There are so many things to do in Boston with kids. Our historic city—steeped in history, compact, and easy to navigate (on foot, at least)—offers a wealth of opportunities for family fun that are hard to pass up. With our list of top family activities in Boston, Mommy Poppins Boston can help to make sure you don’t miss any of the best, most memorable things to do. We’ve included well-known favorites from the Freedom Trail to our glorious shoreline, but of the 100 not-to-be-missed, kid-friendly activities, there are likely a few even native Bostonians haven't done.

It’s been said that the best things in life are free, but when it comes to visiting museums and other attractions with kids, it’s not always clear when they are free. Mommy Poppins has set out to uncover these freebies so Boston families can enjoy the best of the city without breaking the bank. Here, we've ID'd the museums that let young children—and in some cases, all kids—in at no charge.

If you're working your way through our Boston Kids' 100 Things to Do bucket list, you may want to coordinate with the cut-off ages below; some of the museums you can catch on their free admission days, but several other attractions really drive home the bittersweet point that you're only young once.

This time of year, kids can find Santa ho-ho-ho-ing it up at most holiday events in the area, like tree lightings, craft fairs, and festive breakfasts. We've rounded up some of our other favorite places where the kids can see Santa in and around Boston, especially for a photo.

These visits pair well with holiday shopping or a fancy meal out...after all, children might be happy they're already wearing their holiday finest for a photo with the man of the hour. See our list below for more than a dozen places where you can get a photo with Santa near Boston; most visits are free (with photos being available for purchase). All the kids have to do is be sure that they're good, for goodness sake!