Happy Friday everyone -- are you ready to make some awesome weekend plans? I hope so, because I've got a mega-roundup for you today, including 35 events lovingly curated for your consideration! Also, as I mentioned earlier this week, strawberry festivals are here, so don't forget to check out these 8 easy strawberry recipes to make use of your local strawberry haul!

1. Dinosaur egg hunt with an awesome grand prize. (Acton)

2. Learn how to do the Indian folk dance Bhangra. (Acton)

3. Ben Rudnick show to benefit Cradles to Crayons. (Boston)

4. It’s world giraffe day! (Boston)

5. Critter day with therapy dogs. (Boston)

6. Celebrate Chinatown at the Main Street Festival. (Boston)

7. Live performance by The Friends of Broadway. (Boston)

8. Fun, jam packed skateboarding demo from one of Boston’s greatest. (Boston)

9. Scientists of the future show off their ingenuity at Eurekafest. (Boston)

10. It’s time to make music Boston. (Boston)

11. Spend your day celebrating the summer solstice at Fete de la Musique. (Boston)

12. Sunday games on the banks of the Charles. (Boston)

13. Verrill Farm strawberry festival, dessert contest and culinary yard sale. (Concord)

14. Music at the Manse summer concert. (Concord)

15. Connors Farm strawberry festival. (Danvers)

16. Watch the Sox on the big screen. (Dorchester)

17. Free admission to Fruitlands Museum to celebrate Centennial Saturday. (Harvard)

18. Summer solstice farm to dinner. (Harvard)

19. Open barnyard at Weir River Farm. (Hingham)

20. Swim, kayak, run or walk against the tide for breast cancer prevention. (Hopkinton)

21. Marini Farm strawberry festival. (Ipswich)

22. Russell Orchards strawberry festival. (Ipswich)

23. Summer solstice celebration on the longest day of the year. (Ipswich)

24. 18th annual Tufts Medical Center Cycle for Life. (Lincoln)

25. Visit the MAKEmobile traveling creative and tactile experience cart. (Lincoln)

26. Lanni Orchards strawberry festival. (Lunenburg)

27. Enjoy the traditional summer solstice bonfire. (Marshfield)

28. Discover beaver lodges and dams on this family beaver hike. (Princeton)

29. Field day gets extreme at Wachusett Mountain. (Princeton)

30. Find some treasures at The Vintage Bazaar. (Salisbury)

31. Real life Downton Abbey upstairs, downstairs tour. (Stockbridge)

32. A children’s garden adventure quest. (Stockbridge)

33. Support the Stone Zoo at this Wild Affair. (Stoneham)

34. Worcester Food Truck Festival at Elm Park. (Worcester)

35. MA Farmer’s Markets Strawberry Dessert Festival. (Various locations)

Image credit: Franklin Park Zoo

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend and, if you celebrated Father's Day, delightful festivities with the dads in your lives. I was off with the girls most of the weekend since Jon was teaching a class, but last night we enjoyed a lovely and leisurely dinner spread at home (Vi especially loved this board)! Anyway, I hope you're gearing up for a great week; if you're looking for something to do, enjoy this roundup via the Weekly Blueprint:

June 16: A night out fighting breast cancer with the Ellie Fund. (Boston)

June 17 + 19: Berklee Performance Series, Jacinta Clusellas Trio. (Boston)

June 18: Outdoor story hour on the farm. (Hingham)

June 18: A backyard bug hunt. (Newburyport)

June 18 - 20: Test out summer camp for a day. (Edgartown)

June 19: Summer concerts at Fruitlands Museum begin with the sounds of summer. (Harvard)

June 19: Medford Square turns into a street fair. (Medford)

June 19: For grown ups only, British Pub Night. (Salem)

June 20: Discover the wild animals right in your own neighborhood. (Acton)

June 20: STEM night at the museum exploring science, technology, engineering and math. (Boston)

June 20: Join the bug ladies for Critter Day. (Boston)

June 20: It’s a pajama party at the Children’s Museum. (Boston)

June 20: Kick off summertime with storytime. (Cambridge)

June 20: Children’s treasure hunt at the Great House. (Ipswich)

June 20: A relaxing family cruise. (Orleans)

June 20: A leisurely family canoe paddle. (Topsfield)

Image credit: The Trustees of Reservations

Happy Friday everyone -- I hope you're having a great week! I just got word that Laurel survived her school's Night at the Museum, and I'm just so thrilled for her! I mean, I was pretty confident we wouldn't get a middle of the night call, but she was definitely filled with giddy nerves yesterday. What a milestone! Anyway, get ready for the weekend because I have a great 22 event roundup for you today via the Weekend Roundup. Enjoy!

