Outdoor Activity

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: 

Newbury Outdoor Escape Room at NTL

Outdoor Escape Room at the public town library in Newbury Massachusetts

Do you like to solve puzzles and brain teasers? Are you a local Newbury resident who is interested in learning a little bit more about Newbury’s unique history? Have you ever been accused of witchcraft while living in a 17th-century Puritan New England town? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Newbury Town Library has the perfect opportunity for you!

When: 
Saturday, November 25, 2023 Noon -1pm

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

The Flying Horse outdoor sculpture exhibit features works by José Criollo and many others at Pingree School in Hamilton Massachusetts

Pingree School hosts the 14th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, MA. Pingree will display more than 50 temporary works by artists from as nearby as Hamilton and as far away as the state of Washington, including 20 works that are now in the school’s permanent collection.

When: 
Daily, September 2–November 26, 2023
*Open to public during daylight hours
Location: 

Autumn Adventure Walk

Walk the trails of Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary looking for signs of animals preparing for winter!

Focus your "peepers" on more than just leaves this fall! Autumn is an exciting time of change in nature, when both plants and animals get ready for the coming cold. Walk the sanctuary trails while investigting some of the signs of this beautiful season. Learn about the amazing ways that plants and animals prepare themselves for survival and test some of your own skills.

When: 
Saturday, November 4, 2023 10-11:30am

Crane Estate Art Show

Breathless by Paul George - just one of the artists showcasing their work at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts

Come to the 20th Annual Crane Estate Art Show and Sale: Celebrating the Past, Present, and Future and enjoy amazing paintings, photography, fiber art, and sculpture! During the Art Show you’ll see over 200 pieces of original artwork, student works, a funky small works gallery, unusual gifts at the Castle Hill gift shop, and that perfect find. Proceeds benefit The Trustees and the artists.

When: 
Saturday, November 4, 2023 10am-4pm
Sunday, November 5, 2023 10am-4pm

Halloween on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Autumn and Halloween 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 Autumn and Halloween! Come explore our beautiful property as we transform Long Hill into a celebration of autumn and the Halloween season. As always, there are a few new surprises and of course many more pumpkins this year. Follow our seasonal-themed trail that will feature over 1,000 jack-o’-lanterns, hundreds of mums, elaborate Halloween decorations, light displays, music, and more. This is the perfect Halloween event for the whole family!

When: 
Wednesdays-Sundays, September 29 - October 29, 2023 5:30-8:30pm

Hayrides at Appleton Farms | Fridays

Hayrides at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts are fun for the whole family!

Experience the beautiful scenery, crisp air and changing and vibrant colors of Appleton Farms in the fall as you enjoy a hayride across ths idyllic property. Rides will depart every twenty minutes between 12-4pm on weekends and 4-7pm on Fridays. Space is limited, pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

When: 
Fridays 4-7pm through October 27, 2023 4-7pm
Saturdays & Sundays through October 29, 2023 Noon-4pm
Location: 

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Adirondack Leadership Program at Gordon College’s La Vida Center

Todd Farm Market

Come to Todd Farm on Sunday - A classic New England Fleas Market in Rowley Massachusetts!
From early Spring to late Fall, Todd Farm is a great Sunday destination for families!  Head to the farm and explore the outdoor award-winning Market featuring up to 240 vendors from all over New England and New York!
5:00 am to 3:00 pm

StoryWalk Series at Maudslay

When Spring Comes Storywalk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts!
When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes is the subject of this STORYWALK Series.  Watch the world transform when Spring comes!Enjoy this preschool storywalk at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time outside in nature!
7:00 am to 8:00 pm

Tulip Festival at Cider Hill Farm

Come cut your own tulips at Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury Massachusetts
Enjoy free live music, self-guided orchard walks, hard cider, food trucks, fitness n' family activities AND pick-your-tulips! Festival entrance is free but PRE-PURCHASED tickets for tulip picking REQUIRED. Tulip picking tickets will go live late April-early May as we monitor fields.
8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Step up for Colleen 5k

The Step up for Colleen 5k is a memorial fundraiser in memory of Colleen Ritzer a beloved North Shore Lacal Teacher.
The friends and family of Colleen Ritzer have created this 5K walk/run to celebrate Colleen’s life and her commitment to help and inspire others. Through the Step Up for Colleen event, organizers hope to enhance a sense of community and overall goodwill as we come together to honor Colleen and the...
8:30 am

Beverly Library Spring Book Sale

Beverly Library in Massachusetts hosts hosts their annual book sale and fundraiser. Image is AI generated.
Our annual Friends' Spring Book Sale takes place daily at the main library from Saturday, Saturday May 4 through May 11. The sale will be open daily during regular library hours: Mon.-Thurs., 9AM-9PM; Fri.
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Newburyport Farmers' Market

Newburyport Farmers find organic locally grown produce, meat, dairy Newburyport
The Newburyport Farmers Summer Market celebrates local fresh produce every Sunday morning rain or shine!  Start your Sunday browsing fresh North Shore local produce, meats, cheeses, and seafood in an open air market atmosphere! Food and beverage vendors offer fresh hot coffee, breakfast treats and...
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Interpretation Station at Maudslay

