Free Summer Opportunities in Our Backyard

Summer is a time of fun, beach days and other exciting outdoor activities for kids. However, for many families in Central MA, summer activities can be costly. The good news is several Worcester non-profits offer plenty of free summer options to entertain and even educate children while giving parents' relief from their wallets. Here are a few affordable and exciting ways to enjoy this summer:

Worcester Common Oval Summer of Music Events

Take a break from beach days and head over to the Worcester Common Oval for musical entertainment that everyone will enjoy. From line dancing with the Country Music Ranch and Saloon to enjoying 80’s classics such as David Bowie and Michael Jackson, Worcester Common Oval is the place to be this summer.

Greater Worcester Land Trust

Escape into the wilderness and enjoy what wonders nature has to offer this summer with one of the many hiking trails Greater Worcester Land Trust (GWLT) has to offer. With GWLT’s wide range of trails, terrain, and sights for children to behold, it will surely be a summer of adventure without the cost!

Worcester Historical Museum

Worcester Historical Museum will be participating in Free Fun Fridays, hosted by Highland Street Foundation. The program will offer free admission to the museum on August 11. It is the perfect way to soak in some culture and experience all the rich history that Worcester has to offer without any out of pocket expense.

Recreation Worcester

Recreation Worcester is a free year-round out-of-school time program for youth ages 7-13 run by the City of Worcester. It includes 8 weeks of free, supervised, drop-in recreation programs at different parks across the city with food provided. Through these summer programs, students will engage in enriching, athletic, artistic and academic programming. Click here for list of all sites

Worcester Public Library Summer Reading Program

At the Worcester Public Library, children are encouraged to sign up to read a certain amount of books over the summer. The library then awards prizes for each reader at the end of the reading program.

Canoeing at Green Hill Park

Spend this summer appreciating nature with your children with Green Hill Park’s popular free canoeing program each Friday afternoon from 2 – 5 pm through the end of August. The free canoeing program is made possible with the financial support of Hanover Insurance and the Highland Street Foundation, in addition, to support from Commerce Bank and the Golub Foundation.

Worcester Art Museum

The summer is the perfect time to introduce art appreciation to children. Worcester Art Museum is reaching out to future artists with free kids' programs that encourage them to create their own works of art. Programs such as, “Helmutt’s Drop-in Studio”, are free with museum admission and help inspire children to enrich their art experience. The first Saturday of each month is free admission for all from 10 AM to noon.

Whether you want to enjoy the sunshine or cool off indoors, there are plenty of free and exciting things for families and kids to do to enjoy the summer days before school starts again. Check out our facebook page for more family fun activities this summer!