Outdoor Activity

Sense of Wonder Walk: The Squishiness of Things

 A fallen tree becomes a habitat for many creatures and forms of life at IRWS.

Even as its soft rotting wood becomes a forest recycling center, a dead log is still home to many plants and animals. We'll meet fabulous fungi, slime molds, squishy earthworms, slimy slugs, salamanders, and much more. Find out why slime is important and make some slime of your own!

When: 
Sunday, April 28, 2013 1 - 2:30 pm

Afterschool at Joppa: Early Birds!

This Afterschool Session at Joppa Flats focuses on red winged blackbirds

Come to Joppa Flats after school to learn about song birds! Our afternoon starts off with self-guided activities, challenges, or puzzles that lead us to our topic for the day. As a group, we'll observe, investigate, and compare wildlife, their adaptations, and the changes that they undergo each season. Participants may play the role of a zoologist, a naturalist, or even an Arctic explorer throughout this series. Each experience will leave your young scientist eager for the next session.

When: 
Wednesday, April 10, 2013 3:30 - 5pm

Appleton's April Vacation Farmhands Crew

Join the farmhand crew to work along side the staff at Appleton Farms.

Calling volunteers ages 13 and up! Join the farmhand crew to work along side our staff and gain first hand experience with our milking herd, our calving season and our seeding and planting season for the Communtiy Supported Agriculture program.  This crew will dig in and have plenty of fun on the farm, while helping our busy farmers prepare for summer!

When: 
Tuesday, April 16 - Friday, April 19, 2013 9am-noon
Location: 

Trails & Sails Wildlife Walk at Ipswich River

Come explore the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary as part of Trails and Sails!

Come enjoy a hike at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield, one of Mass Audubon's largest sanctuaries. Visitors will have the opportunity to enhance their hike by visiting naturalist-docents on the sanctuary trails. Docents will be stationed at a wildlife observation tower overlooking a freshwater marsh and alongside a beautiful fall field. Visit them to learn about the fall migration of monarch butterflies, and the needs of migrating waterfowl.

When: 
Sunday, September 23, 2012 10am - 4pm

Woodland Night Walk

We'll be searching the sanctuary for the creatures that come out at night!

During the cool, crisp, early-evening hours of autumn, many interesting creatures set out into the dark woodlands. Deer, owls, and flying squirrels are just a few of the animals we hope to encounter on our hike. Enjoy a walk that will spark your senses as we venture into the night in search of these and other nighttime forest dwellers.

When: 
Friday, November 2, 2012 7-8:30 pm

Afterschool at Joppa: A Waterfowl Welcome

Kids can be game wardens for the day in this afterschool program at Joppa Flats

Our afternoon starts off with self-guided activities, challenges, or puzzles that lead us to our topic for the day. As a group, we'll observe, investigate, and compare wildlife, their adaptations, and the changes that they undergo each season. Participants may play the role of a zoologist, a naturalist, or even an Arctic explorer throughout this series. Each experience will leave your young scientist eager for the next session.

When: 
Wednesday, April 3, 2013 3:30 - 5pm

Afterschool at Joppa: Get to Know Night Creatures!

Learn about nocturnal animals like racoons at this Afterschool workshop

Our afternoon starts off with self-guided activities, challenges, or puzzles that lead us to our topic for the day. As a group, we'll observe, investigate, and compare wildlife, their adaptations, and the changes that they undergo each season. Participants may play the role of a zoologist, a naturalist, or even an Arctic explorer throughout this series. Each experience will leave your young scientist eager for the next session.

When: 
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 3:30 - 5pm

Amesbury Sports Park Free Snow Tubing Admissions

FREE Admission to the Amesbury Sports Park for military personnel

Amesbury Sports Park is offering free snow tubing admission for active military personnel & employees of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease Air Force Base as well as $5 off each of their guests’ admissions from February 25th through March 1st, 2013. 

When: 
February 25th through March 1st , 2013 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Appleton Farms offers great farm-based Vacation Week Programs for kids ages 5-11

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
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

Middleton Turkey Trot

Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 5k Race in Middleton Massachusetts
Bringing the Middleton community together on Thanksgiving Morning since 2018! Our 7th Annual Middleton Turkey Trot was a big success!
8:00 am

Wild Turkey 5 Mile Road Race

Run like a turkey through downtown Salem MA on Thanksgiving Day! Proceeds benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem.
Join the fun for the annual Wild Turkey 5 Mile Run in downtown Salem Massachusetts Thanksgiving morning and raise funds for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem! This is the largest race on the North Shore, now in its 22nd year, with 2,000 anticipated participants.
8:00 am

