My husband and I are headed to Boston in August with our 6 year old and 2 year old and want to do a tour on our first day to get used to where everything is but don't know if The Old Town Trolley or the Beantown Trolley tour is better??
We also definitely want to do the Duck Tour as we think it will be fun for the kids.
Any advice would be appreciated!

I have no personal experience, but based on reviews on TripAdvisor, it appears that Old Town Trolley gets MUCH BETTER reviews than Beantown Trolley.

I think doing both the Duck Tour and a trolley tour might be overkill. I'd do the Duck Tour and then just hit the spots along the Freedom Trail that you'd like to see.

I agree - the Duck Tour is wonderful, will be fun for the kids and will give you a great overview of the city!

Agree Old Towne Trolley.

And, with two small children, it's not overkill and a great way, if you're going to visit stops along the way, to get around. Not the most efficient, but easier than subway.

If my kids were 6 and 8, I might take the Duck Tour. I wouldn't do it with a 2 year old (one of my granddaughters is two).

Duck Tours present an inaccurate and cartoonish view of Boston. They may have some value as entertainment, but that is all.

On the other hand, be sure to read the book "Make Way for Ducklings" to your children enough so that they become familiar with it before you go. Take them to the Public Garden to see the duck sculptures, show them Charles Street, and ride the Swan Boats in the Public Garden. These are things children will remember (well, the 6 year old) and that are meaningful.

I like your plan - considering age of your kids. While Boston is a very walkable city and MBTA in central area easy to navigate, hauling 2 young kids around argues for a trolley tour. If it is hot or the younger one gets tired, you can hop on and just ride for an hour to let everyone rest. And to do it on the first day makes sense. It will give you some idea of what you want to visit later.

If you do a Duck Tour, start at the Museum of Science origination point - you can then visit the museum before or after. Duck Tour is not cheap, but I agree the kids will find it fun. They might also like the Swan Boats (non-motorized flat boats which do a short loop around small pond on Boston Garden - they are powered by young guys with big leg muscles using a bicycle-type wheel in the back)

Depending on where you are from, they might like riding the MBTA subway, either as transportation or just a ride - but do so during non-rush hour. Rose Kennedy Greenway along the water/harbor will allow them to run off some energy - although as far as anything to do there it is a work in progress.

The old town trolley is great.A boat tour of the harbor is included.

We got off the Duck Tour early because we were sitting in an open air vehicle breathing in all the bus and car fumes. We had a great time on our own after that.

Re: the Rose Kennedy Greenway - not sure what the previous poster means by "work in progress as far as anything to do there." It runs next to the Aquarium, Faneuil Hall, the Harbor walkway and the North End - all of which are great for families. Plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, and North End pastries + gelato close by. In the summer there's also a carousel running near the Aquarium. Pack bathing suits for the kids, as the Greenway has several outdoor fountains (really, water jets shooting out of the ground) along the path and in the summer, there are tons of little ones running around and playing (with adults looking on enviously...).

I think what she means is by the "greenway" being a "work in progress" is that a great deal less has been delivered than was promised to and expected by local residents.

The problems were partly a result of the economy and partly a result of contradictory desires on the part of neighborhood residents. Some wanted all green, some wanted sidewalk cafes.

I am a former local resident (Harbor Towers, 1995-2005).

"work in Progress" - it is certainly a greenway, but it is not much of anything else. It certainly is nice to be able to walk a distance along the water as a park, and the fountains are cool. And there are neighborhoods close by. But it is a rather long expanse of space without the cafes, fresh market, points of interest - and as I said above it is a great place for kids to run off energy, but not a whole lot to do beyond that right on the greenway.

gail, actually there are a number of food trucks along the Greenway now, esp during the summer. The Clover Food Lab truck is at Dewey Sq all year round (M-F). And here's a list of other food trucks:
http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/visit/food.htm