Cambridge / Somerville - Motherly.Life Forums

Somerville - Activities over winter holiday break?

Guest — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 11:30:33 +0000

We have 3 kids and have booked play dates and a couple activities - movies, half day camp, legoland - for 3/4 of the days. Does anyone have other suggestions for fairly last minute inexpensive (legoland is our splurge!) activities to keep everyone busy and hopefully out of the house.

Thanks, JJ

Moving to Cambridge, Somerville or Belmont...

Guest — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 11:17:09 +0000

We are moving to the area and trying to decide between Cambridge, Somerville or Belmont. This is a work-related move. The office is near Kendall Sq so I can take the red line. We lived in MA about 10 years ago during school, but haven't spent much time there since graduation. Now we are coming back with 2 small kids and a dog.

Cambridge would be great for the commute, but the yard space is minimal for kids, dogs and family space. Somerville offers a little more, but the commute would only work well in certain areas and I'm not sure what life is like closer to the Medford line.

Our price range is ~$1.2m. Less is better...if possible.

Should we consider Arlington?

Thanks everyone!!

Kids Activities

motherlylife — Sun, 13 Oct 2019 10:54:50 +0000

LEGOLAND Discovery Center, located within the Assembly Row shopping center, is a destination designed for children aged three to ten. The discovery center offers a day of family fun with various attractions, two rides, ten LEGO build and play zones, and a 4D cinema. Annual pass members can receive additional discounts. LEGOLAND is located at 598 Assembly Row, Somerville (corner of Artisan Way and Assembly Row). There is a public parking garage located on Artisan Way as well as parking available on the street level. LEGOLAND is also accessible via the Orange Line T to the Assembly Row stop. We recommend booking your tickets online to receive any available discounts.

Please reply to this thread if you have any feedback or other suggestions for kids activities in or near Cambridge.

Programs for teens

motherlylife — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 10:30:22 +0000

Here's an initial list of programs for teenagers. Do you have any others to add?

Camp Brainy Bunch (Cambridge / Somerville), offered by Education Unlimited, offers academic summer camps and precollege summer programs that range from one to eight weeks in duration for students up to grade 12. The camps cover various subjects from public speaking to acting to essay writing to SAT prep. Camps in Massachusetts are held at Tufts University and at MIT.

Drumlin Farm (Lincoln and Sudbury) offers various programs for teens to see and learn more about birding etiquette, form friendships, increase environmental awareness, enjoy a great time outdoors with fellow birders, and develop an appreciation for the wide variety of bird habitats and species in Massachusetts. Advanced registration is required. There are also volunteer opportunities for kids aged 15+. Volunteers and internships help the farm by educating visitors about nature and farming, handing out recipe cards, setting up tastings, selling vegetables, assisting with admissions and parking, doing field chores such as mulching, weeding and harvesting, and assisting teacher-naturalists with exploration activities for young children. For more information about volunteer programs, call 781.259.2200.

New York Film Academy (Cambridge) offers various summer camp programs for kids aged 10-17. The New York Film Academy is one of the premier summer film, acting, visual and performing arts camps. Students work with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities and receive hands-on instruction from award-winning faculty. Areas of study include filmmaking, acting, musical theatre, photography, screenwriting, 3D animation, game design, documentary film, graphic design, music video, and broadcast journalism. The camp is held at Harvard University.

School of the Museum of Fine Arts (Somerville - Tufts) offers continuing education studio art courses and workshops for artists of all ages and backgrounds. There is a variety of interests covered, from ceramics, digital media and drawing, to graphic design, sculpture and photography, among others. Students entering grades 10-12 are eligible to apply for pre-college sessions that are held during July-August.