To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin: You're not the boss of me! Okay, maybe that wasn't the exact rallying cry of the American Revolution, but still, who can better appreciate the struggle for independence than kids? I show my kids that old Schoolhouse Rock short about the War of Independence in which the colonists stick out their tongues at King George III -- "Nobody's going to tell us what to do!" -- and they laugh knowingly. And so, because our 9-year-old son, Ben, has been studying early America in school and because it seems like a great way to approach Boston, a city we don't know, my husband, Michael, and I decide to spend a weekend walking the Freedom Trail with the kids.
Established in the 1950s to showcase the area's rich Revolutionary history, the trail links 16 historical sites via 2 1/2 miles of red-brick path. ("It's like following the yellow-brick road!" our 6-year-old daughter, Birdy, cries.) Together, the sites bring the American Revolution and the early days of democracy vibrantly to life.
But -- hear ye! -- heed my advice: the trail is long and tiring, especially for the 6-and-under set, so pare it down a bit, take a guided tour, and be flexible. We visited Paul Revere's house later in the day, for example, so we'd end up in Boston's pizzeria-filled Italian North End for dinner. Then we devoted the next morning to the USS Constitution in Charlestown. Sure, we missed a church or two, but, um, we didn't actually miss them.
You'll also want to study up before you go. We borrowed books and videos from the library (see our recommendations), preparation that familiarized our kids with the basics of the American Revolution while successfully dredging Colonial history up from the bottoms of our adult minds.
My final suggestion? Grant yourselves the freedom to enjoy Boston's copious street performers and trinket shops. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of souvenirs!