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Run for the Pies in Ipswich

Burn some calories before the Thanksgiving Feast at Ipswich's Run for the Pies!
Start your turkey day by burning off some calories with a run or walk along the Ipswich River! Every 10th adult finisher receives a large Russell Orchards pie; every child Fun Run finisher receives a 4" Table Talk pie. and you'll have a chance to win a ready-to-bake pie! Racers, runners, walkers or...
8:00 am

Turkey Trot at Maudslay State Park

Turkey Trot at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts on Thanksgiving Day
Begin Thanksgiving Day running in one of Massachusett's most picturesque state parks by running the 35th Annual Newburyport Maudslay 3.1 mile X-Country Run/Walk.  Run with family, friends, and neighbors!  Organized by Turkeys for the 35th straight year.  Parking is FREE to runners on race day.
8:20 am

Will Run for Pie - Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk

Winner's Circle Running Club Annual Thanksgiving 5k in Salisbury Massachusetts
Will Run for Pie 5K – Thanksgiving Morning Tradition. Kick off your holiday with speed, smiles, and slices! The Will Run for Pie 5K Turkey Trot is a flat, fast, and festive race along the beautiful Ghost Trail in Salisbury, MA. Whether you’re chasing a PR or just here for the pie, this is the...
8:30 am to 10:00 am

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Travel back in time to a castle filled with lush, opulent textures inspired by the great medieval and Renaissance castles of Europe. Wander through rooms adorned with White Birch and Christmas trees, sparkling fairy lights, hydrangea-lace garlands, and elegant bows, each space transformed with its...
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Sunday, December 7

2025 Marblehead Gingerbread Festival

The Marblehead Gingerbread Festival is part of the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce's Christmas Walk, and the proceeds will go to benefit the Marblehead Family Fund and the Marblehead Historical Society.
Come see over 100 locally and professionally made gingerbread creations on display at the historic Jeremiah Lee Mansion in Marblehead, MA during this year's Marblehead Christmas Walk. Community members, businesses, and families are building and donating dozens of gingerbread houses, boats and local...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Tree Jubilee at Marini Farm

The Tree Jubilee hosted by Marini Farm in Ipswich Massachusetts is a fun and unique charity event!
Come to Marini Farm for the Tree Jubilee fundraiser to benefit The Ipswich Humane Group.  Tour the gallery of uniquely decorated trees and wreaths donated by local organizations, families, and businesses then choose the ones you want a chance to win! OVER 100 spectacularly decorated trees and...
10:00 am

Family & Friends CPR Course

Learn about infant and child cpr and choke saving skills at Beath Israel Lahey Health's Beverly Hospital in Massachusetts!
It is only a matter of a few short minutes before it is too late to save a life … learning what to do provides you precious minutes and gives someone a chance to survive.  The Family & Friends CPR Course teaches the lifesaving skills of child CPR with breaths, child AED use, infant CPR, and m
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Travel back in time to a castle filled with lush, opulent textures inspired by the great medieval and Renaissance castles of Europe. Wander through rooms adorned with White Birch and Christmas trees, sparkling fairy lights, hydrangea-lace garlands, and elegant bows, each space transformed with its...
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

SeaFestival of Trees | Santa & Grinch Brunch

Brunch with Santa and the Grinch at the Sea Festival of Trees in Salisbury Massachusetts
Red Suit. Green Suit. Jolly one. Mean one. Who’s your fave? Santa or The Grinch. Come join the holiday fun in Beach-Ville! Here’s what’s happening:
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Santa's Workshop

Santa's Workshop in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Visit Newburyport MA during the holidays
Newburyport is a favorite local town to shop - especially during the holidays. Bring the family to Newburyport to visit Santa in his traditional workshop, share your wish list, and snap a photo with Mr. Claus!
11:00 am to 2:00 pm

SeaFestival of Trees | Sundays

Browse our maze of festively decorated trees and enjoy a little holiday sparkleat the SeaFestival of Trees in Salisbury Massachusetts
The Seacoast’s most magical holiday tradition is back! The 13th Annual SeaFestival of Trees opens Saturday, November 22 at the Blue Ocean Event Center in Salisbury, transforming the oceanfront venue into a sparkling winter wonderland of more than 145 themed trees, a giant sand sculpture, Santa’s...
11:00 am to 5:00 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 3:00 pm

Take a Trolley Ride with Scrooge!

Salem Trolley Christmas Carol, Fun Holiday Events north of Boston, Trolley Ride with Scrooge
Join Scrooge on the Salem Trolley as you ride through Salem Massachusetts in this rolling production performed by the Griffen Theater . Now entering into it's 39th Season, this humorous & whimsical interactive performance reanimates Dickens’ timeless seasonal holiday classic. Experience...
2:00 pm to 9:30 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
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