Ten Things To Do With The Kids

There is tons of fun waiting to be explored It seems summer has hardly begun - and the kids are complaining that there's nothing to do. If the scenario sounds familiar it's time to hit the Johnny Appleseed Trail! The region is filled with interesting and exciting ways to fill an afternoon, a day, or weekend.
Here are 10 fun things for your family to do in north central Massachusetts. For details on hours or admission prices, use the "Navigating the Trail" section in the back of this Guide.

1. See the Buffalo Roam. Yup, right here in north central Massachusetts you can see real, live bison roaming the pasture at the Alta Vista Bison Farm in Rutland. How big are buffalo? Take a hayride around the pasture to see them up close and personal and you decide!

2. Take Flight. Well, you might not actually get off the ground, but you can learn all about the world of aviation at the Top Fun Aviation Museum in Winchendon. You'll find a great mixture of educational and fun activities.

3. Get into the Swing Gone golfing lately? How about a bit of mini-golf? The Lancaster Golf Center, just off Route 2, has a famous mini-golf course, as well as a nine-hole pitch and putt course, along with batting cages and bankshot basketball. Take your best shot!

4. Try a Chair on for Size. Gardner is known as the Chair City, and you'll be sitting pretty when you visit the Heritage Park Visitor Center to learn how furniture has been made through the years. Visit the big chair on Elm Street, or watch chairs being made at the Chair City Wayside Furniture on East Broadway.

5. Get Lost. For a while, at least. Test your navigating skills in the MegaMaze at Davis Farmland in Sterling. The Maze opens at the end of July. There's a new cornfield maze every year, so you never know what you're getting into!

6. Go Rollin' on the River. Take a steamboat ride on the Connecticut River. The Quinnetukut II riverboat offers a leisurely 12-mile round trip through the gorge, and on to historic Barton Cove, home to nesting eagles and the site of a former dinosaur track quarry. The boat leaves from the Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center.

7. Pick a Peck. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and veggies galore are available at local farms all summer! Many farms allow you to pick your own or you can do it the easy way, and stop by a farm stand to see what's in season.

8. Pet a Poitu. Or maybe just a friendly baby goat or two. Davis Farmland in Sterling has a did-boggling array of endangered farm animals, and lots of real and play farm machinery to keep the young ones busy for hours. Be a pretend farmer for a day!

9. Pitch a Tent. There are campgrounds galore along the Johnny Appleseed Trail. Take a dip in a lake, set up the tent, cook hotdogs over a fire, and watch the stars come out! Get away from it all in a local park or campground.

10. Paddle Your Own Canoe. Or rent one at Nashoba Paddler in West Groton. The region has endless waterways to explore! Pack a picnic lunch, grab a fishin' pole, and se out for a lazy day with the family.