Playgroups are a fun way to meet new families. Boston has free playgroups throughout the city. We list some below...
Day | Time | Neighborhood | Season | FAQ
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Please confirm details before heading out with your little one, as schedules can change at anytime. Last updated 9/20/24.
Playgroups By Day
Day | Playgroup |
Mondays | |
Tuesdays | |
Wednesdays | |
Thursdays | |
Fridays | |
Saturdays | |
Sundays |
Playgroups By Time
Time | Playgroup |
Mornings | |
Afternoons |
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Playgroups By Neighborhood (A-Z)
Location | Playgroup |
Allston/Brighton | |
Charlestown | |
Dorchester | |
Hyde Park | |
Jamaica Plain | |
Mattapan | |
Roslindale | |
South Boston | |
Waterfront | |
West Roxbury |
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Playgroups By Season
Season | Playgroup |
Spring | |
Summer | |
Fall | |
Winter |
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Curtis Hall Play Group (ages 0-36 months)
20 South St, Jamaica Plain 02130
(617) 635-5193
Mon, Wed, Fri | 10:00am - 12:00pm
The Curtis Hall play group offers free play with other children and their caregivers during the school year. Little ones will practice their tactile, fine, and gross motor skills. The play group takes place in the Curtis Hall Gymnasium and lasts 2 hours on most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Because the group fills up fast, there is an online registration that opens 24 hours before its scheduled time. The group is intended for ages 0 to 36 months and is limited to 30 children per session.
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Roche Community Center (ages 1.5 to 3.5)
1716 Centre St, West Roxbury 02132
(617) 635-5066
Mon - Thur | Mornings (start times between 9:30am - 10:15am)
The Roche Community Center hosts multiple play times. Sticky Fingers is a 45 minute class in the Roche art room. Families get messy with paint, play doh, sand, chalk, and more. Roche Boogie with your Baby is a 45-minute movement class in the Roche Dance Studio. Finally, Toddler Time offers tumbling, free play, and rhythmic activities in the Roche gym. Classes fill up fast. Since there are multiple classes, the following link directs you to all the classes offered by Roche Community Center. Feel free to search their online catalog or call and inquire about the one you are specifically interested in.
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Smart Art Parent-Child Playgroup (ages 2-4)
123 Antwerp St, Allston 02134
Elayne Baskin | ebaskin@familynurturing.org | (617) 365-3941
Wed | 10:30am - 11:30am (Sep 18 - Oct 30, 2024)
Visit the Fiorentino Community Center for painting, printing, and fun with play dough. Younger siblings are welcome!
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Countdown to Kindergarten (ages 1-5)
Location varies
Times vary (depending on location)
Seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring
Countdown to Kindergarten offers 90-minute to two-hour playgroups throughout the week (but families are only able to choose one slot). The play time offers caregivers and children a fun space for sing-a-longs, story time, and circle time. The actual program is headquartered in Roxbury, but play group leaders go to schools and community centers in West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, and Dorchester. The Mattapan library was recently added and meets at 10:30am on Mondays and Wednesdays for the month of October.
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Knucklebones Playgroup (ages 3-8)
50 Bunker Hill St, Charlestown 02129
Corinne | Kielbasa@kennedycenter.org
Wed | 4:30pm (Sep 18 - Oct 23, 2024)
This 6-week sports class takes place at the playground behind the Harvard Kent Elementary School. This group is weather dependent.
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Toddler STEAM Playgroup (ages 2-4)
15 Tufts St 3rd floor, Charlestown 02129
Lili | Lsgro@KennedyCenter.org | (617) 635-5150
Tues | 11:00am (Sep 24 - Nov 12)
The Kennedy Center is hosting a new fall-themed class for toddlers. Curious what STEAM is? It stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Parking is metered.
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ICA Play Dates (ages 12+ under)
25 Harbor Shore Drive, Boston 02210
(617) 478-3100
Sat | 10:00am - 5:00pm
The Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) offers free playdates on the last Saturday of every month from January to October. Attendees are limited to 2 adults per family and must be accompanied by children under 12 years old. Use the promo code PLAYDATE when reserving tickets online.
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Preschool Tinker Play Group (ages 0-5)
4246 Washington St, Roslindale
Mon | 4:30pm - 5:30pm (Sep 23 - Oct 28)
Nora Arara | narara@familynurturing.org
The Roslindale Library has collaborated with the Family Nurturing Center to host a 6-week playgroup. The series intends to focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) skills for young children.Â
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Parent-Child Play To Learn Playgroup (ages 0-3)
35 Deer St, Dorchester 02125
Wed | 10:00am - 11:30am (Sep 11 - Jun 4, 2025)
Huong Vu |Â hvu@bgcdorchester.org | (617) 838-0092
This Vietnamese bilingual group meets at the Boys and Girls Club in Dorchester. The 90-minute session includes stories, songs, crafts, and hopes to connect families with community resources.
