Biology

February Vacation at MIT Museum

Kids will have a blast at the MIT Museum in Cambridge Massachusetts during February Vacation Week!

Come on your own, with friends, or bring the whole family to the museum for a special week of programming. The museum has a number of activities planned for the week of February 14-22, including extended Maker Hub and Learning Lab hours, tours, gallery cart demos and family workshops. With the exception of family workshops, all activities are free with museum admission. Take a look at the full schedule below, then plan your visit.

When: 
Daily, February 14-22, 2026 10am-5pm
Location: 

Family Open House: Caring for the Coast

Family Open House: Caring for the Coast at Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts

To celebrate Earth Month, our Family Open House will focus on ocean and coastal conservation and what we are doing to protect beaches and wetlands. Drop in to see our tide pool touch tank and meet some moon snails, hermit crabs and sea stars! Learn about shorebird protection and find out what lives in the salt marsh! Family presentations with Miss Lisa at 11am about Piping Plovers and at 1pm about Harbor Seals.

When: 
Saturday, April 19, 2025 10am-3pm

April Vacation at MIT Museum

Kids will have a blast at the MIT Museum in Cambridge Massachusetts during April Vacation Week!

Come on your own, with friends, or bring the whole family to the museum for a special week of programming. The museum has a number of activities and pop-up surprises planned for the week of April 17-23. See our week-at-glance calendar to view the extended hours and additions for our drop-in activities, and check out the teen and family workshops listed below.

When: 
Daily, April 17-23, 2023 10am-5pm
Location: 

Animal Adventures Series: Inside & Out

Come learn about your favorite animals and their habitats at the Joppa Flats Center in Newburyport Massachusetts! Photo: Kathy Crane, NOAA Arctic Research Program

Joppa Flats Education Center invites families for family fun about your favorite animals with hands-on science, songs, a take-home craft and outdoor time, weather permitting. This is a three-week series for young "naturalists" and their adventure-loving adult to learn about animals together. Please note there are no live animals in these programs.

When: 
Friday, January 24, 2025 1:30-3pm
Friday, February 7, 2025 1:30-3pm
Friday, March 7, 2025 1:30-3pm

Creature of the Week at Maritime Gloucester

Come to Maritime Gloucester for a Creature of the Week Session on Cape Ann Massachusetts! Photo ©Bill O'Connor

Every week, we will highlight a different ocean animal that lives in our aquarium and can be found in and around Gloucester. Learn some interesting fun facts about the creature as you get up and close and personal through a meet and greet and a take-home craft. For kids aged 4-8.

When: 
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays 10:30-11:30am or 2-3pm

Plankton Safari

Join the team at Maritime Gloucester Massachusetts for a Plankton Safari every Monday and Thursday

Come to Maritime Gloucester and discover what lives near the bottom of the oceanic food chain using digital microscopes! Join Maritime Gloucester’s education and aquarium staff as we take a deep dive into some of the ocean’s smallest, yet most important, organisms. Learn about plankton’s vital role in the marine ecosystem, and look under our microscopes to see what local species you can identify!. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

When: 
Tuesdays & Thursdays through August 22, 2024 10:30-3:30pm

Tide Pool Exploration at Halibut Point

The tide pools at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport Massachusetts are some of the best in New England!

Halibut Point State Park invites families to join them on a tide pool adventure! See a great diversity of life at the rocky shore. Discover and identify different tide level zones and the unique creatures that cat these habitats their home. Learn about how salinity and exposure facilitate different creatures to live in these zones. Heavy rain cancels.

When: 
Saturday, June 29, 2024 11am-Noon
Saturday, July 13, 2024 10-11am

A Whale of a Time at Maritime Gloucester

Kids will learn all about whales at this Maritime Gloucester April Vacation drop off program in Gloucester Massachusetts

Here in Massachusetts we are lucky enough to host some of the largest animals on earth - whales! Join us in learning more about these majestic mammals! Particitpants learn all about whale behaviors and observe their food source under our microscopes. Create your own unique whale tail design to take home! For kids ages 6-10.

When: 
Friday, April 19, 2024 10am-3pm

Weather at Sea at Maritime Gloucester

Kids will learn about Weather at Sea during April Vacation at Maritime Gloucester in Massachusetts. Image is AI Generated

Join Maritime Gloucester's educators for fun hands-on activities exploring different marine life found in Gloucester while discussing the importance of the ocean. Some of the most extreme weather on Earth can be credited to the ocean. From underwater earthquakes and tsunamis to hurricanes and water spouts, learn more about disasters that can strike out at sea!

When: 
Thursday, April 18, 2024 10am-3pm

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Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts offers farm-based Summer Programs for kids ages 5-15

Boston Bruins Annual Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore of Massachusetts as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
The Boston Bruins will be hosting their 19th annual PJ Drive with the goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of pajamas from February 1st - March 15th, 2026. The drive will benefit Cradles to Crayons and Wonderfund MA, two non-profits that ensure positive living conditions for children. Local businesses...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Saturday, March 7

Boston Bruins Annual Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore of Massachusetts as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
The Boston Bruins will be hosting their 19th annual PJ Drive with the goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of pajamas from February 1st - March 15th, 2026. The drive will benefit Cradles to Crayons and Wonderfund MA, two non-profits that ensure positive living conditions for children. Local businesses...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Music and Movement at North Shore Children's Museum

North Shore, North Shore Childrens Museum in Peabody MA
Music and Movement with Marybeth Maes is an engaging music and movement class for young children at the North Shore Children's Museum. Marybeth brings her guitar and instruments for the children to use while they sing, dance, and play.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

Sunday, March 8

Boston Bruins Annual Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore of Massachusetts as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
The Boston Bruins will be hosting their 19th annual PJ Drive with the goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of pajamas from February 1st - March 15th, 2026. The drive will benefit Cradles to Crayons and Wonderfund MA, two non-profits that ensure positive living conditions for children. Local businesses...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Watching the Coastal Edge at Halibut Point

Tour the WWII era observation tower at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport Massachusetts.
Meet at the Halibut Point State Park visitors center to learn about the role Halibut Point has played in America’s military history. One day after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, U.S.
11:00 am to 12:30 pm

CraneOutdoors: Family Winter Wildlife Walk

Come explore the dunes on Castle Neck and Crane Beach in Ipswich Massachusetts to learn about winter wildlife.
A CraneOutdoors Family Winter Wildlife Walk will take you on a stroll through the Crane Beach dunes while learning about the plants and animals that call this special place home. You may be familiar with Crane Beach, but have you ever visited the dune trails? The dunes of Castle Neck are a much...
1:00 pm to 3:30 pm

Sunday STEAM Club at North Shore Children's Museum

Visit Peabody MA, NorthShore, 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, technology, engineering, art, and math with our NSCM staff! Every STEAM club session will see your kids participating in hands-on activities while exploring a new topic. Space is limited, please...
2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

Monday, March 9

Boston Bruins Annual Pajama Drive

Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore of Massachusetts as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
The Boston Bruins will be hosting their 19th annual PJ Drive with the goal of collecting 10,000 pairs of pajamas from February 1st - March 15th, 2026. The drive will benefit Cradles to Crayons and Wonderfund MA, two non-profits that ensure positive living conditions for children. Local businesses...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm
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