swimming Archives - Sly Spoon

We’ve found swimming to be our go to activity in the winter since there are a whole bunch of indoor swimming pools around us. Not too long ago a neighbor was celebrating a birthday and all the kids from our building were invited to a pool party at Boston University (BU). Initially I was surprised at the venue since there is a pool on campus as well as a number of other closer pools. That is I was surprised until we got there and discovered how incredible the Boston University pool is for kids!

Things to Note:

1) Pool
BU actually has a couple of different pools, but the one I thought was the most note worthy is the kid pool.

It’s in a separate room from the lap/lane pool
It has life guards
It has a long, zero depth ramp so children can slowly get into the water
It has a pool depth of 3-5 feet
It has a basket ball hoop & basket balls
It has small raised trampoline like sections under the water so children don’t have to swim clear to the walls to touch the ground
It has lots of floaty toys like pool noodles, boards, and water tubes
It has a lazy river
Warm water (about 85 degrees)
A 15 person hot tub

2) Changing Rooms
The Boston University Pool has family changing rooms! These are amazing! There is a set of 6 (if I remember correctly). You can take your family in and lock the door. Inside each changing room is a toilet, sink, bench, a handful of lockers and a shower with a pull down shower head. This made getting kids changed so much easier since I didn’t have to chase them around the locker room and keep them from running out of the shower and away or getting in anyone else’s space.

3) Price/Getting In
Unfortunately you have to know someone at BU to have access to their amazing pool. If you can find a friend you can get in on a daily pass for $12/adult $8/child which gives you access to so much more than the pool. (There is a climbing wall, gym equipment, dance classes etc.) Learn more about Guest Passes.

4) Getting There
The green line drops off right in front of BU, and there is also a parking garage behind the fitness center.

Summary and Rating ★★★★☆

Four Stars. We thought this pool was amazing and for a family swim it’s perfect with warm water, leveled ramps, toys, a lazy river and family changing rooms. The only down side I can see if that you have to know someone from BU to get in, there are no single day/single use passes otherwise, which is a complete bummer because the place is amazing.

Have you been here before? If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below.

Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center
915 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215

Phone: 617.358.3740
Website: http://www.bu.edu/fitrec/

Hours: Vary

Because Boston is so far north a lot of the beaches have freezing cold water, even during the hottest summer months. The water temperature doesn’t really matter if you just want some sandy space to layout in, but ice cold water is a lot less fun when you have young children who want to play in it, yet can hardly stand to keep their toes in the water. Not that I blame them… we went to Revere Beach in late June and the water was so cold it was taking my breath away at calf deep.

Touring Boston - What to Know About Visiting Castle Island

We finally found a beach that works really well for both adults and children. Castle Island (it’s no longer an actual island) is perfect! There is free parking, a long winding beach, delicious food (see my post about Sullivan’s), a cool fort to walk around, lots of green space, a playground, and because the water here is in a bay, by mid summer the water is warm enough to actually get into.

We came enjoyed the fort and playground and ended up playing in the little beach near the playground. It was shallow, warm and my son and I loved it!

Things to Note:

1) Transportation
Parking is free. Castle Island is not super close to the “T” but there are bus lines that go to it. Also once you get there parking runs right along the ocean or if you end up parking in the lot it’s a short walking (minutes) to the fort or playground.

Fort Independence - touring Castle Island with kids

2) Water
The water here is in a big bay and tends to be a fair amount warmer that most of the other beaches in the area. However like most of the other beaches around here the shells and rocks right at the shoreline are super rough and if you actually want to get into the water you and your kids will probably want water shoes. I feel like I have fairly tough feet and I can hardly make it to swimming level. Also there are pretty much no waves here, which is great for kids but lame for body surfing or boogie boarding.

3) Food
The only vendor really close to the water is Sullivan’s. They sell classic American fair, hamburgers, hotdogs and the like at a fair price and they are delicious! Also they are not open during the winter.

4) Fort
Fort Independence is a great big pentagon shaped fort with an awesome walking path around it. It’s open from Memorial Day to Columbus Day for both guided and self guided tours. Note that guided tours are only available on the weekends.

5) Bathrooms
Yes, there are bathrooms on Castle Island with running water and flushing toilets. The first few times I went all I saw were port-a-potties and I was not impressed. Then I realized the actual bathroom are close the playground and they are much nicer and cleaner.

Summary and Rating ★★★★★

Five Stars. I think this is a great beach and it’s half way between a commercial and a rural beach. Castle Island is a state park, but you still have the benefit of being close to the city and having a food option near you. I love that the water is a little bit warmer here and that there are so many things to do in addition to going to the beach (which is my main drive) the park is a blast and walking around the fort is really interesting with a great view. Also you can’t complain about free parking!

Have you been here before? If so I’d love to know more about your experience and any tips or tricks you have in the comments section below.

Castle Island
Castle Island
Boston, MA 02127

Phone: 617-727-5290
Website: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-boston/castle-island-pleasure-bay-m-street-and-carson-beach.html