Outdoor Activity

CraneOutdoors: Winter Solstice Hike in the Dunes

Hiking the Dunes at the Crane Wildlife Refuge with the Trustees of Reservations.

Join us for a beautiful dune hike to celebrate the solstice! Winter at the Crane Estate has much to offer, and while just about everybody on the North Shore has probably been to Crane Beach, the dunes of Castle Neck are a much less-explored world unto themselves. Offering one of the most accessible dune ecosystems north of Cape Cod, Castle Neck has over six miles of trails, traversing the dunes, maritime scrub forest, and beautiful beaches on both the Ipswich Bay and Essex/Castle Neck River estuary sides of the peninsula. These trails take you through Pitch Pine forests, up huge dunes offering stunning views of Choate Island, and by the varied landscapes of Castle Neck, including naturally occurring cranberry bogs.

When: 
Thursday, December 21, 2023 2-4pm

CraneOutdoors: Winter Solstice Hike in the Dunes

Hiking the Dunes at the Crane Wildlife Refuge with the Trustees of Reservations.

Join us for a beautiful dune hike to celebrate the solstice! Winter at the Crane Estate has much to offer, and while just about everybody on the North Shore has probably been to Crane Beach, the dunes of Castle Neck are a much less-explored world unto themselves. Offering one of the most accessible dune ecosystems north of Cape Cod, Castle Neck has over six miles of trails, traversing the dunes, maritime scrub forest, and beautiful beaches on both the Ipswich Bay and Essex/Castle Neck River estuary sides of the peninsula. These trails take you through Pitch Pine forests, up huge dunes offering stunning views of Choate Island, and by the varied landscapes of Castle Neck, including naturally occurring cranberry bogs.

When: 
Thursday, December 21, 2023 2-4pm

Holidays on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Winter and the Holiday Season at Long Hill Sedgewick Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts

The Trustees of Reservations invite you to tour* the gardens at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts to celebrate the Holidays! The first three weekends of December, join us for our annual Holidays on the Hill event! This festive celebration with music and cheer is sure to get the whole family in the holiday spirit.

When: 
Weekends, December 2-17, 2023 11am-3pm

DCR First Day Hikes on the North Shore

Explore a nearby state park on New Year's Day for a great start to the year!

First Day Hikes take place at nearby State Parks nationwide on New Year's Day. The annual hike originated more than 20 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation in Massachusetts. The program was launched to promote both healthy lifestyles throughout the year and year-round recreation at state parks. On the North Shore, there will be First Day hikes at Halibut Point State Park.

When: 
Tuesday, January 1, 2024

All Family Field Trip: Gather, Gorge & Store!

Visit Maudslay State PArk in Newburyport Massachusetts to learn about how animals prepare for the winter

Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the north shore with Joppa Flats Education Center . Our engaging and experienced staff will introduce families to local beaches, forests, and wetlands to make observations in nature, identify wildlife, and enjoy hands on science activities outdoors. Sign up for one, some, or all!

When: 
Friday, December 15, 2023 10am-Noon

Holiday Printmaking with IRWA

Ipswich River Watershed Association hosts a fish printing craft session during Ipswich Evergreen.

Ipswich River Watershed Association hosts a fish printing craft session during Ipswich Evergreen. Participants will be repurposing real fish (shad, originally used for scientific research) and making beautiful and unique prints which can be used for gifts, decorations, cards, or anything your heart desires!

When: 
Saturday, December 16, 2023 1-3pm

Rockport's Annual Christmas Pageant

The Rockport Christmas Pageant is a wonderful tradition hosted by the Rockport A

Come to downtown Rockport Ma for a torch-lit live reenactment of the Nativity - a long standing community tradition in Rockport Massachsuetts! Each year hundreds of spectators gather to watch the live re-enactment of the story of baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Bethlehem inn and the stable. The pageant begins with a torch lit procession which starts at Dock Square and proceeds up Main Street to the Congregational Church. Here the story of Jesus’ birth is brought to life through a live narration.

When: 
Saturday, December 16, 2023 5-6pm

Nature Playgroup at Appleton Farms

Come to Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts for a nature playgroup for toddlers

To encourage outdoor play and familiarity with the natural world, a nature-based toddler play group will be held at Appleton Farms every Wednesday. Come to one or all of the sessions, explore the fields and forest, and imagine hidden worlds beneath our feet and above our heads. Children and their caregivers will peek under rocks, inspect tree bark for hiding bugs, jump in puddles, and have fun together in the fields, forests, and ponds. Recommended for ages 2-5; babies in backpacks are welcome.

