Mass Audubon

All Family Field Trips: Exploring at the Shore

Explore the shore at Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester with Massachusetts Audubon!

Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the North Shore. Joppa Flats' engaging and experienced staff will introduce families to local beaches, forests, and wetlands to make observations in nature, identify wildlife, and enjoy hands on science activities outdoors. Sign up for one, some, or all!

When: 
Friday, September 22, 2023 10am-Noon

All Family Field Trips: Foliage and Fall Preparations for Wildlife

All Family Field Trips: Foliage and Fall Preparations for Wildlife with Massachusetts Audubon at Cedar Pond Sanctuary

Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the North Shore. Joppa Flats' engaging and experienced staff will introduce families to local beaches, forests, and wetlands to make observations in nature, identify wildlife, and enjoy hands on science activities outdoors. Sign up for one, some, or all!

When: 
Friday, October 20, 2023 10am-Noon

Nature Walk Wednesdays - Who's Awake?

Kids ages 4-8 will explore the Deer Island Reservation in Amesbury Massachusetts with Mass Audubon!

Miss Lisa invites you to join her for some family-friendly seasonal nature walks in the area. Together we will explore the salt marsh, the woods, and more. We will look for birds, mammals, and of course, mushrooms! We'll use our "science eyes" and "nature ears" and learn, play, and discover together. Some mammals store food, grow thicker fur, and make dens or burrows in winter. Let's find out which animals are active and look for their tracks in the snow!

When: 
Wednesday, March 22, 2023 10-11:30am

Summertime Birding for Families

Kids will learn more about our local birds and how to identify them at Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts

Want to learn more about our local birds and how to identify them? Joppa Flats education interns will take you on an easy walk and introduce you to a variety of birds, from egrets and herons in the salt marsh, to ducks and shorebirds along the river, to songbirds and hummingbirds at our feeders. We'll provide binoculars and field guides along with tips on how to use them. Get started on the hottest new hobby around - birding!

When: 
Thursdays, June 22-August 17, 2023 8:30-10am

Family Open House: Butterflies & Bugs

Joppa Flats will have Free indoor and outdoor activities for kids and families!

Joppa Flats Education Center invites families to drop in to meet live caterpillars, moths, and butterflies! Learn how to attract birds and other wildlife to your own yard and safely identify insects. Enjoy a Backyard Bug Hunt with our naturalists, join in a Monarch Migration Relay Race, and take home a fun craft or two.

When: 
Saturday, July 22, 2023 10am - 3pm

Yankee Homecoming Family Day

Newburyport Yankee Homecoming's Family Fun Day has a lot to offer in events and activities.

Join Yankee Homecoming at the Nock Middle School as we start off our Super Saturday with good family fun!  Many local businesses, organizations and non-profits take part in our Family Day fun offering free crafts, games, activities and handouts.  Sit down for some lunch and listen to the band playing on the main stage or watch one of the performances taking part throughout the park.

When: 
Saturday August 5, 2023 10am-2pm

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

Imagine, Sing & Learn: Animals of the Ice

Preschoolers learn about the animals of the polar habitats at the Joppa Flats Center.  Photo: A Weith CC BY-SA 4.0

Joppa Flats Education Center invites preschoolers to a fun session where they will learn about artcic animals! This parent/child program is designed for the creative, curious, and active preschooler who loves animals. Each 90-minute session offers a structured series of activities including original songs, movement, dramatic play, hands-on science, and a thematic snack. You'll receive coloring pages, song lyrics, vocabulary, a fun fact sheet, and a suggested reading list in an electronic goody bag!

When: 
Thursday, March 16, 2017 9:30-11am

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

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

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 3:59 pm

Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Willowdale Mansion Tour

Tanke a tour of the Willowdale Mansion at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield MA
The historic tour of Willowdale Estate covers historic background, context and conversation about the Arts & Crafts style mansion. Here is your chance to go inside the Willowdale  Mansion (willowdaleestate.com) for a unique guided tour. Now an event and wedding venue, this over 100 years-old...
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Drop-in Open House at the Nature Center

Drop-in Open House at the Bradley Palmer State Park Nature Center in Hamilton Ipswich Massachusetts
Explore the Nature Center at your leisure. The Park Interpreter will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions. Come see and touch animal furs, replica skulls, animal models, and other natural history materials. For little artists, coloring pages and washable markers will be on hand.
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Growing Wild for Pollinators

Come to Bradley Palmer State Park in Hamilton Massachusetts to learn all about pollinators
Discover the wild world of pollinators and what they do for the natural world around us. Learn how important is it to protect our pollinators for the health of humans, plants, and the environment. Best for ages 6 years and up.
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm

Beverly Farmers' Market

Get fresh local produce at the Beverly Farmers Market in downtown Beverly Massac
The Beverly Farmers’ Market supports local agriculture while making healthy food available to all members of the Beverly community at affordable prices; the market promotes sustainable living practices and fosters community connections through our vendors, free activities and events. The market...
Where: Odell Park
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Friday, June 21

Music Together - Friday

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...
10:30 am to 11:15 am

Kidleidoscope

Kidleidoscope at Maudslay State Park is a chance for preschoolers to explore the park, enjoy a story and make a craft!
Maudslay State Park has created this program for their youngest crowd! For the young set that loves nature, the park interpreter will lead a three-part preschool aged program that includes a story, craft & walk that involves outdoor exploration. A different nature topic each week so come every...
11:00 am

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

Salt Marsh Boat Tour with Parker River NWR

Learn how Plum Island and the Great Marsh were formed and how important they are on this boat tour of the estuary.
Pristine beauty, wide open space, gorgeous views, and the chance to float up and down the peaceful, winding creeks of the world's second most productive ecosystem. Learn how Plum Island and the Great Marsh were formed and how important they are. Boat tours are offered through a private outfitter. ...
11:30 am to 1:30 pm

Drop-in Open House at the Nature Center

Drop-in Open House at the Bradley Palmer State Park Nature Center in Hamilton Ipswich Massachusetts
Explore the Nature Center at your leisure. The Park Interpreter will be on hand to demonstrate and answer questions. Come see and touch animal furs, replica skulls, animal models, and other natural history materials. For little artists, coloring pages and washable markers will be on hand.
1:00 pm to 4:00 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

Family Solstice Full Moon Beach Hike

Walk the beach under the full moon with naturalists from Joppa Flats Education Center
Have you ever gone tide pooling as the sun is setting or explored a a sandy beach under the light of a full moon? Engage in on-the-beach nocturnal experiments about night vision, bioluminescence and more. Attract live minnows with your flashlight and watch barnacles open up to feed. For kids ages 4...
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Schooner Ardelle Date Night

Schooner Ardelle turns into the love boat for date night sailing out of Gloucester Massachusetts!
Maritime Gloucester and  Schooner Ardelle have teamed up to create Date Night! Schooner Ardelle becomes the 'Love Boat' for moms and dads, while kids (ages 5-11) enjoy the care of the staff at Maritime Gloucester, the aquarium and lots of fun activities. You'll have a nice romantic sail around...
6:00 pm to 8:00 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...
7:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Full Moon Hike at Ward Reservation

Join the Trustees on a journey up Holt Hill under the light of the full moon at Ward Reservation in Andover!
Join Within Wildlight in a mindful journey up Holt Hill under the light of the full moon. Together, we will gather for a meditative hike up the trail as night falls, and circle for a gentle guided meditation beneath the moon & stars. Enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, and unique tastes of...
8:30 pm to 10:00 pm
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