Tired of hearing I’m bored from countless children throughout the years, Berkshires Macaroni Kid (formerly Berkshire Family Focus), set out to compile a list of things to do in Berkshire County to prove to those children just how much family- and kid-friendly fun there’s to be had in Berkshire County. Below find the first of three guides (there’s so much to do we had to break into three parts to make it more manageable), featuring a comprehensive list of area family fun. For more family fun outing ideas like these, just click on Guide 1 and Guide 3.
Did we forget something? Simply email one of your favorite things to do in the Berkshires to kellym@macaronikid.com, and we will get to compiling Guide 4.
Never miss a family event, giveaway, parenting resource & more! Find it all in your Inbox each week via our FREE e-newsletter. Sign up by clicking HERE
51. Head into the Village of Housatonic for a bite to eat at Pleasant and Main or the Housie Market Café, and check out the playground behind the Housatonic Community Center (corner of Pleasant and Front St). (FREE)
52. Spend a day exploring Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, a 750-acre living-history museum, that boasts twenty historically authentic buildings, heirloom gardens, livestock barn and pastures, and 1-mile Farm & Forest Trail. In the Discovery Room, kids can learn about farming, dress like a Shaker, make a craft to bring home, and even try their hand at milking a cow (replica). (Children 12 and under FREE.)
53. Take a ride at Harmony Trails, Dalton, this family-friendly 100-acre of property features forests and rollings meadow, offering a variety of terrains for both beginners and expert equestrians.
54. Tour the old Boston and Maine Railroad yard at Heritage State Park (Western Gateway), North Adams and discover the haunting secrets behind the famed 4.75-mile long tunnel through Hoosac Mountain, where 200 men lost their lives during the construction. (FREE)
55. Enjoy a free hayride and apple picking in season at the Hilltop Orchards/Furnace Brook Winery, Richmond. Hikers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers welcome to explore the full 200-acre property on the professionally designed Johnny Mash I & II Trails.
56. Take the younger kids to the Hinsdale Town Park & Kittredge Elementary Playgrounds, Hinsdale — two fantastic playgrounds. The former is perfect for smaller kids, but when school’s out, they will likely be lured across the crosswalk to the school play structure, complete “big kid” swings and slides, foursquare, hopscotch, and a rock climbing wall. One side of the parking lot is a car-free-zone, so bring your helmets and bicycles. (FREE)
57.Take a walk, ski, and snowshoe on the trails of Hopkins Memorial Forest, Williamstown, a 2,600-acre preserve, with over 15 miles of open to the public. (FREE)
58. Volunteer with your eco-conscious kids at the Housatonic RiverWalk, Great Barrington Earth Day cleanup. (FREE)
59. Celebrate fall and get your pumpkin for carving at Howden Farm, Sheffield.
60. Spend some time skipping stones along the stream at Interlaken Park, West Stockbridge, featuring old school playground equipment, an oversized sandbox, and a gravel beach and stonewall. (FREE)
61. Sample the maple syrup and enjoy a short stack of pancakes during the spring season at Ioka Valley Farm, Hancock. Kids can also swing from the farm-themed play structure and cuddle up to the friendly farm animals in Uncle Don’s Barnyard during the summer months, and enjoy the cornucopia of fall-themed activities including the free tractor rides and corn maze.
62. Catch a free Inside/Out performance, every Wednesday through Saturday at 6:15 p.m. during the summer at Jacobs Pillow, Becket where you are welcome to grab a seat or bring a chair or picnic blanket from home (food and drink are welcome in the performance area). (FREE)
63. Hike the mountain trails, take a scenic chairlift ride, hop all day on the bounce house and Euro bungee trampoline, soar on the giant swing and Soaring Eagle Zip ride, climb through the Kids Climb ropes course, explore the Ponderosa Playground in the Kids’Zone, conquer the giant climbing wall, and don’t forget the alpine slide and mountain coaster at Jiminy Peak, Hancock.
64. Hike the 2-mile Jug End Trail Loop (blue triangle trail markers) at the Jug End State Reservation, Egremont/Mount Washington.It will probably take you an hour or two. (FREE)
65. Bike, hike, cross-country ski and more at Kennedy Park, Lenox, with over 14 miles of groomed, town-maintained trails. (FREE)
66.Take the Jacob’s Ladder Scenic Byway/Rt 20 (the Country’s first auto road over a mountain range, completed in 1910) to the Keystone Arch Bridges, Becket/Chester/Middlefield, built for the railroad in 1833 and 1841, and the oldest bridges of their kind in the U.S. (FREE)
67. Stop for a fresh snack (pick your own blueberries or raspberries) at Kirchner’s Farm, Pittsfield.
68. Enjoy a round of disc golf at Kirvin Park (Sackett Brook), Pittsfield, surrounded by plenty of running room on soccer fields, swings, and a fun play structure. (FREE)
69. Picnic at Lake Buel, Monterey/New Marlborough, a 2-mile long spring fed lake is home to Camp Half Moon and Kutsher’s Sports Academy. (FREE)
70. Sunbathe at the town beach or bring a canoe or kayak to the public boat launch, and enjoy a day of fun at Lake Garfield, Monterey, (FREE)
71. Partake in a day of swimming and sandcastle-building at Lake Mansfield, Great Barrington, a 29-acre lake surrounded by the 29-acre Lake Mansfield Forest. There's also an old fashion jungle gym and plenty of hiking trails to enjoy. (FREE)
72. Pick your own apples, cherries, peaches, pears, plums, apricots, raspberries and blueberries Lakeview Orchards, Lanesborough.
