Happy Friday, I hope you're having a great week! It's been a busy and emotional one here (including going on a middle school tour for Laurel...all the feelings). Anyway, things are going to start warming up a bit tomorrow so be careful of falling icicles, be kind to one another as we cope with the melt, and enjoy this roundup of 17 weekend events, lovingly curated for your consideration! Also, tune in later today for a great Friday Find!

1. Magic show with Rupayan Neogy. (Acton) 

2. A concert by Arlington family favorite Margot Fox. (Arlington)

3. See works of art through the artist’s eyes. (Boston)

4. BSO Concert for Very Young People. (Boston)

5. All about an octopus. (Boston)

6. The 245th Boston Massacre Commemoration. (Boston)

7. The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley begin. (Boston)

8. Be part of a community art installation. (Boston)

9. It’s time to get a Little Groove on. (Brookline)

10. The Concord Band presents its winter concert. (Concord)

11. Spring may seem far away but it’s time for maple sugaring. (Ipswich)

12. There’s plenty of snow for a sculpture park snowshoe tour. (Lincoln)

13. Free open play at the dance studio. (Newton)

14. The Salem Film Festival continues. (Salem)

15. Happy birthday Dr. Suess. (Springfield)

16. Tea and tunes at Gore Place. (Waltham) 

17. A winter exploration scavenger hunt. (Wareham)

Image credit: Mass Audubon

Friends in striking distance of Needham, I have a great exclusive newsletter subscriber giveaway this month! Bright and cheerful Goldfish Swim School is opening in May and will offer indoor swim classes and programs for kids 4 months and up + birthday parties and open family swim time. And how awesome is this? One lucky newsletter subscriber will win their choice of either 1) a free birthday party ($550 value); or 2) 3 months of free swim lessons ($397 value)! To be eligible for the giveaway, subscribe below by March 12!

Subscribe to the newsletter!

Note: the Boston Mamas newsletter drops 1-2 times per month and offers the best from this site (and elsewhere on the internet), as well as periodic exclusive goodies. Yay, for periodic exclusive goodies!

Happy first Monday of March everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! We mostly laid low, though I did venture out yesterday to start training again. (I definitely felt pretty lead footed during those 3 miles, but as always, it felt good to get it done!) It looks like this week will bring some much needed melt...if you're looking for something to do this week, enjoy this roundup via the Weekly Blueprint! Have a great week!

March 2: FREE museum admission for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. (Acton)

March 2: From Page to Screen: An Inside Look at Children’s Book Adaptations. (Boston)

March 3: Celebrate Read Across America. (Acton)

March 3: ASD-friendly afternoon at the museum. (Acton)

March 4: Explore deCordova for FREE. (Lincoln)

March 4: An evening of environmental education. (Lincoln)

March 4: A storytime about hats, hats, and more hats. (Waltham)

March 4 - 6: SMART Gals program focusing women’s contributions to science, math and art. (Acton)

March 5: Help local chefs fight cancer and cook for hope. (Boston)

March 5: If you’re a fan of video games, you’ll want to be here. (Boston)

March 5 - 8: Racoon Tales puppet show. (Brookline)

March 5 - 12: The Salem Film Festival begins. (Salem)

March 6: FREE admission to Discovery Museums. (Acton)

March 6: A moonlight snowshoe hike. (Lenox)

Image credit: deCordova Sculpture Park

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you've been enjoying a lovely -- albeit frosty -- week! I am getting really, really itchy to run, and am hoping for some melt this weekend so I can hit the road safely. Meanwhile, if you're looking for something to do, enjoy this roundup of 15 weekend events, lovingly curated for your consideration. Have a great one and be sure to tune in later today for Friday Find (hint: it's a yummy one)!

1. Come to the rescue of National Engineering Week. (Acton)

2. It’s dental health awareness day! (Boston)

3. Celebrate Chinese New Year. (Boston)

4. Family tours of When the Stars Begin to Fall exhibit. (Boston)

5. Join in the making of a vibrant community installation. (Boston)

6. Tanglewood Marionettes presents Hansel and Gretel. (Brookline)

7. Puppet Showplace presents The Singing Turtle. (Brookline)

8. The Talking Hands Puppet Theater. (Concord)

9. FREE performance of Peter and the Wolf. (Concord)

10. Spring may seem far away but it’s time for maple sugaring. (Ipswich)

11. Open skate at Shea Rink. (Quincy)

12. Performances and activities to celebrate the Lunar New Year. (Salem)

13. Are you ready for some cookies? (Virtual)

14. Enjoy a show by Ethan and the Jamberries. (Watertown)

15. Brew Moon Ski. (Windsor)

Image credit: ICA

Happy Monday everyone, for those who were off last week, I hope you had a great February vacation! We had a really nice week off but I am so ready to get back into a routine and have some solid work time (especially now that I'm finally flipping my workspace into something awesome)! Kicking things off, if you're looking for something to do this week, enjoy this roundup via the Weekly Blueprint!