Learn about the bloom cycles at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
Join the park interpreter and discover more about the bloom cycle at Maudslay. View the beautiful varieties featrued throughout the park, and peak bloom locations through the growing season.Check the bulletin board in the parking lot for the Interpetation Station location each day.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Home & Food Truck Show | Topsfield

Home and Food Truck show at the Topfield Fairground in Massachusetts
April 20th & 21st. FREE admission and FREE parking. All INDOORS & Enjoy the Food Trucks outside. Speak to leading home industry professionals to plan your spring home projects.
10:00 am to 6:59 pm

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 3:59 pm

Spring Blooms at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate

Spring Blooms at the Trustees Stevens Coolidge Estate in North Andover!
Join The Trustees of Reservations at our new entrance location showcasing contemporary gardens, historical gardens, and our Garden Gateway visitor orientation center at 153 Chickering Road, North Andover MA.
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

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

Planting Program at North Shore Children's Museum

North Shore, North Shore Childrens Museum in Peabody MA
Join volunteers from Newhall Fields for a very special planting program. Kids will get a chance to plant seeds, learn more about the anatomy of seeds and plants, color, and dress up.
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Drop-in Seed Planting at North Shore Children's Museum

Seed planting workshop at North Shore Children's Museum in Peabody Massachusetts
Come to the museum to join volunteers from Newhall Fields for a very special planting program. Kids will get a chance to plant seeds, learn more about the anatomy of seeds and plants, color, and dress up. This program is drop in from 1-3PM, and included with your admission to the 12-2PM or 2-4PM...
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Marblehead Junior Class Carnival

The Marblehead Carnival is a fundraiser for the Marblehead High School junior class in Massachusetts!
Come join the annual Marblehead Carnival sponsored by Junior Class at Devereaux Beach. Each year this carnival serves as a major fundraiser.  You'll find rides, games, and great food!
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Saturday, May 11

Cow Connection at Appleton Farms

Join The Trustees of Reservations at Appleton Farms for Cow Connection in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come and meet, cuddle, brush, scratch, talk, and sit with our hand-raised cows at Appleton Farms! The mild heart rate and warm body temperature of the cows induces a slowing of our own heart rate, as well as the release of Oxytocin, our social bonding hormone. Visit our scenic and historic dairy...
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Sunday, May 12

Todd Farm Market

Come to Todd Farm on Sunday - A classic New England Fleas Market in Rowley Massachusetts!
From early Spring to late Fall, Todd Farm is a great Sunday destination for families!  Head to the farm and explore the outdoor award-winning Market featuring up to 240 vendors from all over New England and New York!
5:00 am to 3:00 pm

StoryWalk Series at Maudslay

When Spring Comes Storywalk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts!
When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes is the subject of this STORYWALK Series.  Watch the world transform when Spring comes!Enjoy this preschool storywalk at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time outside in nature!
7:00 am to 8:00 pm

Tulip Festival at Cider Hill Farm

Come cut your own tulips at Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury Massachusetts
Enjoy free live music, self-guided orchard walks, hard cider, food trucks, fitness n' family activities AND pick-your-tulips! Festival entrance is free but PRE-PURCHASED tickets for tulip picking REQUIRED. Tulip picking tickets will go live late April-early May as we monitor fields.
8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Newburyport Farmers' Market

Newburyport Farmers find organic locally grown produce, meat, dairy Newburyport
The Newburyport Farmers Summer Market celebrates local fresh produce every Sunday morning rain or shine!  Start your Sunday browsing fresh North Shore local produce, meats, cheeses, and seafood in an open air market atmosphere! Food and beverage vendors offer fresh hot coffee, breakfast treats and...
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Swan Boat Rides in Boston Public Garden

Swan Boat Boston North Shore Parent, North Shore Parents Summer Activities Guide
The Public Garden may be one of the most ideal picnicking locations in Boston. Well-groomed and overflowing with tulips, cherry-trees, with willows cascading over the duck pond, the Boston Public Garden is a great place to relax during Boston's most beautiful season.
10:00 am to 3:59 pm

"Lilac Sunday" at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Educational Program for Families North of Boston Arnold Arboretum Harvard
Take part in a beloved Boston tradition! Of the thousands of flowering plants in the Arboretum, only one, the lilac, is singled out each year for a day-long celebration. Tours of the lilacs, dance performances, picnicking (allowed on this special day only), and family activities make for a...
10:00 am to 2:59 pm

Home & Food Truck Show | Topsfield

Home and Food Truck show at the Topfield Fairground in Massachusetts
April 20th & 21st. FREE admission and FREE parking. All INDOORS & Enjoy the Food Trucks outside. Speak to leading home industry professionals to plan your spring home projects.
10:00 am to 6:59 pm

Spring Blooms at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate

Spring Blooms at the Trustees Stevens Coolidge Estate in North Andover!
Join The Trustees of Reservations at our new entrance location showcasing contemporary gardens, historical gardens, and our Garden Gateway visitor orientation center at 153 Chickering Road, North Andover MA.
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Interpretation Station at Maudslay

Learn about the bloom cycles at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
Join the park interpreter and discover more about the bloom cycle at Maudslay. View the beautiful varieties featrued throughout the park, and peak bloom locations through the growing season.Check the bulletin board in the parking lot for the Interpetation Station location each day.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
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