1. Free evening at the museum for families with children on the Autism Spectrum. (Acton)

2. Celebrate Arlington at Feast of the East. (Arlington)

3. Arts Fest Beverly. (Beverly)

4. Spectacle Island 5K, Fun Run and Field Day. (Boston)

5. Spend Sunday funday on the Esplanade. (Boston)

6. Fork in the Road food truck and music festival. (Boston)

7. Just in time for garden season, introducing the cucumber. (Boston)

8. Father’s Day at the zoo. (Boston, Stoneham)

9. Puppet show: Jack and the Beanstalk (Brookline)

10. Celebrate the positive impact of physical activity on a child's mind, body, and community. (Canton)

11. Spend the day with Thomas the Tank Engine. (Carver)

12. 20th Annual Father’s Day Road Race. (Easton)

13. Treat dad to a classic car show. (Hyannis)

14. Dozens of trucks to explore at this touch a truck event. (Kingston)

15. Lexington Symphony concert in the round. (Lexington)

16. Moving for life: a day of fitness, food and fun. (Mattapan)

17. Hyper-local craft brew fest. (Somerville)

18. Bright your favorite furry friend for a teddy bear check up. (Stoneham)

19. Father’s Day family camp out. (Topsfield)

20. The Waltham Farmer’s Market opens in a new location. (Waltham)

21. Take a beach ramble and see what treasures you can discover on shore. (Westport)

22. A festival of science, technology and robots. (Worcester)

Image credit: Waltham Farmer’s Market

Today’s Dear Boston Mamas query comes from Kristen: 

Hi Christine, I'm hoping you can help me. Our family will be visiting Boston this July (from Canada) with our 19 month old daughter. We are staying near the Boston Common and are looking for some things to do with her. From my research the aquarium looks great, but the Children's museum seems to be for older kids. Can you suggest some things we should check out with her? I'm looking for attractions (outside/inside, paid/free) and any good restaurants to check out with her.

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Hi Kristen, I’m so excited for you to visit Boston -- you and your family will love it here! If you want to peruse further, I’ve written here, here, here, and here about visiting Boston with kids, but for ease of browsing, and given that you are staying directly in the city with a toddler, I have 8 specific recommendations:

1. Boston Common + the Public Garden. It’s great that you’re staying near the Common because you’ll have lots to do right there, what with the playground, spray pond, carousel, and Swan Boats. Be sure to snap a photo at the Make Way For Duckling statues, which are near the corner park entrance close to Charles Street. Speaking of which, if you have time to meander down Charles Street, be sure to hit these Beacon Hill gems, which include some kid-friendly food recommendations.

2. The Waterfront. The Aquarium is always a hit, and the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway offers wonderful space to run around, there's a carousel, and nearby Christopher Columbus Park offers access to a playground and water play. I recently ate at City Landing, right along the Greenway and it was super yummy (I highly recommend the yellow tomato bisque + avocado and crab salad); they also offer a kid's menu.

3. The North End. Not far from the waterfront is the North End, where you can grab pizza cafeteria-style, delicious gelato, and more. If spectacle is your thing, your travel timing accommodates, and your toddler doesn’t mind crowds, you might also have the opportunity to view a North End feast.

4. Cruise the Harbor. I’m actually thinking about going on a whale watch soon with my girls (ages 3 and 9), but if you want something a little less spendy you can cruise 20+ waterfront stops via water taxi for only $10 (kids under 12 ride free).

5. Play in the Back Bay. You’ll be very close to the Back Bay area (famous for Newbury Street shopping). Be sure to check out these Back Bay gems (which include kid-friendly dining recommendations), including the Esplanade Play Space and Clarendon Street Playground, which your toddler will enjoy.

6. Cultured craft time. If you’d like to merge culture (for you), crafts (for your toddler), and air conditioning (for everyone), family programming is regularly offered at the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Museum of Fine Arts.