When: 
Wednesday through December 20, 2023 10-11am
Location: 

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Smileland Pediatric Dental Care Waltham Malden Massachusetts

Barnyard Story Hour at Appleton Farms

Kids can meet the barnyard animals and hear a story at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts.
Barnyard stories really come alive when you get to see the main characters in real life! Bring the kids down to Appleton Farms for our farm-fresh version of story time. Explore the farmstead, visit our learning garden, see our cows and rabbits, and find a spot to play under a shady tree in our...
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Reading to a Therapy Dog at NTL

Kids can sign up to read to a therapy dog at the Newbury Town Library in Massachusetts
Children can register to come and read to a certified therapy dog. This program encourages reading confidence and is a fun way for kids to practice literacy. Sessions last for 15-minutes, and we ask that you please arrive for the time slot that you register for.
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Sunday, March 24

Befriend the Barnyard

Befriend the Barnyard is a hands-on barnyard experience at the Trustees of Reservations' Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts
Discover our special barnyard animals! Our Angora rabbits Violet, Mabel, Oiver and Charles; Nubian goats Maeve, Morgana, and Mordred; dairy cows Gray, Jasmine, their calves Gigi and Joanie and our friendly flock of heritage chickens will take center stage as we learn about what makes them so unique...
11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Salisbury Beach Carousel - Sunday Hours

Carousel at Salisbury Beach MA. Parties, Family Reunions, Weddings, Showers, Birthday Parties
Salisbury Beach Carousel Hours: Friday: 4 pm to 8 pm Saturday: 12 pm to 8 pm Sunday: 12 pm to 6 pm Hours of operation are to change.
12:00 pm to 6:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: Sunday Family Snowy Owl Prowl

Join the Trustees of Reservations at dlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts in search of the Snowy Owl!
Wide-open coastal sites are the location of choice for wintering Snowy Owls; common perches are dunes and salt hay staddles. In winters past, these owls have been frequent visitors to the Crane Wildlife Refuge.
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Sunday STEAM Club at North Shore Children's Museum

Sunday STEAM Club for kids in Peabody Massachusetts at the North Shore Children's Museum
Join in on Sundays at 2:30 for STEAM Club for ages 5-11. Each week participants will explore science and arts through hands-on projects and experiments. This program is free with admission to the play session.
2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

CraneExplorer: Family Full Moon Hike in the Dunes

Walk through the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts with the Trustees under the full moon.
There is almost nothing more peaceful than a evening walk at the Crane Estate, and we would like to invite your family to join us for a unique hiking experience. With the full moon rising over the Atlantic, we’ll start with a sunset stroll along Crane Beach admiring this spectacle before heading...
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Monday, March 25

Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Friends of Abbot Library Moving/Book Sale

The Abbot Library is holding a moving & book sale in Marblehead Massachusetts! Image is AI generated
The Abbot Library is holding a moving & book sale in Marblehead Massachusetts! The Friends of Abbot Public Library will be having a moving sale from Monday, March 25 through Saturday, March 30! Stop by the Sail Away Book Shop located in the gym space at Abbot Public Library's interim location...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Chess Instruction at Abbot Library

Kids can play clocked chess matches against each other each Wednesday at the Abbot Public Library in Marblehead Massachusetts
Students in grades 2-6 are invited to weekly evening chess instruction by high school student Flynn at levels from beginner through advanced players on Mondays in the Children’s Room. We will plan a chess round-robin tournament in December (winners will receive trophies) to mark our chess learning...
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Youth Umpire Training for Teens

Beverly Recreation Department in Massachusetts is hosting baseball/softball umpire training for teens
BevRec invites teens to learn the basics necessary to umpire Little League and Girls Softball games. Open to anyone who will be 13 years old by March 28th. Training includes rules of the game, on-field situations and umpiring mechanics for youth games. All participants receive a rule book.
7:15 pm to 8:45 pm

Tuesday, March 26

Friends of Abbot Library Moving/Book Sale

The Abbot Library is holding a moving & book sale in Marblehead Massachusetts! Image is AI generated
The Abbot Library is holding a moving & book sale in Marblehead Massachusetts! The Friends of Abbot Public Library will be having a moving sale from Monday, March 25 through Saturday, March 30! Stop by the Sail Away Book Shop located in the gym space at Abbot Public Library's interim location...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm
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