Beaches and pond beaches for kids around Boston
Boston has two kinds of beach. Freshwater pond beaches are shallow, wave-free, lifeguarded in summer, and the place for a 2-year-old's first swim. Harbor and North Shore beaches are cooler, and there you're digging sand, poking around the low-tide flats, and watching planes and boats. We've picked the most toddler-friendly of both.
For ponds, start with Houghton's Pond in the Blue Hills, with a playground and shade right there; Walden Pond has the clearest water but fills by 9am in summer. Closest to downtown is Castle Island, with planes overhead on the harbor loop and hot dogs at Sullivan's; Wollaston in Quincy has crabs on the low-tide flats, Revere Beach is a Blue Line ride with a sand-sculpting festival, and Nantasket in Hull has a century-old carousel. For a real beach day, drive an hour to the North Shore: white dunes and a huge shallow flat at Crane Beach, or the commuter rail to Singing Beach, where the sand squeaks underfoot.
- 7 places
- 5 free
- 5 stroller-friendly
- closest is 25 min away
7 places
Drive times from Newton
Castle Island and Pleasure Bay loop
5.0Boston · 25 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Large free lot at the end of William J. Day Blvd, fills by midday on summer weekends
Houghton's Pond beach (Blue Hills)
5.0Milton · 25 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free lot on Hillside St, arrive before 11am on summer weekends
Wollaston Beach
4.0Quincy · 25 min drive
2 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Free spaces along Quincy Shore Dr plus several free lots
Revere Beach
4.0Revere · 35 min drive
2.5 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: Blue Line to Revere Beach or Wonderland puts you on the sand; by car use the metered spaces along Revere Beach Blvd or the Wonderland garage
Nantasket Beach and the Paragon Carousel
4.0Hull · 45 min drive
3 h · stroller-friendly
Free · Parking: DCR lot with a fee (about $10–15/day in summer), plus metered street parking
Singing Beach
4.0Manchester-by-the-Sea · 55 min drive
3 h · carrier recommended
$ · Parking: No non-resident parking in summer: the standard approach is the Commuter Rail Rockport line to Manchester and a 10-minute walk; non-resident summer entry fee about $7 (check the website)
Crane Beach (Trustees)
4.0Ipswich · 60 min drive
4 h · carrier recommended
$ · Parking: Fee per car, about $30–45 for non-members on summer weekends, cheaper and guaranteed before 9am; discounts for Trustees members
💡 Good to know
- The ocean isn't comfortable until July; lifeguards are generally on duty mid-June to Labor Day, and pond and beach lots fill by 11am on weekends.
- At the ocean, check the tide table: low tide is when the flats and tide pools appear. Crane Beach has biting greenhead flies from mid-July to early August; check the site.