February Vacation

Outdoor Adventures for Families: Winter Wildlife

Mass Audubons Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary invites you to come learn about coyotes, beavers deer and other animals as they prepare for Winter!

Beavers, coyote, and deer, oh my! Mammals are storing food, putting on fat, thickening their fur, and winterizing their homes for winter. Let's see what evidence of these preparations we can find in the woods and wetlands as we use our science eyes for this hike around the remarkable rockery.

When: 
Thursday, December 22, 2022 1-3pm
Saturday, December 31, 2022 10am-Noon

Frozen Crystals at Maritime Gloucester

Kids will learn all about crystals at Maritime Gloucester.

Maritime Gloucester invites kids in grades 2-5 to a vacation week session about Wind Turbines and Sail Power - part of a week full of educational sessions during April vacation! Do you want to build a snowflake?  With salt and ice, we'll create a variety of ice sculptures using colorful frozen shapes!

When: 
Wednesday, April 23, 2014 1-3pm

Rube Goldberg Machines at Maritime Gloucester

Kids willl use their creativity to create a chain reaction machine at Maritime G

Maritime Gloucester invites kids to a vacation week session where they'll make a 'Rube Goldberg' machine - part of a week full of educational sessions during February vacation! Cartoonist Rube Goldberg was known for drawing complex yet impractical machines, involving multiple steps to accomplish simple tasks.  After looking at Goldberg’s humorous comics for inspiration, students will engineer a Rube Goldberg machine.  Using marbles, Lego bricks, wooden blocks, dominoes, and much more, we’ll build and test intricate machines as we learn about energy, momentum, and engineering.

When: 
Friday, February 21, 2014 1-3pm

Scrimshaw and Whale Tails at Maritime Gloucester - Canceled

Kids will learn about scrimshaw, whaling and whale bones at this Maritime Glouce

Canceled due to weather. 2/17/2014

Maritime Gloucester invites kids to a vacation week session about scrimshaw and whale bones - part of a week full of educational sessions during February vacation! Did you know that humpback whales are named after patterns on their tails?  We’ll look at whale bones and learn about whale and dolphin species found in New England and beyond.  Students will also learn about sperm whales and scrimshaw by handling real whale teeth and creating their own scrimshawed candles to take home.        

When: 
Tuesday, February 18, 2014 1-3pm

Build It Break It at Maritime Gloucester

Using toothpicks, kids wil learn about structures and their limits at Maritime G

Maritime Gloucester invites kids in grades 2-5 to a vacation week session about the structures and their limits - part of a week full of educational sessions during April vacation! What's the biggest structure you can build using toothpicks and styrofoam?  Can you construct a sturdy fort from newspaper?  What's the heaviest thing a bendy straw structure can support? 

When: 
Friday, April 25, 2014 1-3pm

Floating Boats at Maritime Gloucester

Kids preK-1st grade will learn about boats during this February Vacation program

Maritime Gloucester invites kids in pre-k through first grade to a vacation week session about boats that float - part of a week full of educational sessions during February vacation! Foam floats, but does it make a good boat? How about a popsicle stick raft? We'll explore why boats float through building projects using a variety of household materials. We'll learn about the different types of boats in Gloucester Harbor and read some fun boat books as well.

When: 
Monday, February 17, 2014 10:30am - Noon

Costumed Crabs at Maritime Gloucester

Kids will learn about crabs and their ability to disguise themselves at this Glo

Maritime Gloucester invites kids to a vacation week session about crabs - part of a week full of educational sessions during February vacation!. Did you know that some crabs like to play dress up?  We’ll learn all about decorator crabs by making some fancy crab crafts decorated with shells and sea glass.  We’ll also explore the different types of crustaceans as we study tiny horseshoe crabs, gigantic lobster claws, and an unusual Caribbean spiny lobster. We’ll end the day with a story about our favorite costumed crustaceans!

When: 
Wednesday, February 19, 2014 1-3pm

Fish Facts and Shark Socks at Maritime Gloucester

Kids will learn about what makes a fish a fish at Maritime Gloucester!

Maritime Gloucester invites kids in pre-k through first grade to a vacation week session about fish and the similar traits all fish have in common - part of a week full of educational sessions during February vacation! What makes a fish a fish?  You might be surprised by just how much a great white shark and a guppy have in common!  By hearing a story and looking at models and pictures, kids will learn all about the fishes that live in Cape Ann and beyond.  Using ordinary socks, children will craft their own toy sharks and colorful fishes to take home!

When: 
Friday, February 21, 2014 10:30am - Noon

Jellies and Coral at Maritime Gloucester

Kids will learn about coral and jellyfish, then make their own at Maritime Glouc

Maritime Gloucester invites kids in pre-k through first grade to a vacation week session about Jellyfish and Coral - part of a week full of educational sessions during February vacation! Did you know that the biggest jelly is found right here in Massachusetts and can have tentacles longer than four school busses?  Found in every ocean, from the dark depths to the sunny surface, jellies are amazing animals!  We will learn about jellies and corals and make jelly crafts to take home. We’ll highlight our adventure with a story about Jenny Jellyfish and the challenges she faces in her ocean home.

When: 
Thursday, February 20, 2014 10:30am - Noon

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Art Academy Summer Program at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly MA

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

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

Saturday, January 31

Nice n' Easy Hike at Breakheart Reservation

Nice and Easy winter hike at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Join the Park Interpreter for this weekly guided hike! Each trip will highlight natural and historic features unique to Breakheart. Hikes are moderately paced and range from 2-3 miles over sometimes uneven and rocky terrain. Best for ages 8 years and up. Meet at the Visitor Center.
9:30 am to 11:30 am

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

Animal Tracks | Family Nature Series

Essex County Greenbelt teams up with North Shore Nature Programs for a wildlife hike in Ipswich Massachusetts!
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​This event with North Shore Nature Programs is geared toward families of all ages who would like to learn about the signs and tracks that animals leave behind!  We will explore outdoors and look at tracks, chewed sticks, scat, nests, beaver constructions and more! Waterproof and warm...
10:00 am to 11:30 am

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...
4:30 pm to 6:30 pm

Sunday, February 1

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

Snow Moon Winter Celebration

Come to Spencer-Pierce-Little Farm to celebrate February's Snow Moon in Newbury Massachusetts!
Come to Spencer Peirce Little Farm to celebrate the season under the stillness of February's full Snow Moon! Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm opens its gates for a winter celebration that honors the beauty of the land
3:00 pm to 6:00 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...
4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
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