Boston is often considered the educational capital of the world! It’s home to 20+ colleges and universities including the historic Boston University (BU). The city is also close neighbors with the prestigious Harvard and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). So how do our little ones take advantage of this specialized higher learning? There's plenty of opportunities on campus, in the community, and online. Below are some examples:
Program | Age | University | Description | Price |
0-6 | MIT | Families can participate in short online (or in-person) experiments to help researchers understand how children think and learn. | FREE (families may be compensated with Amazon or Target gift cards) | |
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 | |
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 | |
0-10 | Boston University | Families contribute to child development research through questionnaires, games, and play observations that take place in-person, online, or over the phone. | 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 the best cultural performances the city has to offer! | 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! | 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) | 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! We encourage our readers to live like tourists -- taking advantage of everything the city has to offer -- with the goal of figuring out what everyone in the family loves. Curious what's going on today? Check out our calendar here.