OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
15 Thursday Doggy Days: Abby Gets a Check-Up. Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Find Abby’s heartbeat, look inside a dog’s ear, and try out the role of veterinarian and use tools to observe Abby, the Labrador Retriever, and enjoy lots of doggy hugs. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Beacon Hill Instrument Petting Zoo. Myrtle Street Playground, Myrtle St. & Irving St., Boston. 4 p.m. Join this fun and interactive Instrument Petting Zoos to work with children and teach them about the different instrument groups, and help them try out instruments themselves. Free. nempacboston.org.
16 Friday Backyard and Beyond: Forest Fridays. Discovery Museum, 177 Main St., Acton. 10 a.m.-10:45 a.m. Do a nature-based activity following the weather, and get outside to enjoy our Discovery Woods or adjacent conservation land. Designed for ages 2 to 6. Fridays. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org.
Family Yoga Class. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Enjoy this opportunity to learn and refine mindfulness and relaxation, through cooperative games, age-appropriate poses, breathing exercises, and stretching. Designed for ages 3 to 12 with caregiver. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net. Nature Collographs for Pre-Teens. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr., Boylston. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Collect natural objects such as leaves, sticks, and pods to make a printmaking plate, and use acrylic paint to print your finds. For ages 9 and up. Register ahead. Members $16, nonmembers $26. towerhillbg.org. Backyard Builders. Discovery Museums, 177 Main St., Acton. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Design, build, and explore as we fill Discovery Woods with one-of-a-kind structures using clothespins, sheets, and carboard boxes. Free with admission. Members free; nonmembers $12.50, children under 1 free. discoverymuseums.org. Teen Program: Nerdfighters. Grafton Public Library, 35 Grafton Common, Grafton. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Play Super Smash Bros on our WiiU, and feel free to bring your own items (like Magic: The Gathering) or play one of our dozen board games. For grades 6 to 12. Free. graftonlibrary.org.
The Forest Trees Nature Walk for Families. Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Dr., Boylston. 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Join a walk along the forest trails to observe the difference between trees and learn how trees communicate and socialize with each other and their relationships with fungi. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Register ahead. Member families $18, nonmember families $28. towerhillbg.org.
Rogue One. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 2 p.m.-4:15 p.m. This Star Wars standalone film follows a group of unlikely heroes as they band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.
Family Game Day. Newton Free Library, 330 Homer St., Newton. 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Drop in for family games and activities, as we provide games, building materials, and other activities for all ages to enjoy. Free. newtonfreelibrary.net.
Ice Cream Festival. Francis William Bird Park, 41 Rhoades Ave., East Walpole. 4 p.m.-7 p.m. A day filled with ice cream galore, with toppings and fixings, as well as games, music, and more for fun to support the Bird Park. $3. thetrustees.org.
17 Saturday Animal Dads. Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, 414 Massasoit Rd., Worcester. 10 a.m.-11 a.m. Bring your favorite adult for a thematic hour of a story, an activity, and a naturalist-led walk, as we celebrate dads in nature on this Father’s Day weekend. For ages 3 to 5. Register ahead. Member children $3, nonmember children $4. massaudubon.org. MFA Playdates: Summertime Fun. Museum of Fine Arts: Boston, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston. 10:15 a.m.-11 a.m. Bring your toddler to enjoy story time and looking activities in the galleries followed by art making as we embrace the warmth that is the summer and how that season has been captured by artists. Recommended for ages 4 and under. Free with admission. 24 JUNE2017
Members free; nonmember adults $25, ages 7 and up $10, ages 6 and under free. mfa.org.
Beaver Dreams. Puppet Showplace Theater, 32 Station St., Brookline. 8 p.m. The Lost and Found Puppet Company presents a hilarious physical comedy with an environmental twist, following a family of beavers and humans living in the heart of the Quebecois forest. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Members $10, nonmembers $10. puppetshowplace.org.
18 Sunday Father’s Day Family Outdoor Games. Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, 2468 Washington St., Canton. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Celebrate Father’s Day at the Bradley Estate with a hike, outdoor games, refreshments, and music. Register ahead. Member adults $5, nonmember adults $10; children free. thetrustees.org.