Few things compare with the joy of spending time with your grandchildren, and whether you’re the cool Glamma or the wise Pop, sharing fun adventures can help create an indelible bond between generations.
The next time you’re babysitting, try some of our top suggestions for inexpensive ways to create memories around the Ocean State.
What’s new at the zoo?
Roger Williams Park Zoo ( rwpzoo.org ), Elmwood Avenue, Providence. Your littlest charges will marvel at the size of the camels, tortoises and giraffes lumbering about the zoo’s meandering paths, and then eagerly pet goats and sheep in the farmyard. Older kids will enjoy learning fun facts about how gibbons announce themselves to the jungle or how dyeing poison dart frogs emit toxic chemicals. “Return of the Dinosaurs” also returns April 6 with almost 60 life-size animatronic and interactive creatures to behold. Take a break on Explore and Soar , where you can see the park from the air on a zip ride and tour the woodlands by train. Spring hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday, and on holidays and school vacations. Tickets are $22 for ages 13 and up, $18 for seniors, $16 for ages 2 to 12 and free for age 1 and under.
Learn while playing at Providence Children’s Museum
Providence Children’s Museum ( providencechildrensmuseum.org ), 100 South St., Providence. While their motto is “Play Every Day,” the secret to the museum is that kids can learn while they’re having fun pouring and damming flowing water, experimenting with shapes and fiddling with real tools in the innovation lab. Littlewoods allows children up to age 4 to burn some energy by climbing a tree house and exploring a bear cave. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Admission is $17 for adults and children over 1, free for ages 1 and under.
Get in touch with sea creatures
Biomes Marine Biology Center ( biomescenter.com ), 6640 Post Road, North Kingstown. Let the kids get hands-on with shrimp, horseshoe crabs, octopi and small sharks in the facility’s touch tanks. Docents explain native and tropical residents, and a feeding schedule allows visitors to watch. The littles can enjoy educational activities, books and toys in Ruby’s Play Center, where rescued hermit crabs, geckos and a bearded dragon are kept. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. daily, and admission is $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and children ages 3-12, and free for age 2 and under.
Save The Bay’s Hamilton Family Aquarium ( savebay.org/family-fun/aquarium ), 23 America’s Cup Ave., Newport. This new museum features 13 exhibits that focus on Narragansett Bay habitats – from the rocky shore to its deeper waters – featuring local species that come from – and are returned to – Narragansett Bay. The aquarium offers 7,000 square feet of discovery opportunities, complete with three touch tanks with sea stars, horseshoe crabs and sharks, and an augmented reality watershed model. Hours are Thursday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $15, $13 for seniors and free for ages 2 and under.
Explore the wonders of nature
Audubon Nature Center & Aquarium ( asri.org/learn/naturecenteraquarium ), 1401 Hope St., Bristol. Head out on a guided walk or take a birding class with trained docents who will help you spot everything from tree frogs to tidepool creatures to pollinators in a specially designed garden. The 28-acre wildlife refuge on Narragansett Bay offers ADA-certified walking trails and a boardwalk through fresh and saltwater marshes. Bikers and walkers are allowed on the trails. The calendar includes events for all ages, and sensory days are perfect for those on the autism spectrum. Hours through mid-April are Wednesday through Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; trails and grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $4 for children ages 4 to 12 and free for ages 3 and under…