Outdoor Activity

Beaver Fun in the Setting Sun

Join us as we look for elusive river mammals at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: American Beaver ©Scott Santino

Have you ever visited a beaver lodge or had an opportunity to see the resident beaver itself? Join in for an evening walk to a beaver lodge on the sanctuary and discover how busy beavers really are. You will learn to recognize some of their favorite trees, see how a lodge is constructed, and listen for the slap of a tail on the pond.

When: 
Fri, September 23, 2011 6 - 8 pm

Eco-Art: Busy Beaver Builders

Join us as we look for elusive river mammals at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: American Beaver ©Scott Santino

Experience what life is like as the largest rodent in North America. We will examine a beaver mound up close, and then take a walk to see a beaver lodge, dam, and scent mounds. Discover how beavers continue to change the habitats in which they live and how other species of plants and animals benefit. On our return, we will make beaver dioramas out of natural materials.

When: 
Thursday, July 11, 2013 9-11:00 am

Appleton Farms Grass Rides Reindeer Quest

Bring the Family on a Reindeer Quest at the Appleton Farms Grassrides!

Appleton Farms invites families for a self guided Winter quest during holiday break! Grab your snow shoes, hiking boots or cross country skiis and get the family outside between Christmas and New Years to seek out our elusive herd of wooden reindeer sculptures found throughout the Grass Rides.  See how many you can find and leave a bell around each one's neck.  Bells can be found at the bulletin board. 

When: 
Saturday, December 24, 2016 - Monday, January 2, 2017
Location: 

Nature's Harvest Free-for-All!

Enjoy Sampling natures harvest from cranberries to seaweed salad at Joppa Flats

Nature's riches abound during this festive time of year. Sample delicious homemade treats made with local beach plums and cranberries. Inhale the aroma of white pine tea or a bayberry candle. Boldly bite into a seaweed salad or nibble on some pickleweed.

When: 
Sunday, November 13, 2016 10am - 3pm

Scavenger Hunt Challenge at Stevens Coolidge Place

Come to the Election Day Scavenger Hunt at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate in North Andover

Looking for something fun to do while school is out for election day? Come by the Stevens-Coolidge Place for a Scavenger Hunt Challenge! Work together with your child to follow clues through the gardens and discover hidden treasures among the plants. Win prizes and learn some fun facts about the property as you hunt. 

When: 
Tuesday, November 8, 2016 10am-Noon

Trail Blazing Trek

Join Mass Audubon naturalists on a hike some of the less travelled trails at IRWS.

Ipswich River Sanctuary invites you to come explore! Looking to get off the beaten path and take "the one less traveled?" Haven't yet hiked alll 12 miles of our sanctuary's interconnected trails? Have a yearning to explore places like Hassocky Meadow or White Pine Loop? Come with us as we trek some of the sanctuary's less frequented trails to discover new sights and sounds in these spectacular habitats.

When: 
Saturday, October 1, 2016 1:30 pm - 3pm

Nature Adventures with Picture Books: Butterflies

Learn about butterflies at the MassAudubon Ipswich River wildlife Sanctuary!

Rita Gallant, Lead Field Teacher at IRWS will read Festive Occasions - Special Event Rental Equipment by Joanne Ryder. Let's find out what butterflies live in our area. Using sweep nets and hand lenses, we'll observe butterflies in the gardens and fields of the sanctuary. Become a butterfly as we learn about the life cycles of these fluttering marvels.

When: 
Tuesday, August 2, 2016 9:30-11:00 am

Eco-Art: Salamanders

Discover, explore and learn through art at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Salamanders are often found in dark, wet places such as under a rock or log in the soil, while their eggs can be found in vernal pools. We will go for a walk, looking under rocks and logs for salamanders, and visit a vernal pool to discover where they lay their eggs each spring. Each participant will create a clay salamander to take home.