7. Feast at Flour. I really love Flour Bakery for a quick bite to eat that doesn’t break the bank but still feels special. There are three Boston locations: Fort Point, South End, Back Bay.

8. The Weekly Blueprint + Weekend Roundup. Finally, just before your trip, I recommend checking out the latest Weekly Blueprint (published every Monday; see example here) and Weekend Roundup (published every Friday; see example here). These weekly posts include a curated collection of special events for the upcoming week and weekend, making planning easy!

I hope this is helpful and that you have a wonderful time in Boston!

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Have a question for Christine? Drop her a line! And of course feel free to comment in if you have recommendations beyond those made above.

Image credit: 1) FreeDigitalPhotos.net; 2) Christine Koh

Holy cow you guys, I'm still recovering from the shock of yesterday! Laurel enlisted my in-laws to help her plan a surprise anniversary party for Jon and me. They invited/tracked guests down via stealthily passed notes, phone chains, and the white pages (!); Jon and I returned from a day out to a house full of friends, family, food, and fun. Incredible! While I soak this in, I'll get Monday going for you via the Weekly Blueprint:

June 10 + 12: Berklee Performance Series: Ana and Marco (Boston)

June 11: Basket bombing workshop. (Harvard)

June 11: Storytime in the great outdoors. (Hingham)

June 11: It’s time to play in the park. (Lincoln)

June 12: Spring into Summer tree walk. (Acton)

June 12: Inspire Arts & Music concert in the park. (Boston)

June 12: Sample historic beer in a historic place. (Boston)

June 12 - 14: Puppet show: Jack and the Beanstalk (Brookline)

June 13: Get filthy with messy, squishy Dirtopia. (Acton)

June 13: Follow the road to the cup at Boston’s #1 soccer party. (Boston)

June 13: STEM night at the museum. (Boston) 

June 13: Mike, the Bubble Man. (Boston)

June 13: Father’s Day storytime and activity. (Cambridge)

June 13: Friday evening hayride and campfire. (Lincoln)

June 13: Listen to the sounds of the night. (Norfolk)

June 13: Full moon family hike. (Worcester)

June 13 + 14: Hyper-local craft brew fest. (Somerville)

Image credit: Fruitlands Museum

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you've been having a great week. Thanks so much to everyone who weighed in and shared via comment, Facebook, and Twitter to this post on compromise; it meant so much to me. Meanwhile, it looks like a beautiful weekend is coming -- enjoy this roundup of 25 weekend events, lovingly curated for your consideration. Have a wonderful weekend!

1. Arlington goes Greek. Opa! (Arlington)

2. Float your boat engineering challenge. (Boston)

3. World Oceans Day at the aquarium. (Boston)

4. Fight heart disease with Brigham and Women’s and ClimbAmerica! (Boston)

5. Celebrate Pride Day at Faneuil Hall. (Boston)

6.  Puppet show: A Woodland Cinderella. (Brookline)

7. Cambridge Arts River Festival. (Cambridge)

8. Fireflies for families. (Easthampton)

9. Bikes not Bombs bike-a-thon. (Jamaica Plain)

10. Family fun day at the wildlife sanctuary. (Lenox)

11. There’s always something new in the MAKEmobile. (Lincoln)

12. Spruce up your garden at this native plant sale. (Marshfield)

13. Runner’s World Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon. (Newton)

14. Teachers and Tea, women teachers supporting each other towards excellent teaching. (Norwell)

15. Roslindale youth arts festival. (Roslindale)

16. Salem Dog Festival. (Salem)

17. Matthew Aucoin presents Orpheus. (Salem)

18. Monsters in the Cliffs Story Trails. (Salem)

19. Assembly Row handmade arts market. (Somerville)

20. You can’t beat a food truck festival. (Somerville)

21. Learn more about ONE, and help fight against extreme poverty. (Somerville)

22. 60’s Rock Revival Festival. (Topsfield)

23. Winchester Town Day. (Winchester)

24. Flower power nature play. (Worcester)

25. Trustees National Trail Day. (Various locations)

Image credit: Food Truck Festivals of New England

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! Ours was fantastic; my sister and her husband visited with their delicious baby, and the Splendid event was so much fun -- thanks to those who came out! Meanwhile, I hope you have a great week on tap; if you're looking for something to do, enjoy this roundup of events via the Weekly Blueprint:

