February School Vacation Week Events Around Boston 2016
From free events in the Boston Common to the 21st Annual Bugs Bunny Film Festival, here are 19 ways to spend February vacation week with your kids.
Little Joe’s Birthday at Franklin Park Zoo
Head over to the Franklin Park Zoo for a seriously wild birthday party. Little Joe, the zoo’s western lowland gorilla, is turning 23. The indoor gorilla exhibit will be adorned in party decor and the gorillas will enjoy special treats made just for them. Have no fear, the first 200 attendees will get a slice of cake, too, and all will have the opportunity to sign Little Joe’s birthday card.
Event included in admission price: adult $19.95; child (ages 2–12) $12.95, children under 2 free, Monday, February 15, 10:15 a.m., Franklin Park Zoo, 1 Franklin Park Rd., Boston, zoonewengland.org
Disney On Ice: 100 Years of Magic
Disney magic is closer than usual this week, as Disney On Ice’s 100 Years of Magic tour arrives at TD Garden. Over 50 Disney characters will glide across the ice, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and a handful of your favorite Disney Princesses. The show tells the stories of The Lion King, Aladdin, Toy Story, and more.
Tickets starting at $15, February 12-21, showtimes vary, TD Garden, 100 Legends Way, Boston, 800-745-3000, disneyonice.com
21st Annual Bugs Bunny Film Festival
Does a week off of school have you asking, “What’s up, doc?” Well, the 21st Annual Bugs Bunny Film Festival is back at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge. Revisit your favorite Looney Tunes characters and movies during the annual festival. Three different programs will take place almost every day. Catch “All Bugs Revue,” “Daffy Duck and Friends,” and “Looney Tunes Revue” on select days and at select times.
Tickets starting at $8, February 12–21, showtimes vary, Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, brattlefilm.com
Galapagos 3D: Nature’s Wonderland at the New England Aquarium
Explore the lives of the unusual and magnificent animals that roam the Galapagos Islands in Galapagos 3D: Nature’s Wonderland, a new film showing at the New England Aquarium. Audiences will learn about the island’s ecosystems, inhabitants, and geology, as well as the importance of conservation. The IMAX film will screen at the aquarium’s Simons IMAX Theatre, which boasts the largest movie screen in New England.
Adult $9.95; child $7.95, Friday, February 12, 11:00 a.m.; 2:00 p.m.; 4:00 p.m., New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston, neaq.org
Cogan Family Foundation February Vacation Week Adventures at the MFA
Get in tune with art by discovering the ways artists have used music as an inspiration in their artwork. The MFA’s vacation week programming is art- and music-based, so make sure to bring your creativity and rhythm. All ages and abilities are welcome to drop in on any of the activities and events, which include musical performances, family tours, art making, and storytelling.
Free admission for kids all week, Monday–Friday, February 15–19, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., (to 8 p.m. on Wednesday), Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, mfa.org
February School Vacation Week at Stone Zoo
The Stone Zoo has planned a variety of educational activities for your little ones this February Vacation Week. The zoo hosts a range of animals who naturally adapt to cold weather, such as snow leopards, Mexican gray wolves, Canada lynx, and more. Resist hibernation and learn about these animals through daily education and zookeeper encounters.
Event included in admission price: adult $15.95; child (ages 2-12) $11.95, children under 2 free, February 15–19, times vary by program, Stone Zoo, 149 Pond St., Stoneham, zoonewengland.org
Winter Camp 2016
The Highland Street Foundation is hosting Winter Camp 2016 at the Boston Common during the this month’s vacation week. Special opportunities include free ice skating on the Frog Pond, a giant snow slide, and guest appearances by Curious George, Wally the Green Monster, and more. Tickets for available time slots will be given out on a first-come, first-serve basis starting each day at 10 a.m. at the Frog Pond.
Free, Monday–Friday, February 15–19, times vary; free skating at the Frog Pont from 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Boston Common, 139 Tremont St., Boston, highlandstreet.org
February Vacation Week Events at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston
Calling all builders and future-engineers. Legoland Discover Center in Boston is celebrating February Vacation Week with a variety of special engagements and activities. See the premiere of the new 15-minute film The Lego Movie: 4D a New Adventure,” help build Boston’s own version of “Bricksburg,” and visit with Emmet, The Lego Movie’s hero. And if you arrive in your favorite The Lego Movie shirt or costume, you’ll receive a special surprise.
Tickets starting at $14.95; children under 3 free, February 15–21, event times vary, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Boston, 598 Assembly Row, Somerville, legolanddiscovercenter.com
From STEM to Stern at the USS Constitution Museum
Exercise your mind at the USS Constitution Museum’s From STEM to Stern vacation week program. Bring your kids in to learn more about shipbuilding and American naval history through a variety of hands-on activities. Families will also have the opportunity to visit the museum’s 37th Annual Ship Model Show which includes over 50 handcrafted ship models.
