Drop-in

Step Inside the Historic Custom House

Take in the views of this prominent building where Nathaniel Hawthorne once worked and the U.S. Custom Service operated. This Custom House was built in 1819 and housed offices for the officers of the U.S. Customs Service, as well as an attached warehouse, the Public Stores, used for the storage of bonded and impounded cargo.

When: 
Wednesday-Sunday, September 13-28, 2025 9:30am-4:30pm

Make a Car or Boat Craft at APL

Kids are invited to come the Amesbury Public Library to a Car or Boat to take home!

Bring the family to create a 3D car or an origami boat in a bottle. All supplies will be outside and enjoyed during the Annual Car Show in downtown Amesbury in the quiet of the Library programming area. Build, decorate, and enjoy some books about transportation! After you’re done with your craft, be sure to check out the Carriagetown Car Show!

When: 
Saturday, September 27, 2025

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

Balch House | Kids Summer Drop-ins

Kids are invited to Balch House in Beverly Massachusetts to play with and make colonial era toys!

Historic Beverly's Hale Farm is host to a fun and interactive series of drop in activities for kids of all ages, available any time the property is open Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 3pm. Kids are encouraged to try some colonial games and then make their own to take home!

When: 
Mondays & Saturdays, July 3-29, 2023 12-4pm
Location: 

Nature Fractals with Mixed Media at PEM

Come experiment with mixed media and stenciling based on the natural phenomenon of fractals.

Come experiment with mixed media and stenciling based on the natural phenomenon of fractals. A fractal is a pattern in nature that repeats at different scales. If you look closely at nature, you’ll see fractals in everything from snowflakes and seashells to broccoli and branching lightning bolts!

When: 
Fridays, May 5, 12, 19 & 26, 2023 from 3-4:30pm

February Vacation at Joppa Flats: Open Ocean Odyssey

Kids are invited to a drop in session at Joppa Flats Education Center

Joppa Flats Education Center vacation programs offer a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities while we keep minds active and hands busy during school break. Each session offers a different theme, with art activities, experiments, group games, and scheduled family presentations for everyone. It's free-flow learning for the whole family. Come once or make it a multiple-day adventure; drop in for an hour or stay all day for a vacation activity that suits your family schedule.

When: 
Thursday, Feb 21, 2012 10am - 3pm

February Vacation at Joppa Flats: Wildlife of the World

Come learn about the animals of the world at the Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Cen

Joppa Flats Education Center school vacation programs offer a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities while we keep minds active and hands busy during school break with free-flow learning for the whole family. Each session offers a different theme, with scheduled family presentations and something to engage hearts and minds for all ages and interests. For ages 7 and up, there are STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) activity stations featuring experiments, challenges, data sheets, maps, and charts. For ages 2 to 6, there are stories, crafts, table top games, coloring pages, and science activities. Family presentations will be offered at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.

When: 
Monday, February 15, 2016 10am - 3pm

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Shore School in Beverly Massachusetts offers a host of Summer programs for kids aged 5-12

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

Mini Movers at North Shore Children's Museum

Things to do for children in Peabody MA
Mini Movers is an engaging dance and movement class for young children at the North Shore Children's Museum. Led by experienced instructors, the program introduces young children to the world of dance in a safe and nurturing environment.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

Thursday, February 5

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

Friday, February 6

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

Salem's So Sweet Festival

Salem Massachusetts' retailers have some sweet surprises in store during the Salem's So Sweet Weekend Festival
Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce invite you to come enjoy the annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival – a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, and Valentine’s Day shopping! Now in its 24th year, Salem’s So Sweet has become...
9:00 am to 10:00 pm

Winter Family Field Trip: Raptor Road Trip

Families are invited to Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts to learn about eagles and their behaviors. Photo: Bill O'Connor
With radios in hand, we will carpool to Bald Eagle viewing spots along the Merrimack River and walk short distances to spot eagles with our binoculars and birding scopes. We will be watch for fishing, and courtship displays. Stay warm and active with small group activities that feature raptor sound...
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Kidleidoscope at Breakheart Reservation

Kidleidoscope is a program designed for preschoolers at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Come join our park interpreter for a story time and nature walk! Complete a small craft and explore the woods! Walks are gently paced and approximately 1 mile, though not accessible for strollers. Appropriate for families with children 3-5 years old. Meet at the Visitor Center.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Family Owl Prowl

Join a Family Owl Prowl  at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: Scott Santino
Experience the excitement of an owl prowl as we take a hike under the light of the moon to look and listen for Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, and Eastern Screech-Owls. Before we head out on our nocturnal adventure, we will learn fun owl facts in our cozy barn using real owl feathers, skulls, and...
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm

Saturday, February 7

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

Salem's So Sweet Festival

Salem Massachusetts' retailers have some sweet surprises in store during the Salem's So Sweet Weekend Festival
Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce invite you to come enjoy the annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival – a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, and Valentine’s Day shopping! Now in its 24th year, Salem’s So Sweet has become...
9:00 am to 10:00 pm

NSNP Saturday Srolls at Choate Farm

Come to Choate Farm in Danvers Massachusetts to learn some basic Winter Survival Skills with your family!
Do you and your family have what it takes to survive out in the wilderness?
10:00 am to 11:30 am

CraneExplorer: Valentine's Coastal Craft

Make Valentines crafts from materials that we find along the shore at the Trustees of Reservations Crane Estate in Ipswich, Massachusetts
The Trustees of Reservations invites ages 12 and up to a valentine craft making workshop! This Valentine’s Day, give a gift from the sea! From seaweed pressings to shell collages, beach treasures make beautiful greetings and keepsakes. Join this workshop to learn fun craft ideas and make marine art...
10:00 am to 12:30 pm
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