Exploration

Family Dusk Paddles: Discovering Wetlands

Join us as we paddle through the winding backwaters at IRWS with the family

Explore the Ipswich River at dusk. Bring your family and join us for an evening paddle in a canoe as we learn more about the river and some of its inhabitants. Being on the water is one of the best ways to explore and discover the wonders of wetlands. We will paddle through the winding backwaters lined with cattails and other marsh plants, looking for hidden wildlife. Using buckets and strainers, we'll stop and sample the rich aquatic life to learn more about what lives under the water.

When: 
Friday, August 17, 2018 6-8 pm
Location: 
Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
Topsfield
Exploration
Instruction
Discovery
Canoeing
Mass Audubon

Twilight Sensory Walk

Take a twilight walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts!

Maudslay State Park invites you to a twilight hike! The setting sun brings twilight and twilight is a magic time of the day. Join the park interpreter for a walk to observe the changes that occur from day to night in the great outdoors, followed by a powwow of fun activities that test your senses in the dark.

When: 
Thursdays through August 2018 7:30-8:30pm
Location: 
Maudslay State Park
Newburyport
Walk
Exploration
Story Time
Discovery
Craft

CAM Kids: Gloucester Guide

CAM Kids meets on the second Saturday monthly at Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester. August's session will feature a walking tour through Gloucester

Wear comfortable shoes for a walking tour of Gloucester's inner harbor* based on Joe Garland’s street-by-alley guidebook to America's most famous fishing port, complete with unforgettable historical vignettes, unforgetable yarns, and a treasure trove of old photos. Back at CAM; roll up your sleeves for a a mapmaking project.

When: 
Saturday, August 11, 2018 11am-3pm
Location: 
Cape Ann Museum
Gloucester
Museum
Instruction
Exploration
Discovery
Art
Sculpture

Meet Beach Creatures All Summer Long!

Discover and explore the facts of the creatures you find at the beach at Joppa

Drop in at Joppa Flats BEFORE the beach, AFTER the beach, or INSTEAD of the beach! What is that spiky thing I almost stepped on? How do starfish – or is it sea stars – eat? Are those baby fish, or is that as big as they get? You have the questions, Joppa Flats Education Center has the answers – and the animals – and the touch tanks!  Themes will change weekly!

When: 
Thursdays - Sundays, June 28 - August 26, 2018 10am-3pm
Location: 
Joppa Flats Education Center
Newburyport
Exploration
Discovery
Mass Audubon

Family Campout at Appleton Farms

Come to Appleton Farms in Ipswich for a fun night of camping on the farm!

Summer may be coming to an end, but what better way to get one last summer night in than a camp out at Appleton Farms! For the first time ever, Families will be able to set up a tent in the Stone Paddock. Experience the fun of camping, while still having access to bathrooms and the experience of being on a farm!

When: 
Saturday August 18 7pm - Sunday August 19, 2018 9am
Location: 
Appleton Farms
Ipswich
Exploration
Outdoor Activity
Camping

Beach Discovery at Parker River

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and Mass Audubon team up to teach visitors about the different creatures that live on the beach

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center are collaborating to offer visitors an opportunity to discover the different animals that live on the beach. Visitors can stop by the tent adjacent to the first boardwalk to the beach. Through hands-on educational activities, visitors will discover different habitat zones and what animals use these habitats.  Visitors will have an opportunity to explore and touch live tide pool animals such as crabs, hermit crabs and sea urchins provided by Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center.

When: 
Wednesdays, August 1, 8, 15 & 22, 2018 2-4 pm
Location: 
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Newburyport
Hike
Walk
Exploration
Nature
Crafts

Life on a Layer Cake

Find out the story behind the granite at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport!

What makes up the ground below what’s at our feet? This program at Halibut Point State Park serves as a gentle introduction to stratigraphy, the branch of geology about dealing with the position of strata and its meaning within the geological time scale. We’ll visit some of the park’s soil/bedrock contact points and explore the story they tell. Most appropriate for those twelve and over. Entails over a mile of walking. Rain cancels.

When: 
Wednesday, August 8, 2018 10-11am
Location: 
Halibut Point State Park
Rockport
Exploration
Discovery
Geology

Bound for Butterflies

Joppa Flats Education Center will have Free indoor and outdoor activities for kids and families!

Join the park interpreter and special guest Russ Hopping on a walk to view and identify various butterfly species at Maudslay.  Russ is an active member of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club and enjoys sharing his knowledge of butterflies with others.  Russ is the Ecology Program Director for The Trustees of Reservations. He has worked for The Trustees since 1997, overseeing the stewardship of ecological resources at The Trustees’ more than 26,000 acres.

