Science

Exploring Science Together: Bugs!

Kids and families are invited to learn about bugs at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

Take a closer look and explore the world of minuscule bugs! Learn together through hands-on activities designed to show you how to classify and identify these numerous and diverse creatures! Participate in activities in our incredible arthropods gallery. Observe and touch live invertebrates, and then go outside and collect some of your own. Dig in the dirt and learn how invertebrates help people compost food waste into soil. Create your own scientific equipment that will help you continue the study of entomology at home. All activities are designed to be fun and interactive experiences for elementary age students and their families to participate in together.

When: 
Saturday, July 7, 2018 10:30-Noon

Eco-Art: Nesting Time

Families will learn about bird nests at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: Robin's Nest Bill O'Connor

Families will examine our collection of bird nests to study how they're built and what materials were used in their construction. We'll explore the trails looking for nests and places where birds might build them. On our return, we will create our own nests using natural materials.

When: 
Thursday, July 12, 2018 9-11:00 am

Imagine, Sing & Learn: The Deep Sea

Creatures of the Deep sea are the subject of the next Imagine, Sing and Learn!

These fun-filled morning programs are perfect for you and your active preschooler! Our structured activities include hands-on science, music and movement, a thematic snack, and an outdoor adventure if the weather complies. Keep learning with coloring pages and follow-up activities to continue the fun at home! This week we'll focus on life in the deep sea and the special creatures that live there!

When: 
Friday, June 29, 2018 9:30am-11am

Robopalooza at CMNH

Come see Robots made by kids and teens at the Children's Museum of NH!

Get ready to geek out at the Children's Museum of New Hampshire! For the second year, the museum is hosting a meet-up and exhibition of robots from around the Seacoast. Robotics programs and teams from all over the Seacoast will converge on the Children's Museum of New Hampshire for an afternoon of fun with robots.

When: 
Saturday, May 19, 2018 10am-4pm

April Vacation Treks & Trails: Joppa Flats

Identifying Minnows with naturalists from the Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts.  Photo by Lisa Hutchings

Joppa Flats Education Center helps families beat the blahs and keep minds active and hands busy during school break! Head out into the wild with kids and families for great outdoor explorations this April vacation. For families with children ages 3 and up, School and Youth Education Coordinator Lisa Hutchings heads a program where kids will to learn all about the "nursery of the sea" with our salt marsh science stations including live minnow ID, salinity experiments, and a chance to meet some of the live inhabitants of the salt marsh.

When: 
Thursday, April 19, 2018 10am-Noon

Summits & Sea Creatures with Joppa Flats

Hike Mount Agamenticus in Maine with Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center during April Vacation!

Joppa Flats Education Center invites teens and tweens to explore a mountaintop and the ocean in one day - it's the best of both worlds! We'll start at Long Sands Beach, where we'll investigate the tide pools for marine life. The, we'll hike up Mount Agamenticus, where we'll keep an eye out for plants and animals unique to mountain habitats, and for evidence of the glaciers that covered the area thousands of years ago. We promise a lunch break, raptor search, and games at the summit! The two-mile hike is a combination of gentle and moderately hilly terrain. This is a great mountain for beginners and is full of natural history interest for more experienced hikers.

When: 
Friday, April 20, 2018 9am-3:30pm

Junior STEAM Team

Sawyer Free Library STEAM Team for Children ages 3-6. Dwarf Galaxy Image by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Sawyer Free Library offers a S.T.E.A.M.* club for children ages 3-5. We will be providing STEAM, story, and sensory activities all year round with opportunities for your child to do safe science experiments, build with Duplo and other materials, play some beginner Minecraft, read stories, make art, etc. We will have a different activity each month. This program is ideal for older preschool and younger elementary school students who are not yet ready for our other afterschool programs! Please register.

When: 
Thursday, April 19, 2018 4-4:30pm

Imagine, Sing, & Learn: Signs of Spring

Kids will look for signs of Spring at Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport

These 90-minute sessions are for both you and your active preschooler! Each week, our structured activities will include original songs, movement, dramatic play, hand-on science, and a thematic snack. We'll give you coloring pages to take home and lots of fun materials via an electronic goody bag after each class. This session will focus on the looking for signs of Spring!

