Great (and Free or Inexpensive) Activities for Mentoring Pairs

= weather dependent $ = low cost

Ongoing Activity & Event Listings in Boston: Hatchshell to the Harbor: A guide with free and almost free things to do in Boston throughout the year.

Arts/Crafts:

$ Go to A.C Moore, Michaels, or any other craft shop, buy, and string beads. This is very inexpensive and does not require any crafting talent! Necklaces and bracelets are both easily doable.

$ Plaster Fun Time in Natick - paint your own plaster mold. Prices start at $9, which includes all supplies. Really fun for all ages - and relaxing too - and offers lots of time to chat while painting. (508) 651-7673.

$ Whimsy on Route 9 in Framingham (near Ski Market) - similar to above. www.whimsyartsandcrafts.com.

Career/Education:

Free: Go to work after hours to see an office and look at the work the mentor actually does.

Free: Tour one of the many local college campuses: Framingham State College in Framingham, Mass Bay Community College in Framingham and Wellesley, Lasell College in Newton, Mt. Ida College in Newton, St. Regis College for Women in Weston, and in Boston: Boston College, Boston University, Lesley College, Simmons College and Wheelock College to name only a few.

Free: if your student has an interest in journalism, contact the Metrowest Daily News and see if you can have a tour of their facility. (508) 626-4412.

Free: if your student has an interest in video production or TV in any form, Channel 9 has options to tour, to learn how to produce a video, and/or to be on TV. Contact: Phone: (508) 875-5434

Free: Visit a bookstore to look for college prep/college selection references

Free: Read a book together

Free: Visit the Framingham library to get a library card and check out their video and CD collections

Free: Drive around Framingham and identify mentee's favorite "hang out" places. This might generate conversations around safe and unsafe areas and behaviors.

$ Skywalk on the top of the Prudential. $9 with student ID, $11 for adults. Open 7 days a week but call ahead to make sure they will be open during the time you want to visit, as they do close for private functions. Winter hours are 10:00-8:00 pm November 1-February 28, 2009. Generates great discussions on the history of Boston, etc.

$ Go out for dinner in Fanueil Hall - tons of choices of food vendors - live music often - cheap and fun!

$ Take a one-day/few hours class through local Adult Education. Often these Adult Ed programs have 1 day classes for adult/child pairs that include things like cooking workshops, make-your-own gingerbread hours, crafts workshop. (one example is Cambridge Center for Adult Ed.)

Movies:

Free: See the movie "Bend It Like Beckham". It's about a teenage girl in the suburbs of London who decides to pursue her dream of playing soccer, despite the reservations of her Indian family, who have more traditional ideas of what girls should be like and do. It is a great film, and extremely funny at times, but nevertheless inspiring and full of positive messages for teenage girls.

$ Take the train into Boston on a Friday night in summer, watch a free movie at the Hatch Shell, and have sandwiches.

Museums:

Utilize free or low-cost ($5) passes for museums from the Framingham Public Library (or any library in the Minuteman Network - www.mln.lib.ma.us

$ The Butterfly Place, 120 Tyngsboro Road, Westford 978 392-0955 Adults and teens $6, open 10am-5pm seven days/week. www.butterflyplace-ma.com

$ Danforth Museum, Framingham - www.danforthmuseum.org (508) 620-0050 Members and children under 17 are free of charge. Adults $10; students and seniors $8.

$ DeCordova Museum Sculpture Park (outside)

EcoTarium, the Science Museum in Worcester - www.ecotarium.org Museum Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Sunday 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. year-round. Adults: $10. Students: $8 EcoTarium is closed on New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas holidays. In case of severe weather, please call (508) 929-2700 for information on museum closings.

Fruitlands, Shaker and Native American exhibits in Harvard, MA

$ Harvard Museum of Natural History 617 495-3045 Free Sunday from 9am-noon (year-round) and Wednesday from 3-5pm (Sept.-May) Otherwise, adults $6.50 and youths (3-18) $4.

$ Museum of Transportation or the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, Brookline Adults: $5 Seniors and Students: $3

National Heritage Museum, 33 Marrett Road in Lexington, Exhibitions of the battle of Lexington & Concord, plus special exhibits of contemporary celebrities and events. Admission is Free! On the way back, on the left is Marrett Plaza, and in the bakery shop they sell big, square pizza slices (cheese, pepperoni, mushroom) for under $1. What a deal, plus great pastries!!

$ Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology 617 496-1027 Free Sunday from 9am-noon (year-round) and Wednesday from 3-5pm (Sept.-May). Otherwise, adults $6.50 and youths (3-18) $4.

Wellesley College Davis Museum - http://www.davismuseum.wellesley.edu/ The museum and Cultural Center and programs are open to the public FREE of charge. Check website for seasonal hours.