When: 
Saturday, August 11, 2018 10am-Noon
Location: 
Maudslay State Park
Newburyport
Exploration
Science
Nature
Live Animals
Discovery
Crafts
Games
Ecology
Environment

Between the Tides at Halibut Point

The Tidepools at Halibut Point State Park are some of the best in New England!

Halibut Point State Park invites families to join them on a tide pool adventure! Halibut Point contains some of the best tide pools in New England. Join the Interpreter for a trip down to the rocky shore for some inter-tidal exploration. Learn about these interesting creatures living in a unique transitional environment. Meet at the Visitors Center in the park. For all ages. Rain or shine, pouring rain cancels.

When: 
Wednesday, August 8, 2018 1-2pm
Location: 
Halibut Point State Park
Rockport
Exploration
Live Animals
Discovery
Biology

Family Campout: Tracks and Scat

Explore the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary after hours and join us for a night

Explore the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary after hours and join us for a night of camping under the stars. Have an early dinner at home, and then come with your family and your tent. We will explore nature through games and hands-on activities, set up our tents near the Barn before sundown, and tell stories after the sun sets. All campouts include an evening and a morning activity or hike and a light breakfast.

When: 
Saturday, August 11 6pm - Sunday, August 12, 2018 9am
Location: 
Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
Topsfield
Exploration
Outdoor Activity
Camping

Pages

Pinocchio at NSMT
PINOCCHIO Presented by Kaleidoscope Children's Theatre at North Shore Music Theater in Beverly Massachusetts
Come see PINOCCHIO Presented by Kaleidoscope Children's Theatre at North Shore Music Theater in Beverly Massachusetts! An amazing series of adventures awaits Pinocchio in his quest to become a real boy. Will he take theBlue Fairy's advice and listen to the smart little cricket?
Where: North Shore Music Theatre
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Hook a Cure Fishing Tournament
Hook a Cure fishing tournament in Gloucester at the Cape Ann Marina to benefit Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Gloucester at the Cape Ann Marina
Grab an angler package and hit the water for a great day of fishing on the Cape Ann coastline. You'll be competing for great prizes chasing stripers and blues, all while helping Dana-Farber's dedicated team of doctors and researchers find a cure for cancer! 
Where: Cape Ann Marina Resort
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The Big Dog Show A Dale Rogers Exhibit
Big Dog Show is a travelling large-scale public art exhibit
The Big Dog Show is a travelling large-scale public art exhibit created by award winning sculptor, Dale Rogers, and consists of twenty 8-foot-hi
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Robots and Beyond: Exploring Artificial Intelligence at MIT
Minsky Arm, created by Marvin Minsky on display at the MIT Museum!
Robots and Beyond shares the results of decades of Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation at MIT. Explore the ideas that shaped AI and the birth of robotics, fields that are synonymous with research at MIT.
Where: MIT Museum
♦ Read More →