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Tinkering Parent Child Playgroup (ages 3-5)
646 E Broadway, South Boston 02127 (South Boston Library)
Thur | 1:00pm - 2:00pm (Sep 12 - Oct 17, 2024)
Idalia Grant | igrant@sbnh.org
The South Boston Neighborhood House and the South Boston Library joined forces for a 6-week STEAM (science, technology, engineering, and math) playgroup.
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Family Nurturing Center (ages 12-24 months)
224 Western Ave, Allston 02134
Tue | 10:00am - 11:30am (Sep 17, 2023 - Nov 26, 2024)
Elayne Baskin (617) 365-3941 |Â ebaskin@familynurturing.org
The Family Nurturing Center hosts a 90-minute Tot Gym in Allston.
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Hyde Park In-Person Playgroup (ages 1-4)
215-217 Garfield Ave, Hyde Park 02136
Nora Arara | (857) 230-9036| narara@familynurturing.org
Wed, Fri | 10:00am - 12:00pm (Sep 11 - Nov 15, 2024)
The Family Nurturing Center hosts 2-hour playgroups filled with songs, circle time, crafts and activities. The Wednesday group is English speaking, and the Friday group is bilingual (English and Spanish).
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Boston Family Engagement Network
Locations Vary
Times Vary
The Boston Engagement Network has a steady stream of free playgroups in Boston. These include local mom and dad groups, as well as bilingual groups centered around early-learning and fun.
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Explore and Play (ages 0-2)
4246 Washington St, Roslindale 02131 (Roslindale Library)
Fri | 9:30am - 10:30am
Celeste Bocchicchio-Chaudhri | (617) 323-2343 | cchaudhri@bpl.org
The library in Roslindale hosts a one-hour sensory playgroup on Fridays. Babies and toddlers get to explore different stations around the room with rattles, bells, mirrors, sensory bins, and other toys.
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What's The Best Playgroup In Boston?
Our family LOVED Countdown to Kindergarten! We wish we knew about the Roslindale Library. We noticed Curtis Hall is frequently searched online. And the Roche Center is regularly waitlisted.
The best playgroup really depends on the leadership. Meaning, all playgroups are not the same (even if they are structured the same way and hosted by the same organization). Instead the enthusiasm, passion, and family engagement skills of the playgroup leader really makes a difference.
Different groups may practice different philosophies and serve different types of families. For example, one playgroup may focus on parent-child separation (disguised as school readiness), while other playgroups focus on whole family learning. Please also know that organizations evolve and their leaders change. So the programs we attended when our children were young may not be the same today. Now is the perfect time to hop around until you find a group you absolutely love!
What Are The Most Popular Days And Times For Playgroups?
Boston offers playgroups throughout the week, but Fridays are definitely the most popular! Late mornings (around 10:00am) are another popular time probably because they are right before babies and toddlers typically nap.
How Often Should You Attend Play Groups?
That's totally up to you and your family! If you're like us, playgroups may become the highlight of your day or week. We hope to give you plenty of options so that you never run out of play experiences to have with your little one!
What's The Difference Between Play Dates And Play Groups?
Play dates are informal, while playgroups tend to be more structured.
Play dates are often scheduled between parents. They're frequently planned in a home, at an event, or playspace with the hopes of just having fun. Playgroups tend to be led by early childhood specialists. Their goal is to make sure parents are introduced to early child development. For example, playgroup leaders often sing to help little ones transition between activities and snack times. They also designate a "clean-up time," a space where little ones learn that everything has a space to return to when play time is over. They also give helpful tips, for example helping parents recognize that their child may be naturally grouping toys by color instead of randomly picking different objects.
Play dates can last all day, while playgroups are usually two hours or less.
Do You Have Any Tips For Filling Out Online Forms?
Some groups require registration using online forms. We totally understand the convenience of having parents provide basic information online. This data can show how many parents are interested in a particular group and where they come from. Please know that these organizations sometimes are not tech-savvy or digitally informed. This means that they may not know how to handle personal data responsibly (for example, full names, dates of birth, and addresses). We recommend using privacy features like Apple's hide my email and using periods instead of full names (especially for your little ones).
What Should You Pack?
We're big believers in less is best. Diapers, wipes, snacks, water, and maybe a change of clothes should cover the essentials. Below are our picks:
Are There Any Toddler-Friendly Books About Play?
Absolutely! Playgroups tend to incorporate story time into their fun, but if you want to take some books home, most (if not all) of the following stories are free to borrow from the library. We also have a list of our favorite board books, and books about babies.
Are There Other Toddler-Friendly Activities In Boston?
There are tons! We have a calendar that focuses on baby and toddler-friendly events in the city -- you can check it out here.