Outdoor/Fitness Activities:

Boating at the lake by Camp Nonesuch in Wayland

Arnold Arboretum

Bird watching

$ Blue Hills Observatory: www.bluehill.org 617-696-0562 - call first! They have many interesting, inexpensive events including the guided tours below. They also have volunteer opportunities. It is a one-mile hike on a trail up to the observatory. Weekend Observatory Guided Tours: Time: 11 AM - 4 PM

$ Bowling or pool (as in playing pool) or miniature golf (Some mentors report that bowling can actually run into money, so you may want to phone first to get exact costs.)

Broadmoor Nature preserve, South Natick on Route 16

Charles River Canoe & Kayak: 2401 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton Massachusetts 02466 Phone (617) 965-5110 Fax (617) 965-7696 info@ski-paddle.com

$ Canoeing: canoes can also be rented at the State Park in Natick on Rte. 30.

Cross Country Skiing Between December 1 and March 15, Weston Ski Track, Box 426 200 Park Road, Weston MA 02493 Phone (781) 891-6575 Fax (617) 965-7696

Elm Bank, Wellesley, Horticultural Society

Framingham High School Athletic events: check the FHS website at www.framingham.k12.ma.us/fhs - click on "calendar" and then "athletic calendar"

$ Framingham YMCA, get a tour and free passes to use for classes and/or the pool. Teens pay $40 for a summer membership.

Freedom Trail and Old North Church in Boston

Frog Pond in Boston Commons is open Monday 10am-5pm, Tuesday through Thursday 10am-9pm; Friday and Saturday 10am-10pm, Sunday 10am-9pm. Fee is $4.00 and skate rental is $8.00. Phone 617-635-2120. www.bostoncommonfrogpond.org/index.htm

Garden in the Woods in Framingham. It's beautiful, and it's right nearby! Seasonal!

Hike Mt. Monadnock (about an hour drive north of Boston)

$ Honey Pot Hill Orchards Groups or individuals can pick any number of foods as well as go on hay rides.

Running or jogging together; bicycling.

$ Tower Hill Botanical Gardens

$ Trip to Logan Airport - Ride the moving sidewalk, view plane landings (there can be costs: tolls, parking and lunch at Faneuil Market or the Fish pier - is fun to do with other mentoring pairs)

Walk around the lake at Wellesley College. At a leisurely pace, this takes about an hour, has no cost and is peaceful.

Walk around Walden Pond in Concord. At a leisurely pace, this takes about an hour, has no cost and is peaceful.

Wayside Inn area in Sudbury. From the web, you can print out a little walking trail that takes you to the inn, the Gristmill, the old schoolhouse, and so on:

Sports:

Some Boston College Sports are free (NOT football!): check www.bceagles.com for the schedules. Each year, BC has 'youth days' at certain women's basketball games that are free of charge. Also, the majority of BC sports are free of charge to watch. Teams that are free of charge are: baseball, softball, men's and women's soccer, field hockey and volleyball.

Minor League baseball: in addition to the Pawsox, the Worcester Tornadoes look to be a good take. They just renovated the field and tickets for this past season started at $5. The field is located at Holy Cross, by the way - so the mentees would get a glimpse at a college campus at the same time. See: www.worcestertornadoes.com

$ High school or semi-pro sports events

Theaters/Concerts:

$ The Amazing Things Arts Center is place to go enjoy all kinds of arts and/or to volunteer in Saxonville, Framingham. All kinds of "amazing things" are going on nearly every night of the week. For more information: www.amazingthings.org

$ The Center for the Arts in Natick (concerts, poetry, plays)

Esplanade Concerts in Boston on Sunday afternoons in the summer: FREE

Free concerts in the summer at Framingham Center on the Downtown Common, Thursday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 pm starting on July 8. North Shore Music Theater in Beverly. We found a terrific Mexican restaurant along the way and then went to a matinee on a Saturday afternoon. Tickets are not too costly and makes for a wonderful experience to expose the students to American Musical Theater.

$ Improv Boston Family Show (Comedy): www.improvboston.com IB Family Show every Saturday at 6pm. Tickets $12/$10 for seniors/$7 for students and children. Contact: 617-576-1253 for info and reservations. This evening full of interactive games, performed by the ImprovBoston Family Show Crew, is sure to bring out the child in everyone. Students and children only $7! NOTE: Is your middle-school or high-schooler an aspiring comedian? Then sign him/her up for the Teen Summer Program!

North Shore Music Theater in Beverly. www.nsmt.org. Tickets are not too costly and this is a wonderful experience to expose the students to American Musical Theater.

$ Science Museum/Omni theater

$ Spingold Theater at Brandeis University

$ The Walnut Hill School on High Street in Natick - a performance arts high school - they have theater, dance and music performances. The kids are very talented and the productions are very professional! Tickets run from $10-$15 for students. www.walnuthillarts.org.