My husband just called to say he needs to go to Boston for business and he wants me (or the kids and me) to go with him. Our kids are 3, 6, and 8. Should I take the kids or leave them at home? Is there enough kid-fun stuff to do there to keep them entertained for 4 or 5 days? Or is it mostly museums? If we do take them, any suggestions on what they would ejoy? Also, do you have any day-trip suggestions for the surrounding area?

There are plenty of children activities to do:

1. Children's Museum is amazing. You can spend almost a day there (and if you do, have lunch outside at the MilkBottle - you'll know it when you see it!) There are different things for all ages.
2. Aquarium is lovely.
3. Museum of Science is fun for all ages - take in an IMax show there.
4. Walking through public garden; take a ride on the swan boats.
5. Book a trip on a 'Duck Tour' through Boston - the kids will LOVE it. It's a land/water vehicle that drives through Boston and goes into the Charles River for a very thorough tour of Boston.
6. If they like baseball, take them to a Red Sox game.

And this is from someone that does not have children, so I'm sure someone with children can think of more.

I would say that Boston's a good city to take kids too. My cousin's children just love riding on the 'T' when they visit!

However, Boston's a very romantic city...you may want to think about a little get-away too!

Have fun and enjoy your trip here either way!
7. Walk the Freedom Trail, esp the portion that takes you to the USS Constitution, and take a tour of that.

Jen's suggestions are great. Here are a few others if you want to get out of the city for the day. Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth is a recreation village of the Pilgrims, plus a recreation of the Mayflower. Salem, the witch city. Some great museums, but some cheesy witch ones as well. Kids will like it. You can get there by train or even by boat. Sturbridge Village: recreation of a New England village in a later period than Plimouth Plantation (1800's). All these places are about an hour (or less) from Boston and would be perfect for day trips.

There are many guidebooks written for Boston with children. Look on Amazon.com or similar sites for suggestions. This is a very kid friendly town.

I suggest going with your husband and leaving the kids at home. Boston is a great and romantic city.

Boston is one of the most kid-friendly cities you can imagine. The museums all have stuff geared to kids, and right next to the Childrens Museum is the Computer Museum, which has some things your crew would enjoy.

The Duck Tour is expensive but unforgettable and both you and kids will like it. Swan Boats are also cool for that age group -- be sure, sure, sure to read with them "Make Way For Ducklings" before you go. Swan Boats are featured, and there's a charming sculpture dedicated to the Ducklings in the Public Garden. There are several boat tours of the Harbor of varying lenghts, and some allow you to get off and poke around on an island. That's a half-day and much, much fun (but take a lunch).

Lots of day trips -- up to (COLD) beaches on north shore, out to DeCordova Museum -- again, very kid-friendly because it has lovely, lovely grounds near a pond, and outdoor sculptures, etc.

But your kids will go to bed earlier than you and your husband (who presumably would be busy during the day anyway). If you can figure out a way to have someone babysit in the evening (there's a fist-fight thread somewhere in this forum about whether to trust a babysitter the hotel arranges for you), you and spouse can still have some really nice moments in the evening.

Enjoy. I'm jealous.

I llive in bostonand theres tons for kids to do. you didnt say when you are going but after memorial day the boats
go out in the harbor and you can do whale watching which is grat fun or take
the ferry to provinecetown on cape cod.
boston is very walkable and the subway is safe and goes pretty much everywhere.