June 2: Puppet Showplace Theatre 40th Anniversary Legacy Gala. (Brookline)

June 2 - July 2: Create, code, play. Microsoft summer camp. (Boston)

June 3: ASD-friendly afternoon at The Discovery Museums. (Acton)

June 3: Parenting in the digital age parent breakfast. (Boston)

June 3 + June 5: Berklee Performance Series presents Nella and Edu. (Boston)

June 3: Help plant a gourd-geous garden for the goats. (Lincoln)

June 3: Children’s garden adventure quest. (Stockbridge)

June 3 - 5: The Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl. (Boston)

June 4: Free admission to deCordova. (Lincoln)

June 5: Boston Calling block party series. (Boston)

June 5 - 7: Puppet show: A Woodland Cinderella. (Brookline)

June 6: Free admission Friday night. (Acton)

June 6: Late night at the museum. (Easton)

June 6: Cat storytime. (Cambridge)

June 6: Treasure hunt at the Great House. (Ipswich)

June 6 - 8: Runner’s World Heartbreak Hill Half Marathon. (Newton)

Image credit: The Trustees of Reservations

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're having a great week. Are you ready for the weekend? I have a big roundup of 27 fun events for you to peruse. Related, I would love to meet you tomorrow in Chestnut Hill if you have time to pop by the fun event I'm co-hosting at Splendid. I always love having a chance to meet members of the community in real life; you can quickly click your RSVP here. Hope to see you tomorrow and have a wonderful weekend!

1. DIY troll or fairy houses. (Attleboro)

2. A celebration for Belmontians. (Belmont)

3. A family concert with The Milkshake Trio. (Boston)

4. The Esplanade 5K Dash. (Boston)

5. Celebrate kindness at Operation Kind Kids. (Boston)

6. A day of activities for the deaf and hard of hearing. (Boston)

7. Concert with the Greeley Children’s Chorale. (Boston)

8. Boston Cello Quartet concert for very young people. (Boston)

9. Get uncorked. Wine tasting at the Franklin Park Zoo. (Boston)

10. A street performer showcase. (Boston)

11. Free Musikgarten class. (Brighton)   

12. Painting, gardening, science and more at this Spring Fling. (Brighton)

13. The Frog Prince and Other Frogs. (Brookline)

14. Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. (Brookline)

15. Let’s meet in Chestnut Hill and do some shopping! (Chestnut Hill)

16. Author event and dinosaur workshop with Clare Beaton. (Concord)

17. The Berkshire International Film Festival. (Great Barrington)

18. Free family concert and instrument petting zoo. (Hyde Park)

19. 17th annual Audubon Nature Fest. (Ipswich)

20. Get moving as a family; yoga for kids. (Lincoln)

21. Dairy Day at Drumlin Farm. (Lincoln)

22. Try your hand at paddleboarding. (Royalston)

23. A day to celebrate J.M.W. Turner and his works. (Salem)

24. Assembly Row grand opening kick off event. (Somerville)

25. Children’s garden adventure quest. (Stockbridge)

26. Run for the kids at Schofield Elementary School. (Wellesley Hills)

27. Historic homes open house. (Various locations)

Image credit: Chameleon Arts Ensemble

Happy Sunday everyone! I'm sharing the Weekly Blueprint early so you can plan accordingly for tomorrow's day off. In addition to the Monday through Friday event roundup below, if you're looking for a local parade, my friends at Boston Central have collected a big list of Massachusetts parades (thanks Stacey and team!). Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and my thoughts and gratitude go out to all members of the armed forces and their families.

May 26: Access to the Children’s Museum for children with special needs. (Boston)

May 26: Live musical performance with Thread Ensemble. (Boston)

May 26: Newburyport Spring Festival continues. (Newburyport)

May 26: Perfect day for a beach ramble. (Westport)

May 27: Help create a sandbox city. (Acton)

May 28: Help prepare Rabbit’s Silly Salad. (Lincoln)

May 29: Do some good and go bowling for rhinos. (Malden)

May 29: An inspiring celebration of spring concert. (Watertown)

May 29 - 31: The Frog Prince and Other Frogs. (Brookline)

May 30: Music and movement with Ms. Bernadette. (Acton)

May 30: KidsJam. (Boston)

May 30: Story time at the Curious George Store. (Cambridge)

Image credit: Newburyport Chamber of Commercea