When: 
Friday, March 16, 2018 10-11:30am

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

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

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

StoryWalk Series at Maudslay

“Magnificent Monarchs” by Linda Glaser Storywalk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
Enjoy this pre-school StoryWalk® at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time in nature! “Magnificent Monarchs” by Linda Glaser is featured in this StoryWalk Series. Younger kids will love this gentle, richly illustrated children’s nonfiction book aimed at preschool–third grade...
7:00 am to 8:00 pm

July 4th in Beverly Farms

West Beach Fireworks, Parades and More on July 4. Celebrate July 4th in Beverly Farms!
Beverly Farms has a lot going on for the 4th of July including cookouts, softball games, live music, a parade and, of course, fireworks! Come celebrate Independence Day filled with history and community tradition!
Where: West Beach
8:00 am to 10:00 pm

Marblehead Festival of the Arts

There's plenty to see and do for kids and families at the Marblehead Festival of the Arts in Massachusetts!
Marblehead, Massachusetts has a long-standing tradition of hosting an annual summer arts festival during the week of July 4th. This highly esteemed festival showcases a diverse range of artistic expressions that include: painting, drawing, sculpture, mixed media, printmaking, photography, crafts,...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Amesbury Days Celebration

Amesbury Days is a celebration of the onset of Summer and community.
Amesbury Days is a a 8-day celebration of all things Amesbury that kicks off the summer with fun and exciting community events in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Fireworks, a block party and a 5k walk/run will be just some of the highlights of this years' Amesbury Days celebration. There will be events...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Ipswich Independence Day Field Day

Ipswich's Independence Day Field Day at the Town Hall in Ipswich Massachusetts
Ipswich's Independence Day Field Day is a great way to celebrate community on this national holiday. Come to the Fun of Patriotic Games, Pomp and Circumstance!
10:00 am

Fireworks & Harbor Illumination in Marblehead

Marblehead Fireworks as seen from Chandler Hovey Park by Jeff Folger
Independence Day in Marblehead is a full-day affair along the picturesque harbor front. Start the day at 10 am with the Horribles Parade, a whimsical procession of unique and often creatively opinionated homemade floats, accompanied by lively music and other festive elements. As the day progresses...
10:00 am to 9:45 pm

July 4th Boat Parade in Essex

The Chebacco Boat Parade is a great Fourth of July tradition in Essex MA
The Chebacco Lake and Watershed Association will sponsor its annual Fourth of July Boat Parade on at 10am Sunday, July 4th.  All boats will meet at Gregory Island Cove on the South Side of Gregory Island (small cove) and proceed around the lake counterclockwise. Prizes will be awarded for Most...
10:00 am

Fourth of July Parade in Manchester

Fourth of July Parade in Manchester MA for North Shore Families
Manchester’s annual salute to America is a wonderful tradition, complete with stirring music, precision marching bands, imaginative home made floats, antique cars, and just about everything else that represents the pride and patriotism we all share for our country. Simply stated, Manchester’s...
10:00 am to 12:30 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

Marblehead Street Festival

There's plenty to see and do for kids at the Marblehead Street Festival! Part of the Marblehead Festival of the Arts
Come to the Marblehead Street Festival at Bank Square (intersection of Washington and Hooper Street).  This festival is a fun tradition that's part of 4th of July celebrations!  There will be something for everyone including magic, street performers, live music, face painting, sidewalk chalk art,...
11:00 am to 3:00 pm

Marblehead Lobster Lunch

Enjoy a lobster lunch on the lawn in Marblehead over July 4th Weekend!
St. Michael's holds its famous Lobster Luncheon during the Marblehead Festival of Arts over the Fourth of July weekend. All proceeds from the luncheon, after expenses, support local and global ministries. Tours of St. Michael's historic building and a free organ concert are typically offered during...
11:00 am to 3:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Salem Celebrates the Fourth of July

Salem Massachsuetts Celebrates the Fourth of July Independence Day Fireworks
Join the City of Salem at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site for a 4th of July Celebration! The evening includes live music by the Hillyer Festival Orchestra and Fireworks starting after dark from Derby Wharf.
12:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Waterfront Concerts @ Crocker Park in Marblehead

Marblehead Festival of Arts hosts live music performances throughout Fourth of July weekend at Crocker Park
The Marblehead Festival of the Arts hosts its  58th Performing Arts Program featuring 16 acts over 4 nights and 3 days. As always, we thank the Town of Marblehead for the opportunity to present our program in the beautiful natural concert venue that is Crocker Park and to you, for your generous...
12:00 pm to 10:30 pm

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

Amesbury Days Fireworks

Amesbury MA Amesbury Days Fireworks and Music
Amesbury Days fireworks display will be on July 4th beginning at around 9pm. Food vendors, favorites from years past and a couple of new ones added in for your enjoyment. Parking is available at Woodsom Farm or Amesbury High School.
5:30 pm to 10:00 pm

