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The Best Things To Do in Boston with Kids November 2025, According to Mommy Poppins Editors

Usher in the 2025 Holidays this November with the Trellis Lighting at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park. Photo by Mike Mejia, courtesy of the City of Boston Mayor's Office.
Usher in the 2025 Holidays this November with the Trellis Lighting at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park. Photo by Mike Mejia, courtesy of the City of Boston Mayor's Office.
10/31/25 - By N Ferreira

November 2025 in Boston is bursting with color and cheer as fall magic meets holiday sparkle! Families can soak up the season’s best with unforgettable events all month long. Celebrate community spirit at the 2025 Boston Veterans Parade, then head to Plymouth for the festive America’s Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration. The holidays officially shine bright with Boston’s beloved Boston's Official Holiday Tree Arrival on the Common—followed by the Trellis Lighting at Christopher Columbus Park, which sets the waterfront aglow, and more lightings throughout the city. It’s the perfect time to make memories, sip cocoa, and kick off the holiday fun!

Find more top things to do with our list of Fall 2025 Bucket List for Kids and our Day Trips and Weekend Getaways Guide, and get a jump on tickets for some amazing Polar Express Trains and Christmas Trains in New England 2025.

We’re adding more events to our family activity calendar every day, so make sure to check it frequently. 

Get our picks for every weekend in your inbox—sign up for our newsletters.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Head to Plymouth this November for Thanksgiving fun and more holiday activities in November 2025! Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Office of Tourism.
Head to Plymouth this November for Thanksgiving fun and more holiday activities in November 2025! Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Office of Tourism.

Best of November 2025: Top Things To Do in Boston with Kids

New England Christmas Festival at Mohegan

Mohegan Sun, CT
Friday, November 7, 2025
With over 350 vendors, the New England Christmas Festival is an eagerly anticipated annual event that has kicked off the holiday season for 38 years. READ MORE

The Polar Express Train Ride - Blackstone Valley

Woonsocket, RI
Friday, November 7 - Sunday, December 21, 2025
The Magic Returns this holiday season for a three-hour experience at the Blackstone Valley Polar Express. Hop on a 90-minute train ride to view the North Pole that’s filled with singing, games, a reading of the classic children’s story “The Polar Express”, and a visit from Santa.  READ MORE

2025 Boston Veterans Parade

Boston — FREE
Saturday, November 8, 2025
Honor the service and sacrifices of all who have served and those who continue to serve. Assemble at the corner of Charles Street and Boylston Street (Boston Common) and march to Government Center.  READ MORE

Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

National Public Lands — FREE
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
On select days throughout the year, all national parks in the United States are open to the public with no admission fee.  READ MORE

Snowbound Expo

Boston — FREE
Friday, November 14-16, 2025
The Snowbound Expo is a premium, multi-sensory, immersive experiences that serves as the official kick off for winter and is the ultimate destination for the latest products, legendary athletes, top resorts, film premiers, shopping, music, art, food, and the biggest brands. READ MORE

Boston's Official Holiday Tree Arrival

Boston — FREE
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
The 54th annual gift of an evergreen Christmas tree from Nova Scotia is arriving by police escort at Boston Common on Tuesday, November 18. READ MORE

The Polar Express Train on Cape Cod Central Railroad

Buzzards Bay, MA
Friday, November 21 - Sunday, December 23, 2025
“The bell still rings for all who truly believe” Adventure comes to life when the train departs for a round-trip journey to the North Pole led by our merry-making cast. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, passengers will relive the magic of the classic story as they are whisked away on THE POLAR EXPRESS™ for approximately 90-minutes to meet Santa. READ MORE

America's Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration

Plymouth — FREE
Saturday, November 22, 2025
For over 25 years, hundreds of thousands of people have traveled to the historic Plymouth Harbor and Waterfront to experience a celebration of Thanksgiving history with pilgrims, Indigenous Peoples, soldiers, and pioneers climbing out of the history books and onto the streets of Plymouth. READ MORE

Thanksgiving Model Train Show

Roslindale
Saturday & Sunday, November 22-23, 2025
The Bay State Model Railroad Museum is hosting a holiday model train show. See operating model trains and trolleys in scales O, HO and N. READ MORE

Tally Ho! Amelia Peabody Memorial Hunt

Dover — FREE
Saturday, November 22, 2025
Enjoy the pageantry of the centuries-old tradition of the sport of fox hunting, by watching the Norfolk Hunt as it rides through Powisset Farm and Noanet Woodlands. The foxhounds follow a drag scent (no live foxes participate) through woods and fields, followed by beautiful horses with riders dressed in traditional foxhunting attire.  READ MORE

Night Lights: Dazzling Gardens at New England Botanic Garden

Boylston
Friday, November 22 - Sunday, January 4, 2026
Enter an illuminated world where the stars of the botanic garden shine, and where sparkling experiences and one-of-a-kind light displays inspire joy that lasts all year. It’s a celebration of nature like never before seen—bright, bold, and full of dazzle. READ MORE

Trellis Lighting at Christopher Columbus Park

Boston — FREE
Monday, November 24, 2025
Witness the wonder of the 23rd annual holiday lighting of the signature trellis at Christopher Columbus Park in the North End. The historic waterfront will be transformed into a stunning holiday display when the park’s 260 feet of trellis are illuminated with 50,000 blue lights. READ MORE

Lighting of the Ship in Martin’s Park

Boston — FREE
Saturday, November 29, 2025
A special children’s celebration will be held at the Smith Family Waterfront, and the ship will be lit for the third annual holiday in Martin’s Park. Martin’s Park will be transformed into a magical holiday display when the ship, surrounding beach fencing, and pedestrian bridge are illuminated with over 1,500 feet of blue and white tube lights. READ MORE

New England Harvest Feast

Plymouth
Saturdays in November, 2025
Take a savory journey into the past. An evening of entertainment and hospitality awaits guests to sit down to a 17th-century meal filled with the finest food that the season of plenty has to offer.  READ MORE

STEM Fest at Bright Horizons

Various BH locations nationwide
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Join Bright Horizons centers across the country for STEM Fest. This is your chance to see science, technology, engineering, and math in action with fun, hands-on activities for you and your child. READ MORE

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