Free; donations appreciated, February 15–21, various events all week, Charlestown Navy Yard, Building 22, Charlestown, 617-426-1812, ussconstitutionmuseum.org
Celebrate! with Crabgrass Puppet Theatre’s “African Adventure Tales”
Celebrate! focuses on cultural diversity through the arts. The award-winning Crabgrass Puppet theatre will tell tales of adventures and stories through meticulous and beautiful puppetry. The puppet show is in honor of African American Heritage Month, and will introduce children to African folklore, theater, and art.
Free; reservations are required, Wednesday, February 17, 10:30-11:30 a.m., John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Columbia Point, Boston, jfklibrary.org
Star Wars Party at the BPL
The force has awakened at the Honan-Allston Branch of the Boston Public Library. The library’s Star Wars party is the perfect way to celebrate your love for a galaxy far, far away. Make Star Wars-themed crafts, take part in Star Wars trivia, and search for BB-8, the galaxy’s cutest new droid. Families and children of all ages are invited to attend, and refreshments will be served.
Free, Thursday, Februray 18, 3 p.m., Honan-Allston Library, 300 N Harvard St., Allston, bpl.org
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Family Fun at Blue Man Group
Feeling blue? That’s a good thing this week, if you’re a fan of Blue Man Group. Free Blue Man style face painting will take place before select shows at the Charles Playhouse’s newly transformed lounge. Play with Lounge-U-Lum, a new interactive light and music installation created by the Blue Man Group, and stick around after the show for a chance to meet the cast.
Free activities for ticketholders; tickets starting at $60, Monday–Wednesday, February 15–17, activities and showtimes vary, Blue Man Group Boston, 74 Warrenton St., Boston, blueman.com
February Vacation Week at the Old South Meeting House
Kicking off on President’s Day, the Old South Meeting House’s vacation week programming includes Presidential-inspired activities. Partake in Presidential trivia, design your own Presidential dinner menu, and try your hand quill pen writing. You can also stand on the balcony where George Washington stood during the Revolutionary War.
Free admission for Boston residents aged 18 and under, Monday–Friday, February 15–19, all day, Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington St., Boston, 617-482-6439 x12, osmh.org
February Vacation Activities at the ICA
The ICA has organized a series of fun activities for families this February vacation. Bring your budding artists to the museum for storytelling and comic making, inspired by Dave Ortega. Ortega is a local comic creator and illustrator and on Friday, February 19, Ortega will be at the museum to help kids create their own comics. Kids will learn everything from sketching and writing to story arrangement and sequence. Plus, participate in gallery games and book readings.
Free with museum admission; youth under 17 admitted free, Tuesday–Thursday, February 16–18, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. each day, ICA Boston, 100 Northern Ave., Boston, icaboston.org
Mary Poppins at the Wheelock Family Theater
Marry Poppins has flown into the Wheelock Family Theater for a musical performance. Find out what a spoonful of sugar can really do by attending the theater’s production of Mary Poppins. The musical is based on the books by P.L. Travers and the 1964 Disney film of the same name.
$20-$30, Tuesday–Friday, February 16–19, times vary with special matinees at 1 p.m., Wheelock College, 180 The Riverway, Boston, wheelockfamilytheatre.org
February School Vacation Week at Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Faneuil Hall will be hosting a series of free special events and promotions for children and families. A variety of kid-friendly activities will take place in the Upper Rotunda of the Quincy Market Building. If you choose to attend, you can expect magic acts, storytelling, crafts, juggling, and meditation.
Free, Monday-Friday, February 15–19, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Upper Rotunda at Quincy Market Building, 4 South Market Building, Boston, faneuilhallmarketplace.com
Boston Baroque’s Classics for Kids at Boston Children’s Museum
Boston Baroque launched a series this month called Classics for Kids. The new series features a performance of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” arranged especially for children. The 35-minute show concludes with an “instrument petting zoo,” during which kids can take a look at the musicians’ various musical instruments.
Museum admission required, Wednesday, February 17, shows at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., Boston Children’s Museum, 308 Congress St., Boston, bostonbaroque.org
Feb Fest: How to Build a City in Six Days at the MIT Museum:
What does it take to build a community that last hundreds of years? Find out at the MIT Museum’s Feb Fest program, “How to Build a City in Six Days.” The museum welcomes families to participate in hands-on activities, lead by MIT students and researchers. Each day of the fest has a different theme, such as community planning, buildings, transportation, architecture, and green living. Plus, explore 3D printing everyday at the Idea Hub.
Free with museum admission, Monday–Saturday, February 15–20, program times vary by day, MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, mit.edu
New England Boat Show
The New England Boat Show sailed into town this past weekend, and continues throughout the week. Head to the Northeast’s largest boat show to browse some of the fastest and sleekest speedboats, and learn more about sailing, racing, and the latest tech. Don’t forget to check out this year’s new boating simulator to test your boating skills.
$15 for adults; children 15 and under free, February 13–21, hours vary by day, Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St., Boston, newenglandboatshow.com