4th of July Celebration at Salisbury Beach

Fourth of July Fireworks at Salisbury Beach include a campfire and marshmallow roast on the beach.
Get ready for four fantastic days of family fun at Salisbury Beach! From patriotic pet parades and live music to Independence Day fireworks, here’s what’s in store:
6:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Independence Day Celebration in Rockport

Independence Day Celebration in Rockport 2022 includes a traditional parade, bandstand concert and massive bonfire.
Celebrate the 4th of July in Rockport, Massachusetts! Rockport’s Independence Day celebration is full of hometown charm and high-energy tradition—and this year promises to be unforgettable! Come experience an evening of patriotic fun featuring a festive parade, live music, and the town’s iconic...
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Friday Night Party at Salisbury Beach

Salisbury Beach Summer Beach Party every Friday through the Summer.
Get ready for family fun every Friday night all summer long at Salisbury Beach! Starting at 7:15 PM on the Salisbury Beach stage, enjoy a full evening of summer tunes and excitement. DJ Ralphie B will be spinning your favorite hits, while hosting kid-friendly activities that will keep everyone...
7:15 pm to 10:00 pm

Fireworks and Beach Concerts at Salisbury Beach

Fourth of July Fireworks at Salisbury Beach include a campfire and marshmallow roast on the beach.
Join us at Salisbury Beach for an unforgettable family night out! Every Saturday through the summer, enjoy spectacular fireworks (weather permitting) that light up the sky. Before the fireworks, there's a live concert starting at 7:30 PM on the Salisbury Oceanfront Stage, perfect for families with...
7:30 pm to 11:00 pm

Saturday, July 12

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

Long Hill Garden Tours

Tour the Gardens at the Trustees of Reservations Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts!
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to join our expert guides for a tour around Long Hill’s stunning Sedgwick Gardens and learn more about the special plants. Visit Long Hill’s breathtaking gardens and stately historic house for a guided tour. Enjoy the rich history of this grand country estate...
11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Ipswich Greek Festival

Ipswich Greek Festival at the Hellenic Center in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come to Ipswich Massachusetts for the Annual Greek Festival: A 75-Year Tradition in Greater Boston and the North Shore! Experience one of the longest-running and most cherished traditions in Greater Boston, MA, and the North Shore area—the Greek Festival! For over 75 years, this event has been a...
12:00 pm to 6:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: Choate Island Kayak and Hiking Adventure

Take a guided kayak paddle and hike to Choate Island with the Trustees of Reservations!
Join The Trustees of Reservations for a paddle and a hike – what better way to spend an afternoon? Kayaking the pristine, sheltered waters of the Essex River Basin offers one of the top on-the-water experiences to be had in Northeast. Add to that a hike on the area’s largest island and you have the...
1:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

Downtown Gloucester Block Party

Food, music, live entertainment, dance, craft and fun come together for a great
Main Street, Downtown Gloucester Massachusetts comes alive when the Street is closed off to allow live music, street performers, kid activities, non-profits, food vendors and more! Many of shops and businesses on Main Street will be open for business and will welcome partygoers. Other Gloucester...
6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Fireworks and Beach Concerts at Salisbury Beach

Fourth of July Fireworks at Salisbury Beach include a campfire and marshmallow roast on the beach.
Join us at Salisbury Beach for an unforgettable family night out! Every Saturday through the summer, enjoy spectacular fireworks (weather permitting) that light up the sky. Before the fireworks, there's a live concert starting at 7:30 PM on the Salisbury Oceanfront Stage, perfect for families with...
7:30 pm to 11:00 pm

Sunday, July 13

Todd Farm Market

Come to Todd Farm on Sunday - A classic New England Fleas Market in Rowley Massachusetts!
From early Spring to late Fall, Todd Farm is a great Sunday destination for families!  Head to the farm and explore the outdoor award-winning Market featuring up to 240 vendors from all over New England and New York!
5:00 am to 3:00 pm

StoryWalk Series at Maudslay

“Magnificent Monarchs” by Linda Glaser Storywalk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
Enjoy this pre-school StoryWalk® at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time in nature! “Magnificent Monarchs” by Linda Glaser is featured in this StoryWalk Series. Younger kids will love this gentle, richly illustrated children’s nonfiction book aimed at preschool–third grade...
7:00 am to 8:00 pm
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