Susan McDonald
| Special to The Journal
The New Save the Bay Aquarium Opens in Newport
Take a sneak peek at Save the Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium opening in Newport.
- Rhode Island offers many fun and educational activities for grandparents and grandchildren to enjoy together.
- From zoos and aquariums to museums and planetariums, there is something for everyone.
- Outdoor activities include hiking, exploring nature centers, and visiting a lighthouse.
Few things compare with the joy of spending time with your grandchildren, and whether you’re the cool Glamma or the wise Pop, sharing fun adventures can help create an indelible bond between generations.
The next time you’re babysitting, try some of our top suggestions for inexpensive ways to create memories around the Ocean State.
What’s new at the zoo?
Roger Williams Park Zoo (rwpzoo.org), Elmwood Avenue, Providence. Your littlest charges will marvel at the size of the camels, tortoises and giraffes lumbering about the zoo’s meandering paths, and then eagerly pet goats and sheep in the farmyard. Older kids will enjoy learning fun facts about how gibbons announce themselves to the jungle or how dyeing poison dart frogs emit toxic chemicals. “Return of the Dinosaurs” also returns April 6 with almost 60 life-size animatronic and interactive creatures to behold. Take a break on Explore and Soar, where you can see the park from the air on a zip ride and tour the woodlands by train. Spring hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday, and on holidays and school vacations. Tickets are $22 for ages 13 and up, $18 for seniors, $16 for ages 2 to 12 and free for age 1 and under.
Learn while playing at Providence Children’s Museum
Providence Children’s Museum (providencechildrensmuseum.org), 100 South St., Providence. While their motto is “Play Every Day,” the secret to the museum is that kids can learn while they’re having fun pouring and damming flowing water, experimenting with shapes and fiddling with real tools in the innovation lab. Littlewoods allows children up to age 4 to burn some energy by climbing a tree house and exploring a bear cave. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Admission is $17 for adults and children over 1, free for ages 1 and under.
Get in touch with sea creatures
Biomes Marine Biology Center (biomescenter.com), 6640 Post Road, North Kingstown. Let the kids get hands-on with shrimp, horseshoe crabs, octopi and small sharks in the facility’s touch tanks. Docents explain native and tropical residents, and a feeding schedule allows visitors to watch. The littles can enjoy educational activities, books and toys in Ruby’s Play Center, where rescued hermit crabs, geckos and a bearded dragon are kept. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. daily, and admission is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and children ages 3-12, and free for age 2 and under.
Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium (savebay.org/family-fun/aquarium), 23 America’s Cup Ave., Newport. This new museum features 13 exhibits that focus on Narragansett Bay habitats – from the rocky shore to its deeper waters – featuring local species that come from – and are returned to – Narragansett Bay. The aquarium offers 7,000 square feet of discovery opportunities, complete with three touch tanks with sea stars, horseshoe crabs and sharks, and an augmented reality watershed model. Hours are Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $15, $13 for seniors and free for ages 2 and under.
Explore the wonders of nature
Audubon Nature Center & Aquarium (asri.org/learn/naturecenteraquarium), 1401 Hope St., Bristol. Head out on a guided walk or take a birding class with trained docents who will help you spot everything from tree frogs to tidepool creatures to pollinators in a specially designed garden. The 28-acre wildlife refuge on Narragansett Bay offers ADA-certified walking trails and a boardwalk through fresh and saltwater marshes. Bikers and walkers are allowed on the trails. The calendar includes events for all ages, and sensory days are perfect for those on the autism spectrum. Hours through mid-April are Wednesday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; trails and grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $4 for children ages 4 to 12 and free for ages 3 and under.
Museum of Natural History and Planetarium (providenceri.gov/museum), Roger Williams Park, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence. The sky’s the limit for the fun you can have at this gem, which combines a collection of taxidermy, flora, rocks and oceanic artifacts with dazzling planetarium shows in the dome theater. Check the calendar for other activities, such as guided bird and plant walks through the park and a variety of events for school vacation week. The museum is open weekends, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with planetarium shows (open to ages 4 and up) at 2 p.m. Admission for the museum only is $2 and free for ages 3 and under. For both the museum and planetarium, the cost is $5 person, and planetarium tickets must be purchased online. Children must be at least 4 years old to enter the planetarium.
Tennis, anyone?
International Tennis Hall of Fame (tennisfame.com), 194 Bellevue Ave., Newport. You don’t have to play – yet! – to appreciate the history and highlights of tennis. Browse the bios and artifacts from 267 inductees from 28 countries, follow the sport’s evolving fashions and browse the array of tennis-themed toys. The facility reopens after renovations on May 15. Hours are daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $20; $17 for seniors and students; and free for ages 12 and under.
Space exploration in Charlestown
Frosty Drew Observatory and Science Center (frostydrew.org), 61 Park Lane, Charlestown. Open every Friday night and for special events, the observatory offers a variety of telescopes through which to view the galaxy under its 18-foot dome. The equipment – with guidance from trained volunteers – can track more than 80,000 deep-space objects, 200 million stars, the rings of Saturn, moons of Jupiter, nebulae and more. When the weather is inclement, there’s a Science Center to explore and presentations in the Sky Theatre. Hours change with the season, so check their website before you go. Admission is free, but a donation of $5 per person is appreciated.
Golf for the whole family
Mulligan’s Island (mulligansisland.com), 1000 New London Ave., Cranston. Everyone loves a fun game of mini golf, and this is one of the largest in the area. Share some friendly competition through the volcano and around other obstacles, hit the driving range, freshen your swing in the batting cages or, when it gets warmer, watch a beach volleyball game. Food Truck Fridays begin again on May 2. Mini golf admission is $14 for adults and seniors, and $9 for juniors. One round in the batting cage is $3.
Learn about lighthouses at Beavertail
Beavertail Lighthouse Museum (beavertaillight.org), 800 Beavertail Road, Jamestown. There’s plenty to do in Beavertail State Park – from hiking to saltwater fishing to picnicking beside the crashing waves. On weekends from May 17 through June 22, and then daily through Labor Day, check out the museum, where you can learn about the function of the light (the third-oldest lighthouse in the U.S.) and the arduous life of the keepers. On select dates, you can climb to the top of the lighthouse tower. From June to mid-October, visit the Beavertail Aquarium, located in the lighthouse’s old foghorn house, with tanks that simulate the state’s shoreline environment and offer shellfish, crabs and fish to discover. All exhibits are free.
Soak up some culture at RISD Museum
RISD Museum (risdmuseum.org), 20 North Main St., Providence. You’ll just need one word to captivate your grandkids: mummy. Nesmin is the resident mummy, and he sits in just one gallery in this expansive museum. Ancient Egyptian lore mixes with the history of photography, ancient ceramics, Philippine textiles and contemporary enamels. Exhibits delve deeper into themes of artwork, metalwork and more. Admission is free on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. Hours vary. Admission at other times is $22, $17 for seniors, and free for age 18 and under.
Try a family-friendly hike
Simmons Mill Pond Management Area, 212 Colebrook Road, Little Compton. Dubbed the most family-friendly hike by The Journal’s Walking Rhode Island columnist, John Kostrzewa, this 433-acre preserve features wide, flat paths lined with dozens of hand-lettered signs giving information on the trees, wildlife and rocks you’ll pass as well as some of the area’s rich history. Extend your hike on one of the many well-marked trails circling six ponds and an old grist mill site.
