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The bustling New England city of Boston offers plenty of options for teen activities. Whether you are visiting for a few days or new to the city, the most challenging task is to decide which options to pursue. Shopping, sports, the arts, history, and just hanging out at the waterfront offer some of Boston’s finest and most fun things for teens to explore.

Visiting Boston With Teens: Things To Do Together

Shopping Is One Of The Best Things

Boston’s retail shops come in all shapes and sizes for teens who enjoy shopping. From large chain department stores to one-of-a-kind boutiques to shopping malls, you will find them throughout Boston’s neighborhoods. In historic Boston, Downtown Crossing is the place to shop. For upscale browsing and buying head to Newbury Street in Back Bay where you will also find bargain shops and malls. Cambridge Side Galleria and Harvard Square continue the shopping options. There is no sales tax on clothing under $175 and a 6.25 percent tax on all other items.

Sports Are A Great Way To Have A Great Time

No matter the weather, Boston offers indoor and outdoor sports of every kind. Boston Commons’ Frog Pond is a cooling fountain in the heat of summer and an ice skating rink in winter. For skiing and snowboarding, load up your gear and head out to nearby Weston Ski Track or the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area. Canoe and kayak rentals are available in Newton and Charles River. For professional sports enthusiasts, catch a Red Sox baseball game at Fenway Park or enjoy ice hockey with the Bruins, basketball with the Celtics, and football with the Patriots. Private and group lessons are available throughout the area for everything from bowling to gymnastics to soccer.

The Arts And Interactive Exhibits

Visual and performance arts thrive in Boston. Teens may visit world-class art exhibits at the Harvard Art Museum, the Boston Public Library, and the Museum of Fine Arts. Music and dance lovers appreciate the finest in opera, musical theater, and classical music with performances by the historic Handel and Haydn Society. Founded in 1815, the H and H is America’s oldest organization of its kind. The Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, and Boston Ballet add their artistic touches to the mix for visitors and residents alike.

A Touch Of History Of The United States

Walk the Freedom Trail passing Bunker Hill, Boston Common, Paul Revere House, the Old Stone Church down to the harbor and the USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides. The 1.6-mile Black Heritage Trail takes you to pre-Civil War historical sites. Animal lovers will enjoy the historic Franklin Park Zoo or Stone Zoo where tours, special programs, and wildlife exhibits abound.

Boston offers so many ways to learn about history, but one of the most fun for teens is the Freedom Trail. Running 2.5 miles long, the red-brick trail leads to 16 of Boston’s most famous spots, such as Paul Revere’s house and historic Faneuil Hall. You can buy guides to the trail along the way or download tours onto your iPhone. You can also hire a guide dressed in 18th-century clothes. When the tour’s over, teens will have fun going behind Faneuil Hall and visiting the marketplace, where there are more than 100 places to shop, eat and drink.

Parks Are A Great Place To Spend The Day With Older Kids

Boston’s “Emerald Necklace” of nine parks includes 1,100 acres of linked parkland. Kids will clamor to go on one of the swan boats that putter around the lagoon at the Public Garden. They’ll laugh at the bronze statues inspired by the children’s book, “Make Way for Ducklings.” At the park at Boston Common, kids will have fun riding a carousel, wading in a spray pool, or skating on a pond. They can climb playground equipment, play frisbee or baseball, or just relax and picnic.

Water Activities And Other Favorite Things

Wherever you stand in Boston you’re near water, whether it be Boston Harbor or the Charles River. So you’ll find lots of fun water activities to do with kids. Kayak on the Charles River and get an up-close view of Harvard, M.I.T., and Boston University. Take paddling lessons. Go sailing around the islands in Boston Harbor, fish, and go on overnight campouts on the harbor islands. Whale-watching boats leave from Boston’s downtown waterfront. The tours last 3 to 4 hours and give kids opportunities to see humpback whales, finback whales, and dolphins.

Biking Is A Fun Way To See The Boston Area

Boston is a college town, filled with students on the go, many of them on bikes. You’ll find lots of well-defined bike paths, some of them with different paved lanes for bikers and pedestrians. One favorite is the Charles River Bike Path, a 14-mile loop that runs from the Museum of Science in Boston, then through Watertown and back along the other side of the river. Another fun bike path is the Battle Road Trail, which brings you through the Minute Man National Park.

Museums And Other Free Things On Your Next Visit

Boston museum is fun for teens because many of them are hands-on and interactive. Boston Children’s Museum is one of the best places that offers exhibits that focus on science, health and fitness, environmental awareness, and the arts. At the museum, kids can go to a “Recycle Shop,” where they grab bags and fill them with strings and fabrics. The “New Balance Climb” gives kids a safe way to try risk-taking. At the Museum of Science, kids can go on a simulator ride that shows what it’s like to be in space and the deep sea.

Final Thoughts

Visiting downtown Boston, Massachusetts on your next family vacation is like taking your kids to a living history museum. No matter where you walk, bike, or boat, you’re covering historic sites that are important to American history. But Boston’s not just about history and historic buildings. Throngs of college students from Boston’s many colleges as Harvard university keep the city vibrant, pulsing, and welcoming to teens. You’ll find lots of fun and healthy activities in this perfect place.

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