Boston Public Market - Boston
Boston Public Market - Boston
The Boston Public Market is an indoor, year-round marketplace featuring 35 New England artisans and food producers housed under one roof offering fresh foods, prepared meals, crafts, and specialty items. Residents and visitors alike can find seasonal, locally sourced food from Massachusetts and New...
8:00 am to 8:00 pm
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MFA: Casanova’s Europe: Art, Pleasure, and Power in the 18th Century
Museum exhibits at Museum of Fine Arts Boston MA
In the dynamic world of 18th-century Europe, people, ideas, and artistic styles crossed national boundaries. Salons rich with opulent paintings and furnishings hummed with intellectual exchange, gossip, and flirtation. To a person like Giacomo Casanova—smart and confident, boastful and scheming—the...
Where: Museum of Fine Arts
10:00 am to 5:00 pm
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PEM Explores Innovations Inspired by Nature - Salem
Peabody Essex Museum Wild Designs Exhibit
This summer discover how creative innovators are turning to nature for new ideas and smart solutions to human challenges.  Wild Designs, on exhibit at Peabody Essex Museum, features works by artists and other creatives who are looking to nature and living systems for new ideas and creative...
Where: Peabody Essex Museum
10:00 am to 5:00 pm
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PEM: Sally Mann A Thousand Crossings - Salem
Events in Salem MA at Peabody Essex Museum
Co-organized with the National Gallery of Art, this exhibition features some 115 photographs - many of which have not been exhibitied or published previously - that offer a sweeping overview of the distinguished photograhier's articstic achievement, vision and drive.    
Where: Peabody Essex Museum
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
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Public Skate and Learn to Skate at Peabody Skating Rink
Learn to Skate with the Peabody Skating Club at Peabody Skating Rink
The McVann-O'Keefe Skating Rink in Peabody is open for Public Skating weekdays from 10-11:45 am, Saturday's at 2 pm, and Sundays at 2:10 pm. Call today to ask about the Learn to Skate program at with the Peabody Skating Club. The ice is perfect. The Halloween and Christmas parties are a blast, and...
Where: McVann-O'Keefe Memorial Skating Rink
10:00 am to 11:45 am
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Farm Friends
Farm Friends a program for preschoolers at Spencer Peirce Little Farm Newbury Massachusetts!
Children three to six and a favorite adult of their choosing are invited to share in some fun-filled farm adventures which will connect them to daily life at Spencer Peirce Little Farm.
Where: Spencer Peirce Little Farm
10:00 am to 11:00 am
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Meet Beach Creatures All Summer Long!
Discover and explore the facts of the creatures you find at the beach at Joppa
Drop in at Joppa Flats BEFORE the beach, AFTER the beach, or INSTEAD of the beach! What is that spiky thing I almost stepped on? How do starfish – or is it sea stars – eat? Are those baby fish, or is that as big as they get? You have the questions, Joppa Flats Education Center has the answers – and...
Where: Joppa Flats Education Center
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Highland Street Foundation Free Fun Fridays
Free family events all summer north of Boston, Northshore, Cape Ann
The Highland Street Foundation invites Massachusetts residents and tourists to visit designated cultural attractions every Friday this summer with free admission. 10 weeks between June 2+ and August 31 during which admission will be waived at 100 different museums and attractions across the state....
10:00 am to 5:00 pm
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Arts and Crafts for Little Ones with Colleen Apostolos-Marsh
Art Classes for children with Colleen Apostolos-Marsh
Certified Montessori teacher, artist and local mother, Colleen Apostolos-Marsh will guide your young artist in an exploration of color, shape, and texture. Using a variety of media, your child will be free to express their in a beautiful space while socializing and engaging in cooperative play.
10:15 am to 11:15 am
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Cat's Meow at the Crane Estate
Kids will have a exploring the Trustees of Reservations Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts!
On this interactive tour for younger visitors and their families, join a member of the Crane’s household staff to explore what made this a relaxing home.  Peak into some of their private rooms and discover the family cat’s favorite hiding places!
Where: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate
10:30 am to 11:30 am
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Essex Heritage Boat Tours to Bakers Island Lighthouse - Salem
Boat and Light Station Tour Bakers Island Tour
Bakers Island Light is officially open for the season! Whether you have visited before or are new to the site, there are lots of ways to experience Bakers Island Light this summer. Read on to see what is happening this year.
Where: Central Wharf Salem
10:30 am to 2:00 pm
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Kidleidoscope
Kidleidoscope at Maudslay State Park is a chance for preschoolers to explore the park, enjoy a story and make a craft!
Maudslay State Park has created this program for their youngest crowd! For the young set that loves nature, the park interpreter will lead a three-part preschool aged program that includes a Story, Craft & Walk that involves outdoor exploration. A different nature topic each week so come every...
Where: Maudslay State Park
10:30 am to 11:30 am
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Lighthouses and Local History Tour
Salem Harbor Heritage Harbor Tour
Join Essex Heritage for tours of Salem Harbor and beyond all summer long! Essex Heritage offers a variety of specialty tours for adventurers of all ages. NEW this summer are narrated harbor cruises on Friday afternoons departing from the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. Come aboard Naumkeag...
Where: Central Wharf Salem
2:00 pm
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Creature Catch!
Discover what creatures live in New England Ponds at Harold Parker State Forest!
Meet at Frye Pond Beach - Fish, frogs, snakes, and salamanders, let’s discover what lives in our tranquil New England ponds!  Nets and buckets are provided.  This activity can be wet and muddy.
Where: Harold Parker State Forest
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
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Around the World Cookbook at Sawyer Free
Check out the Around the World Cookbook for kids, make a recipe and bring to Sawyer Free Library to discuss!
Come to Sawyer Free Library for a fun afternoon where kids can talk and share their experiences in the kitchen.
Where: Sawyer Free Library
3:00 pm
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Open Studio at Art Haven
Things to do north of Boston
Friday afternoons are a great time for families to drop-by fand enjoy Open Studio at Art Haven. Participate in a fun activity and access to the studio space to work on clay, painting, drawing or anything else you dream up. All ages are welcome with a parent.
Where: Cape Ann Art Haven
3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
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Friday Farm Dinners at Appleton Farms
Families enjoy dinner on at Appletons Farms with ingredients fresh from the farm!
Join Appleton Farms for a dinner on the farm! Each Friday Appleton Farms and Chive Events invites you to join us for dinner. Relax under the setting sun and enjoy a truly unique farm to table experience. From fresh vegetables and fruits, to local pasture raised meats and sustainable seafood, Chive...
Where: Appleton Farms
5:30 pm
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Family Dusk Paddles: Discovering Wetlands
Join us as we paddle through the winding backwaters at IRWS with the family
Explore the Ipswich River at dusk. Bring your family and join us for an evening paddle in a canoe as we learn more about the river and some of its inhabitants. Being on the water is one of the best ways to explore and discover the wonders of wetlands. We will paddle through the winding backwaters...
Where: Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Astronomy After Hours at the MOS Observatory
Come to the Museum of Science rooftop for free stargazing and astronomy related
Tucked away on the roof of the Museum's parking garage, the Gilliland Observatory is a wonderful resource for our starry-eyed public. On clear nights, you can view stars, planets, the Moon, and other astronomical phenomena. On cloudy nights, tour the inside of the Observatory, and participate in...
Where: Museum of Science
8:30 pm to 10:00 pm
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Saturday, August 18

