Things to Do in Newton

Hidden among Strasburg's thicket of spindly trees, patchy grass, and dirt fields, castles and wooden forts stand strong while flying saucers hint of an alien invasion. This is all part of Skyline Paintball's battlefield landscape, which includes more than eight fields such as Mars Attacks and Frontier Fort. Before slinking through trenches and underground bunkers, players load up on fresh paintballs by Kee and GI Sportz, sold by Skyline onsite. Refs oversee matches to ensure everyone understands the finer techniques of pointillism and that no one uses a marker that fires faster than 280 feet per second. Players can walk on during open play each Saturday and Sunday or buy a group package for weekday melees during which up to 20 players can sling rainbows of paint throughout strategy-laden matches. For paintless competitions, Skyline also hosts laser tag sessions.

Since its inception as a nonprofit organization in 1985, Community Rowing Inc. has guided more than 15,000 students in invigorating rowing sessions held on the Charles River. Their experienced staff of Olympians and coaches helps students to become familiar with industry-standard boats and rowing machines through comprehensive introductory lessons and extended handshakes with the rowing arms. After gleaning the skills necessary to properly use equipment, students gain access to locker rooms, training areas, and any additional courses on the Charles River. The full-body, calorie-burning workouts are available throughout the week, allowing students to learn essential techniques such as sweeping, sculling, and dealing peacefully with the water road rage of aggressive gondoliers.

After years of teaching preschool, Sue Merlino graduated to a new passion in life when she turned her enthusiasm for bicycling and her hometown into a career exploring Concord's history atop a two-wheeler. Her resulting brainchild, Concord Bike Tours, wends through the heavily treed lanes of the city, elucidating the history of notable locations such as the Emerson House, the abodes of lesser-known abolitionists, and the site where Thoreau kissed his first tree. Four regularly run tours take up to 10 bicyclists on 2.5- to 3-hour journeys, with optional sidecars for children younger than 8 provided. Sue and her family will also plot custom trips for clients interested in longer rides, different scenery, or preparing for a Jeopardy! audition.

Head instructor Francois Asselin has guided Boston Sailing Center's neophytes to seaworthiness for more than 15 years, with his programs reaching more than 400 students annually. Mr. Asselin and his cadre of nine other sailing instructors take small groups onto the water to provide hands-on experience with the ropes, sails, steering, and maintenance of sailboats. Together, they introduce the science of seamanship or sharpen the skills of experienced sailors so they can eventually set sail on their own with a complete mastery over wind, water, and doing jumping jacks with a peg leg.

Boston Sailing Center owns an armada of vessels, which, in addition to lessons, may be rented for on-the-water events or lent out to members for regular sailing. Skippers conduct tours of Boston Harbor's skyline, stopping at scenic islands for impromptu picnics or to let parents maroon angst-ridden teenagers.

Boston Duck Tours’ conductors helm a fleet of restored World War II–era DUKWs. Originally used to usher soldiers and supplies from sea to land, the vehicles now enjoy a cheerier, award-winning career rumbling down the streets of Boston and slapping speeding tickets on mallard ducks in the Charles River. The amphibious vehicles hold up to 36 guests in their open-air back decks for 360-degree views of the cityscape.

Boston's historical skyline sets the backdrop for aquatic adventures aboard Boston Harbor Mini Speed Boats' fleet of F-13 speedboats. The two-person vessels require no boating license, letting customers steer their own way across Boston Harbor and the Charles River. Kept on-course by a team of guides piloting the lead boat, excursions speed past well-known sights such as the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Fort Independence, and the USS Constitution, whose wooden masts stretch towards the sky like a ballerina who let go of her birthday balloon.