Go on a Day Trip to Providence, Rhode Island!

A couple weeks ago I packed the boys up for the day, and we set off eastward for a day trip to Providence, Rhode Island, and surrounding areas. Now, Providence is close to us, but surprisingly, we have only been there one other time. After this day trip with kids, I think our family will be seeing a lot more of Rhode Island!

Day trip to Providence, Rhode Island

It’s pretty amazing the ground we covered in the Providence, Rhode Island area in just one day… come along this virtual trip and see!

A visit to Biomes Marine Biology Center

1:00 p.m. – Biomes is just outside Providence in North Kingston, RI. Inside, you’ll find a private marine biology education center, and a zillion hands-on aquarium exhibits! Visitors can touch live skates, sting rays, sea stars, even pick up a puffer fish! You can see lobsters, fighting fish that have to be kept apart from other fish, sharks, and all manner of sea life!

Biomes has the largest collection of New England marine life in the world – and they also have tropical fish varieties as well! Tanks and aquariums and learning stations fill the large area. There are regular feeding demonstrations for seahorses, octopus, horseshoe crabs, and other creatures. Kids are free to walk about visiting whatever section they like. There’s even a tiny play area for babies and toddlers to play and color as they learn about sea life.

Did my boys want to touch any real live fish? No! The little gooseberries! You know what they loved? The toy fish exhibits that let them play right next to real fish! Maybe next time we visit they won’t be quite so intimidated by the live versions!

Quick stop at the Roger Williams Park Zoo

3:00 p.m. – The Roger Williams Park Zoo is definitely on my list to revisit. We only had about an hour to check it out, so with our time, I took the boys to this season’s special exhibit: Birds from Down Under. This immersive experience had my boys walking amongst over 500 birds (parakeets, cockatiels, and parrots), feeding them little millet treats on a stick, and even getting up close and personal! We had a fabulous time watching the birds swoop and play!

After our bird adventure, we headed to the Hasbro Our Big Backyard play area. This spot was fabulous – like tears-when-we-left fabulous! And no surprise – what kid would want to leave the water gardens, building zone, giant sensory play treehouse, and playground? I think we could easily spend an entire day just here!

But the Zoo offers so much more than we got to see: a wetlands trail, animals from various areas of the world, farmyard, and several other themes areas to explore. This Zoo is certainly a hidden gem we’ll go back to!

Our first minor league game with Pawtucket Red Sox!

6:00 p.m. – My little boys were thrilled to see their first real baseball game! They love sports and playing ball at home, so this was a real treat. My three year old was fascinated by the giant mascot bears, and got to pal around with them before the game!

We took a tour of the stadium, where I learned the Pawtucket Red Sox have quite the rich and distinguished history. Several baseball heroes came up through their ranks – any baseball fan would love to see all the memorabilia they’ve collected and displayed in the hallways.

The boys stayed awake through all the innings, and asked me a million questions about baseball (most of which I surprisingly knew!). At the end there was an amazing fireworks show (warning, it’s super loud, so bring ear protection for the little kids!).

Going to a minor league game, or other local event, is a fabulous end to a day visiting a new city or location. It’s both exciting, and gives you a chance to just chill out and watch and hang out with family.

Take a day trip to Providence, Rhode Island some day!

All in all, our day trip to Providence, Rhode Island was smooth sailing. Visiting three spots in one day was completely do-able and enjoyable! If we did it again, we’d just start earlier to have more time at the zoo.

Thanks to Havas PR for providing transportation, food, and entrance passes for our exciting to Providence! My love of traveling and day trips is purely my own.