Fun and Free Things to Do in Boston with Kids - Ben Rudnick, Food Trucks, Arts Day and More, May 4-5

5/2/13 - By Audrey Trieschman

Our weekend calendar is packed with fun and free things to do in and around Boston this weekend. From the return of the Birds of Prey at the Stone Zoo and the Open Arts Day at Arsenal Center for the Arts on Saturday to the Harvard Square May Fair on Sunday, the weekend is filled with festivals and celebrations. Read on for more of our weekend picks, and be sure to check our Events Calendar for even more ideas.

What else will you find on Mommy Poppins Boston this week? We’ve rounded up some of the great learn to sail programs that are available for kids in and around Boston. And Kristin shares some tips for planning a toddler birthday party at home in Boston. Yes, you can bring a bouncy house into your living room! Mother’s Day is only a week away; you may want to consider a special meal at home (giving you plenty of time to get to The One Family Music Festival to support The One Fund!). And for families looking for more ways to volunteer and help out those in need, Tara has some insights in her family volunteering post.

Enjoy!

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Kids' Shows: The Alphabet Rockers - Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline
Sat 5/4
Tickets $8 children, $10 adults        

Founded in 2007 in San Francisco by Harvard Graduate Kaitlin McGaw, Alphabet Rockers mix hip hop, beatboxing, soul music, imagination and dance for an interactive and fun dance party for children and families. The group has a sound and personality that draws in families and kids of all backgrounds. You will tap your toes and feel the beat, sing along with your kids in the car, and go back to school with the educational messages, and then realize... oh wait, this is my kid's CD!


Ben Rudnick and Friends Benefit for One Fund Boston - TICO Restaurant, Boston
Sat 5/4
FREE

Family Works! Ben Rudnick and Friends (BR&F) invite your family to special Saturday morning at Tico, where kids can create cards and art (materials provided) to go along with charitable donations to One Fund Boston. They are also treated to a performance by 7-time Parents' Choice Award winners Ben Rudnick and Friends.

Family Works 10am-11am; Performance 11am-12n. Complimentary (and awesome) coffee, tea and juice. Stay for brunch afterwards (regular costs apply).


Food Truck Throwdown - The Greenway, Boston
Sat 5/4
FREE admission

It's Boston vs. NYC Food Trucks. Trucks from each city compete in various contests all day long for a chance to beat out all competitors and win Best Food Truck. See the website for the complete schedule of competitions, live music and other entertainment.


Birds of Prey - Stone Zoo, Stoneham
Opening Weekend, 5/4-5/5
Free with admission        

Masters of Flight: Birds of Prey features bird species from around the world, including a bald eagle, a red-legged seriema, a king vulture, a Eurasian eagle owl and a black vulture, in this engaging, memorable and educational experience for visitors of all ages. The birds fly in from overhead and demonstrate natural behaviors including unique survival techniques and food foraging, as well as specialized physical adaptations. Shows (11am, 1pm, & 3pm) run through Labor Day.


Open Arts Day - Arsenal Center for the Arts, Watertown
Sat 5/4
FREE

Celebrate all the Arsenal Center for the Arts has to offer as arsenalARTS, New Repertory Theatre, Watertown Children's Theatre, and Quilter's Connection come together for a day of free family fun, live music, art & theater workshops, and more.


BLO Annual Open House - Citi Performing Arts Center, Boston
Sat 5/4
FREE

From backstage to the balcony and everywhere in between, BLO’s Open House gives visitors an all-access pass to experience opera in a casual, exciting way. There is something for everyone, whether you’re an opera veteran or you’re giving it a try for the first time.


Dedham Country Day Circus & Street Fair - Dedham Country Day School, Dedham
Sat 5/4       
Admission: In advance $10.50; At the fair $12; Under 3 free        

Trapeze artists and clowns from Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Brothers, and Circus Smirkus dazzle with death-defying feats, daring stunts and side splitting comedy. Plus, enjoy games, amusement rides, Barn Babies, a vendor fair, and good food.

All proceeds from the Circus and Street Fair support DCD’s Financial Aid Fund. Free parking in the lot behind Dedham Court House on Ames Street or Bank of America lot at 858 Washington Street. Free courtesy shuttle from 9am to 5pm between parking and Dedham Country Day.


Open House at the Farm - Belkin Family Lookout Farm, South Natick
Sat 5/4 & Sun 5/5
FREE

The Open House features train rides, face painting, moon bounce and more. Families can also meet the staff and sign up for Kids' Street summer camp.


Harvard Square May Fair - Harvard Square, Cambridge
Sun 5/5
FREE

The annual Mayfair in Harvard Square features music, dancing, food, crafts, street art, beer gardens and entertainment for all ages. The festival is highlighted by five stages of live entertainment, including a dance stage and a chalk art celebration.

The Cambridge Rotary Club’s annual Chalk on the Walk, raises thousands of dollars for local charities. In addition, Mayfair features artisans and merchants selling arts and crafts, jewelry, and vintage clothing and food vendors serving up international fare and local favorites.


Green Earth Fest – Celebrating Dirt - South Shore Natural Science Center, Norwell
Sun 5/5
FREE

The SSNSC celebrates Earth Day with special activities that include eco exhibits, live animal shows, a forest elf village, worm factory, food and more.


Castle Hill Open House - Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, Ipswich
Sun 5/5
FREE

In celebration of spring, the free open house offers an afternoon of lawn games, a May-pole dance, and a family treasure hunt. Castle Hill's 59-room mansion the Great House is open for self-guided tours and refreshments. Additionally, families can meet the staff of the Crane Estate's summer camp SummerQuest and take part in camp games. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic and spend the day. (Please leave furry friends at home.)


The Tide is High: Spring Concert - Memorial-Spaulding Elementary School, Newton
Sun 5/5
Tickets $8-$10        

Get ready to dive into the warmer weather with the Newton Family Singers' program of tender, poignant and rocking water-inspired songs by an eclectic mix of artists including the Beatles, Lyle Lovett, Blondie, the Grateful Dead and the Indigo Girls.


Close Cousins - Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge
Sun 5/5
Free with admission

Families can learn about man's closest living relative, the chimpanzee, with Harvard primatologist Zarin Machanda, who studies great apes in Africa. In this interactive presentation, handle chimpanzee “toys” and “tools,” look at real chimp skulls and teeth, watch short videos of chimps in the wild, and learn how similar chimps and humans truly are.