February 23 - 27: It’s National Engineering week. (Acton)

February 24: How We Got To Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World book discussion. (Acton)

February 24: Wild winter family book club. (South Wellfleet)

February 25: Lunar New Year storytime. (Salem)

February 25: Who cares about all this snow? Let’s have a beach party. (Sharon)

February 25: Tots at 10 children’s activity program kicks off. (Somerville)

February 26: Free admission day at the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. (Boston)

February 26: Learn how to make some warm winter soups. (Lexington)

February 26 - March 1: The Singing Turtle puppet show. (Brookline)

February 27: KidsJam dance party and dance lessons. (Boston)

February 27: What might happen when maple meets milk? (Lincoln)

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you're enjoying a lovely February vacation! If you're in town and looking for something to do this weekend, enjoy this roundup of 19 events, lovingly curated for your consideration. Also, it's SO cold out today, which is making me fret about families in need of winter items. If you want to donate, or are in need of, winter gear, check out these 9 ways to donate/procure winter gear.

1. Celebrate National Engineering Week by making tinfoil ferries. (Acton)

2. There is certainly enough snow for a sledding party. (Andover)

3. The Arlington Philharmonic Orchestra’s family concert. (Arlington)

4. Kindie rockers Roly Poly Guacamole. (Arlington)

5. Pinkalicious: The Musical. (Boston)

6. Lunar New Year celebration. (Boston)

7. Do you have the fastest baby in the bunch? (Braintree)

8. A musical journey around the world. (Brookline)

9. A showing of Babe. (Brookline)

10. Family show with The Flip Flops. (Cambridge)

11. A day to embrace your love of science. (Cambridge)

12. Flapjack fling and sugaring tours. (Ipswich)

13. Farm fun nature crafts and cookies. (Ipswich)

14. This weekend event is for the birds. (Lexington)

15. Participate in the Polaroid Portrait Project. (Lincoln)

16. A sculpture park snowshoe tour. (Lincoln)

17. Ben Rudnick Family Matters show. (Natick)

18. Antique sleigh rally. (Sturbridge)

19. Family fun at the movie theater. (Woburn)

Image credit: Mass Audubon

Well, happy snowpocalypse Sunday everyone! As I watch the swirl outside, it couldn't be clearer that Mother Nature is boss. Whoa. Meanwhile, I'm sure there's some serious cabin fever going on so I'm sharing this February vacation mega-roundup so you can plan some outings for the week. Definitely check programming for inclement weather changes! Also, if you just want to get out and sled, here's a roundup of 16 fun sledding spots for you. Enjoy!

ACTON: A different February festivity each day of the week.

ARLINGTON: Sing along with Annie and her friends or Joseph and his brothers.

ARLINGTON: Walk in and create works of art all week long.

BEVERLY: Teens and parents talk about online life.

BOSTON: Franklin Park turns into a winter carnival.

BOSTON: Get creative with lots of boxes.

BOSTON: Great offers from Blue Man Group.

BOSTON: Who is eating who this vacation week?

BOSTON: Pinkalicious: The Musical.

BOSTON: FREE admission for kids and great activities all week at the MFA.

BOSTON: School vacation means it’s Hotel Week Boston.

BOSTON: Lots going on at Faneuil Hall.

BOSTON: Penguins, whales and flame sea jellies at the aquarium this week.

BOSTON: Chilly but beautiful, fun on the waterfront this week.

BOYLSTON: Botanic gardens, a spring-like escape from winter.

BREWSTER: Escape to the Cape for February vacation.

CAMBRIDGE: Lights, Cameras, Science!

COHASSET: Wintry barnyard and farm activities.

CONCORD: Get cooking during school vacation.

CONCORD: Books galore and so much more.

CONCORD: Presidential crafts and activities all week.

CONCORD: Drop into this art center and get creative.

DOVER: Family pizza making and board games.

EASTON: A snow sisters’ “slumber” party.