73. Monkey around the play structures at Lanesborough Elementary Playground, Lanesborough, one fenced in and toddler-friendly and one that will appeal to kids of all ages (also boasts a full-length basketball court, soccer fields, paved walkways for young bike riders, a picnic pavilion and even porta potties in the summer). (FREE)
74. Climb to the fire tower and enjoy the panoramic views at Laura’s Lookout or venture on to Ice Glen, Stockbridge, a glacial ravine that holds ice until mid-summer (1-mile round trip). (FREE)
75. Enjoy a day at the beach at Laurel Lake, Lee/Lenox, don't forget your fishing poles. (FREE)
76. Bike, skateboard, and rollerblade the rails at the skate park at Lee Athletic Field, Lee. (FREE)
77. Play a pick up game of soccer, football, baseball, or basketball at Lee High School, Lee (features tennis, softball, baseball, soccer and football fields). (FREE)
78. Hone little one's biking skills on the paved beautifully landscaped walkway at Lee Elementary School, Lee, making a stop at the playground where there are three state of the art play areas for kids of all ages (behind the school). (FREE)
79. Challenge your kids to a game of basketball on the full-length basketball court at the Lenox Community Center, Lenox or see who can slide down the super fast corkscrew slide the quickest (the giant crocodile is also an irresistible play structure). (FREE)
80. See a full-scale production, take in a concert or screen a movie at the historic Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington.
81. Hike, ski, snowshoe, run, mountain bike, hunt, fish, forage, nature watch, paint pictures, take photographs, eat and drink, walk your dog off-leash, hunt for geocaches, nap or get married at the Mahanna Cobble, Lenox/Pittsfield. (FREE)
82. Pack a picnic and your sand toys for a day of sandy beach fun at the swimming pond at Margaret Lindley Park, Williamstown. (FREE)
87. Take a family hike to the top of McLennan Reservation, Tyringham where you will be rewarded with sweeping views of Hale Pond and 600 acres of unspoiled forest and wetlands. (FREE)
88. Learn about Rev. John Sergeant, the first missionary to the Mohican Indians, at Mission House, Stockbridge, Sergeant's unassuming little Colonial house built in 1742 that showcases a remarkable collection of early American furniture and art and home to a small Native American Museum. (Kids FREE.)
89. Venture along one of the county’s most well-traveled hiking trails to the Squaw Peak summit of Monument Mountain, Great Barrington, with sweeping views stretching from the Catskills to Mt. Greylock. (FREE)
90. Teach your kids the old driveway classic, hopscotch, at the Morris School Playgrounds, Lenox. A new play structure and the basketball courts are also tempting to family members of all ages. (FREE)
91. Take in music on the terrace, tour the main house and outbuildings, picnic in the gardens or register for an educational program at The Mount, Lenox, the historic home of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton. (Kids 18 and under FREE.)
92. Mark your calendar for the annual Cummington Fair at the Cummington Fairgrounds on Fairgrounds Road, Cummington featuring carnival rides, agriculture exhibits, animal judging and more.
93. Drive to the summit of Mount Greylock and take in a program and grab a bite to eat at Bascom Lodge, Adams. Check out the DCR’s list of suggested day hikes on the mountain. (FREE; fees for food and some programs.)
94. Walk from Massachusetts to Vermont along this beautiful scenic trail at Mountain Meadow Preserve, Williamstown/Pownal, VT, with views of Mt. Greylock and the Hoosac Valley. (FREE)
95. Visit the farm stand at Mountain View Farm, Lanesborough, and purchase fresh veggies by the bushel or pick your own blueberries and strawberries.
96. Play on the swings or relax on the shaded benches at Muddy Brook Elementary School, Great Barrington after a long hike at Monument Mountain, or explore the nearby pond with your budding scientists. (FREE)
97. Learn about the history of movie animation and the Berkshire's role in it, create your own stop-action film and browse the gift shop at the Museum of Animagic, Lee. (FREE)
98. Become an astronaut, train conductor, and/or soldier at the Museum of History and Science, North Adams, or learn about bugs and creatures and other kid favorites, at this Berkshire hidden treasure. (FREE)
99. Explore the grounds of the 350-acre property overlooking the village of Stockbridge at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy, Stockbridge where you will find the Lourdes Candle Grotto, the Holy Family Shrine, the groves of St. Therese and St. Francis, the Mother of Mercy Outdoor Shrine, and the Shrine of the Holy Innocents, divine destinations for thousands of religious pilgrims each year. (FREE)
100. Participate in a scavenger hunt, follow trails past 550 million-year-old marble bridges and arches, and traverse a series of stone stairs and metal gangways over incredible waterfalls, caverns, and gorges at Natural Bridge State Park, North Adams.