When: 
Thursday, July 28, 2016 9-11 am

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

Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk

 Maudslay in Bloom self guided walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts.
Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...
7:00 am to 7:00 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

Tulip Festival at Cider Hill Farm

Come cut your own tulips at Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury Massachusetts
A gorgeous, fan-favorite variety of 100k tulips are scheduled to bloom in early May. Welcome spring with this multi-weekend festival featuring free live music, self-guided blooming orchard walks, outdoor hard cider bars, food trucks, fitness n' family activities and cut-your-tulips. General...
8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Music Together - Saturday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

Spring Bloom Fest at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate

Spring Bloom Fest at the Trustees Stevens Coolidge Estate in North Andover!
Join The Trustees of Reservations  for the start of Spring at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens with a celebration of bulbs at our Spring BloomFest weekend! Stroll through our beautiful gardens with budding tulips, daffodils, and other spring bulbs while enjoying the crisp spring air and...
10:00 am to 4:00 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 4:00 pm

North Shore Nature Fair | Glen Urquhart School

Celebrate nature at GUS with a variety of hands-on activities and nature-based projects led by GUS educators and partners from across the North Shore. This free, family-friendly event, is open to the public.
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Square-Foot Gardening Workshop

Celebrate sustainable living with Backyard Growers Program in Gloucester MA
In this workshop, the Backyard Growers team will introduce you to the Square-Foot Gardening Method, which helps gardeners make the most of often limited growing space, and grow the most food possible for a household. We'll show you how to do this by using gridded square-feet instead of rows. You'll...
9:30 pm to 11:00 pm

Saturday, May 17

Motif #1 Day

Sidewalk Chalk art at Motif #1 Day in Rockport Massachusetts - a day of family fun!
The Motif No.1 Day Festival celebrates Rockport across the arts! The Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce is excited to bring back Motif No. 1 Day, a beloved event celebrating the long history of artists featuring Motif No.1 in their works. The event will be held on Saturday, May 18 (rain date...
9:00 am to 4:59 pm

Motif #1 Day 5k & Fun Run

The Motif #1 5k run takes place on Motif #1 Day in Rockport, Massachusetts
This 5k Road Race and Kid's Fun Run is a great way to kick off Motif #1 Day! The 5k road race and 1 mile fun run that starts and ends at T Wharf in beautiful downtown Rockport. Run the race and then spend the day with your family enjoying the fun, food and entertainment of the day-log festival.
9:00 am to 10:30 am

Annual Plant Sale | Generous Gardeners

Generous Gardeners is having a plant sale just in time for the growing season in Gloucester Massachusetts!
Generous Gardeners is having a plant sale to just in time for the growing season in Gloucester Massachusetts! Join us for a Plant Sale on Stacy Boulevard on Saturday, May 17, 2025 from 9am to noon. The event will be held rain or shine. Locally grown plants plus dahlia tubers will be available for...
9:00 am to 12:00 pm

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 10 through May 17. The sale will be open daily during regular library hours: Mon.-Thurs., 9AM-9PM; Fri.
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Beverly Warrior Weekend

Warrior Weekend at Beverly Massachusetts HighSchool
Warrior Weekend is a two day event that pays tribute to veterans through demonstrations and other events for the community. There will be all kinds of military hardware on site including tanks!
9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Music Together - Saturday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

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 4:00 pm

Salamander Meander

What kind of Salamanders will we find at Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary? Photo: Mass Audubon
We'll search the sanctuary's vernal pools, ponds, and woodlands for a variety of amphibians that are the on the move. If we're lucky, we might see Wood Frog and Spotted Salamander eggs and catch a few adults to observe up close and then release.
10:00 am to 2:30 pm

Birds, Bees & Butterflies | Family Nature Series at Cox Reservation

Essex County Greenbelt Association hosts an Exploration Workshop for families at Cox Reservation in Essex Massachusetts!
Essex County Greenbelt Association invites families to Cox Reservation for a fun session that's all about bees! This show-and-tell introduces children of all ages to the importance of bees and other pollinators.
10:00 am to 1:00 pm

Gloucester Student Arts Festival

Gloucester Student Arts Festival showcases multiple forms of art created by the students of Gloucester Massachusetts
Arts Fest is an annual celebration of the arts in the Gloucester Public Schools, a day to enjoy creativity, connection, and celebrating our students’ talents as a Gloucester community. It is led by the Gloucester Education Foundation in partnership with the Gloucester Public Schools, Cape Ann...
11:00 am to 4:00 pm
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