Rhode Island offers so many great activities for the whole family to enjoy. Here are our recommendations for kid-friendly activities!
Providence Children’s Museum
Providence Children’s Museum, Rhode Island’s only hands-on museum especially for children and their families, inspires learning through active play and exploration. The Museum presents interactive exhibits and hands-on programs that explore the arts, culture, history and science and embrace a wide range of learning styles and forms of expression. Open Tuesday-Sunday 9:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Dubbed “the finest zoo in New England” by the Boston Globe. Walk through this beautifully landscaped 40-acre zoo – one of the nation’s oldest – and encounter an African elephant, a Masai giraffe, zebras, a red panda, snow leopard, moon bears, a gibbon, giant ant eater and more in naturalistic settings. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April – September and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. October – March with last admission one half hour before closing. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and Christmas Eve. Check our website for any additional early closings. The nationally acclaimed Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular runs evenings during October; check their website for dates and details.
Flutterby: Butterflies in Bloom
While visiting the Roger Williams Park Zoo, don’t miss this butterfly exhibit. This summer-long special exhibit that thrilled tens of thousands is back at Roger Williams Park Zoo for its second and final year! Flutterby: Butterflies in Bloom provides an immersive experience inside the Zoo’s beautifully landscaped greenhouse filled with hundreds of free-flying native North American butterflies. A delight for butterfly and gardening enthusiasts alike, this enchanting experience invites visitors to discover a deeper appreciation for some of our earth’s most imperiled species – butterflies, in bloom. The exhibit will be open May 23 – September 7, and requires a nominal admission fee in addition to Zoo admission.
Pawtucket Red Sox
The Pawtucket Red Sox, in the neighboring city of Pawtucket, is a great place to see baseball the way it should be played – by eager young talents in a small gem of a ballpark. Tickets to games in McCoy Stadium are affordable and are sure to offer a great experience at the ballpark.
Providence Bruins
The Providence Bruins are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate for the Boston Bruins. A team filled with the hockey stars of tomorrow, the P-Bruins’ home ice is at Providence’s Dunkin’ Donuts Center, affectionately known as “The Dunk” to locals.
international visitors alike as a powerful work of art and a moving symbol of Providence’s renaissance. WaterFire’s over eighty sparkling bonfires, the fragrant scent of aromatic wood smoke, the flickering firelight on the arched bridges, the silhouettes of the firetenders passing by the flames, the torch-lit vessels traveling down the river, and the enchanting music from around the world engage all the senses and emotions of those who stroll the paths of Waterplace Park. WaterFire has captured the imagination of over ten million visitors, bringing life to downtown, and revitalizing Rhode Island’s capital city. Check the schedule to see when the next event is!
Thursdays in Burnside Park in Providence hold something for everyone in the family! Storytime in Burnside Park is at 10:30, when local authors, illustrators, storytellers and performers bring stories and books to life! Stay for Art in the Park, where resident creative genius Ricky Katowicz leads listeners into The Great Green Room! Here the stories of Margaret Wise Brown – such as Goodnight Moon, Runaway Bunny, The Important Book and others – will be transformed into magical experiences using all of the 5 senses! Katowicz will be hosting several guest artists to lend their specialties to the playful and rhythmic styles of Margaret Wise Brown.
Friends of Ballard Park Children’s Workshop
Friends of Ballard Park is holding a nature workshop for children! The one and a half hour program will feature hands-on activities focusing on the natural elements found in Ballard Park. The class is best suited for children six to twelve years old. Younger and older siblings welcome. This event occurs weekly on Thursdays in Newport’s Ballard Park.