
7+ | Harvard and Princeton | Young families visit Harvard's Science Center for interactive demonstrations such as the structure of DNA and the science behind bubbles! | FREE | |
0-6 | MIT | Families can participate in short online (or in-person) experiments to help researchers understand how children think and learn. Definitely consider how much personal information is needed before choosing to participate. | FREE (families may be compensated with Amazon or Target gift cards) | |
0-10 | Boston University | Families contribute to child development research through questionnaires, games, and play observations that take place in-person, online, or over the phone. Again consider how much personal information is required before choosing to participate. | FREE (families are compensated $10-$260, but please refer to the BEE Lab's website for current rates) | |
7-15 | Northeastern University | Little builders hone their engineering skills by completing design challenges. | FREE | |
Family-Friendly | Roxbury Community College | Families step foot on a college campus to witness young people in one of the best performances by city youth! | Price varies per show (typically $15 - $25 per ticket) | |
Family-Friendly | Harvard | Nature lovers visit Peters Hill at the Arnold Arboretum for family-friendly activities, lawn games, and talks with a horticulturist! | FREE | |
Family-Friendly | Tufts University | Families are invited on campus for live performances, lawn games, community resources, and more! | FREE | |
Pre K + | Boston University (merged with Wheelock College in 2018) | Young performing artists learn theatre skills such as imaginary play, creative drama, music making, stage design, lighting, props, and more! This is the only drop-off program on our list. We prefer family-friendly experiences, but want to make sure you know WFT is an option. | Price varies per program (for example their summer classes for pre-k students are $100 per day) | |
Family-Friendly | MassArt | Families explore contemporary art-making in-person and/or at home! | FREE | |
Family-Friendly | Berklee College of Music | Music enthusiasts enjoy free outdoor concerts by Berklee students, faculty, and alumni. | FREE | |
0-12 | Stanford (the original home of YouTube Kid's parent company Alphabet) We know Stanford is not located in Boston, but since quick and easy internet access is an undeniable benefit of living in this city -- we chose to include it. | Dubbed "YouTube Academy" young curious minds can safely explore age-appropriate edutainment (educational entertainment) from the comfort of their homes. | FREE |
That's it for our list!
If your little one has a tablet, this is our favorite case, it's super durable and has a stand. And this mini notebook, helps you keep track of your family's passwords.
Curious what's going on today? Check out our calendar here.
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