Boston Kid Friendly & New England for Families

01/16/2025

❄️ Why Ice-In is Essential for Lake Winnipesaukee’s Health ❄️

When Lake Winnipesaukee fully freezes, it’s more than just a winter wonderland—it’s a vital reset for the ecosystem. Consistent ice formation stabilizes water temperatures, protects aquatic life, and helps minimize early season cyanobacteria blooms by blocking sunlight from reaching the water.

🐟 For cold-water fish like lake trout and landlocked salmon, ice-in is critical for maintaining the stable conditions they need to thrive. These species depend on oxygen-rich water, and without ice, warmer temperatures and increased algal activity can disrupt the lake’s balance, potentially depleting oxygen and putting these fish at risk. As winters warm and ice-in becomes less predictable, the lake's delicate balance faces new challenges. By working to protect water quality and reduce pollution, we can help ensure these natural processes—and the species that rely on them—are preserved for generations to come.

📷: Emerson Aviation

01/14/2025

01/03/2025

Hey, if you have seen the mini issue of the magazine this month, you have seen it focuses on connecting with each other. These conversation cards are golden and the name, while not a misnomer, is not just for grandparents to use! (Ad)

200 Conversation Starters for Grandparents – Thoughtful Grandparents Gifts – Family Games for Kids and Elders to Connect and Share – Best Get to Know You Elderly Gifts and Senior Gifts Question Cards

01/01/2025

One of my favorite paintings is “At Dusk (Boston Common at Twilight),” which was painted around 1885-86 by Childe Hassam. It shows the view on Boston Common along Tremont Street, facing south towards Boylston Street. Nearly 140 years later, most of the buildings from the painting are gone, but Boston Common itself is still here, and the scene is still easily recognizable, especially at sunset on a winter evening, as shown in the bottom photo.

The painting is part of the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

01/01/2025

Happy New Year! Did you know in New England for Families Magazine we have a fun list of 31 one things to do in January as a family? It’s all things that are adaptable by family and you can build your own calendar! There’s a peek of it below and see the ideas plus the whole online magazine here: https://bostonkidfriendly.com/new-england-for-family-magazine-special-edition-issue/

12/19/2024

12/18/2024

The very first issue of New England for Families magazine is published! It’s a special edition mini issue but PACKED with great info. There will be a full winter edition coming soon ❄️☃️ Hope you enjoy it and don’t forget to spread the word! https://bostonkidfriendly.com/new-england-for-family-magazine-special-edition-issue/

12/14/2024

Expect fair skies in New Hampshire this weekend for the annual Geminid meteor shower.

12/10/2024

Hands-on museums here make learning feel just like play! https://familydestinationsguide.com/hands-on-museums-vermont/

12/09/2024

Snow rollers in the USA were probably being phased out about 100 years ago, except in the more rural pockets. Their purpose was to pack down the snow on roads to make it easier for sleighs to travel, and even after the early cars and trucks came into use, many of them were stored for the winter in favor of horse drawn sleighs and pungs, which were basically work sleds.

When the road crews came to a covered bridge they had to hand shovel snow from outside onto the wooden roadway, a process that my father remembered being called “snowing the bridge.”

Obviously cars and sleighs couldn’t easily coexist, so at some point snow rollers went out of business, as did the sleighs. I have never seen a snow roller in full gear, just the roller part abandoned to rot away in a pasture in South Royalton, Vermont decades ago.

This photo is from "Vermont's Northland Journal."

12/08/2024

There's a tiny blueberry museum inside this quirky bakery, so cute! https://familydestinationsguide.com/tiny-blueberry-museum-maine/

12/07/2024

There's something about the first snowfall of the year, it's one of the reasons we love New England.
www.earlynewenglandhomes.com