Family Campout at Appleton Farms
Come to Appleton Farms in Ipswich for a fun night of camping on the farm!
Summer may be coming to an end, but what better way to get one last summer night in than a camp out at Appleton Farms! For the first time ever, Families will be able to set up a tent in the Stone Paddock. Experience the fun of camping, while still having access to bathrooms and the experience of...
Where: Appleton Farms
♦ Read More →

The Big Dog Show A Dale Rogers Exhibit
Big Dog Show is a travelling large-scale public art exhibit
The Big Dog Show is a travelling large-scale public art exhibit created by award winning sculptor, Dale Rogers, and consists of twenty 8-foot-hi
♦ Read More →

Theater in the Open Festival
Come enjoy two days of theater fun hosted by Theater in the Open at Maudlsay State Park
The second annual Theater in the Open Festival returns to Maudslay State Park on August 18th and 19th! Join us for a weekend filled with our entire summer season! Bring a picnic lunch and come on down to see every show we are performing this summer-all in two days! All shows are free and open to...
Where: Maudslay State Park
♦ Read More →

Robots and Beyond: Exploring Artificial Intelligence at MIT
Minsky Arm, created by Marvin Minsky on display at the MIT Museum!
Robots and Beyond shares the results of decades of Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovation at MIT. Explore the ideas that shaped AI and the birth of robotics, fields that are synonymous with research at MIT.
Where: MIT Museum
♦ Read More →

Gloucester Waterfront Festival
Come to Stage Fort Park in Gloucester for the 36th Annual Waterfront Festival.
Historic Stage Fort Park along Gloucester Harbor will once again blossom into the colorful 38th Annual Gloucester Waterfront Festival. A collection of over 175 Juried Artists and Craftsmen from throughout the U.S. will display their unique creations, live music, plus delicious ethnic foods. A...
Where: Stage Fort Park
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Annual Gloucester Rotary Pancake Breakfast
Annual Gloucester Rotary Pancake Breakfast at Stage Frot Park
This is the 39th year for this annual event hosted by the Gloucester Rotary Club at the Bandstand of Stage Fort Park from 7:30 to 11:00 a.m. (in conjunction with the Gloucester Waterfront Festival). Parking is free during breakfast if you have a ticket.
Where: Stage Fort Park
7:30 am to 11:00 am
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Boston Public Market - Boston
Boston Public Market - Boston
The Boston Public Market is an indoor, year-round marketplace featuring 35 New England artisans and food producers housed under one roof offering fresh foods, prepared meals, crafts, and specialty items. Residents and visitors alike can find seasonal, locally sourced food from Massachusetts and New...
8:00 am to 8:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Rockport Farmers' Market
The Rockport Farmers' Market runs every Saturday in Harvey Park in Downtown Rock
The Rockport Farmers' Market is a small market that runs each Saturday through the Summer (June - early October). Sponsored by the Rockport Exchange, the market is limited in size due to the size of the Harvey Park - a quaint setting in the heart of downtown found on the corner of Mount Pleasant...
Where: Harvey Park - Rockport
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
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Red Cross Blood Mobile at Sawyer Free
Give Blood when the Red Cross Blood Mobile comes to Sawyer Free Library in Gloucester
Sawyer Free Library in Gloucester is hosting the Red Cross Blood Mobile! There is a always a huge need for blood, and many people need blood today! Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood, and thousands of doantions are needed every day. Your donation is needed right now. Sponsored by...
Where: Sawyer Free Library
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
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Marblehead Farmers' Market
Improve your nutritional intake at the Marblehead Farmer's Market!
The Marblehead Farmer's Market boasts 15+ local farms, and booths with an educational spin nutrition, vendors and farms selling homemade prepared goods and craft vendors that are switched up in a rotation basis week to week. Additionally there are entertainers and exhibits by environmentally...
Where: Marblehead Farmers' Market
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
♦ Read More →
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