EASTON: Engage in crime-solving mystery scavenger hunt.

HARVARD: Discover the Fruitlands Museum.

HINGHAM: Exploring farm and forest under a snowy blanket.

LEXINGTON: Hear the stories behind the souvenirs.

LEXINGTON: Baking, cooking and...birdfeeders.

LINCOLN: Find your inner Thoreau and Walden inspiration.

SALEM: Secret activities, blazing trails and creativity all week at the Peabody Essex Museum.

SOMERVILLE: Even grown ups love Legos!

STONEHAM: Have a wild week at the zoo.

STURBRIDGE: An old-fashioned WinterFest!

WESTON: Spend some time with Ben Rudnick and Friends.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS: Mass Audubon has you covered with nature related activities all week.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS: It’s the perfect week to embrace the chill.

Image credit: Wilson Farm

Friends, I'm starting to worry about the collective meltdown of our great state -- I hope you're hanging in there! Here are 21 weekends events, lovingly curated for your consideration. And of course, depending on how the weather shakes out (it sounds as if we'll be hit hardest on Sunday), be sure to check individual event sites for updates regarding postponed events or cancellations. Stay safe and warm out there, and look out for your neighbors!

1. Pop-up Valentine card making. (Acton)

2. Happy birthday Galileo! (Acton)

3. Monkey Makes Mischief in Heaven puppet show. (Arlington)

4. Hotel Week Boston kicks off just in time for school vacation. (Boston)

5. Longest running science fiction convention in New England. (Boston)

6. Celebrate wine, food and culture. (Boston)

7. Pinkalicious: The Musical. (Boston)

8. Making butter is kitchen science! (Boston)

9. Build, explore, deconstruct and recreate with cardboard boxes. (Boston)

10. Join Boston artist Ekua Holmes in the creation of a vibrant new community installation. (Brookline)

11. Wayne Potash and the Music Fun Band. (Brookline)

12. Ben Rudnick show. (Belmont)

13. Final weekend for Lollipops for Breakfast. (Brookline)

14. A celebration of East Hampton’s seasonal beauty. (East Hampton)

15. Make your own snow farmer. (Ipswich)

16. A teeny tiny model train show. (Lexington)

17. Free children’s performance of Peter and the Wolf. (Lexington)

18. Valentine’s date night with clay. (Lincoln)

19. Seaside bird watching. (Manchester, Rockport)

20. Hot chocolate, chowder, ice sculpting and all things Winterfest. (North Adams)

21. Slopeside performance from Six String Soldiers. (Princeton)

Image credit: Etsy

Today, Lindsey shares a special local gems edition, focused on 3 fantastic maker sites:

Though my 10-year-old son likes hockey and baseball, his true passion seems to lie in science and engineering. He's a budding maker, wants to be a robot designer, is often found poring over a book about physics, has a periodic table poster on his wall, loves Minecraft, and delights in home science projects (cue baking soda and vinegar!).

I'm always looking for activities and events to nurture this interest, and have found them surprisingly difficult to identify. I wanted to share three local gems, and would love to hear of any others in the Boston area via the comments below!

1. Einstein's Workshop. This space in Burlington is an engineer's paradise. They have a 3D printer, weekly classes in everything from Mindstorms to Scratch to Minecraft to Math, and a regular drop-in program after school and during holidays. We have only begun to explore their offerings, but my son loves it at Einstein's Workshop. The place is clean, bright, welcoming, and full of evidence that the life of the scientific and engineering mind is a fascinating and fun place.

2. Parts and Crafts. This workshop and playspace in Somerville is another of my son's very favorite places to go. At Parts and Crafts he was finally allowed to use a soldering iron, something he's been asking to do forever (the downside of this is that I think we're going to have one in our house soon). My son has been doing an Introduction to Electronics class and was crushed to miss a recent weekend workshop on 3D Printing. The mood of this place is casual and warm, and my son really enjoys it there.

3. Science on Saturday. Run by the Edgerton Center at MIT, these Saturday events (presentation with demonstrations from 10-11 followed by hands-on exploration at different demo booths) are free and great fun. I think my favorite part of this endeavor is how compelling the MIT students who present are. They are full of passion and energy and are terrific role models. What an opportunity for them -- some undergrads -- to present to an auditorium of a thousand rapt listeners. Whit and I went to the presentation about underwater robotics this weekend and do not plan to miss any others. The next presentation is in March.

Image credit: Einstein's Workshop