Exploration

Walk thru the Mt. Laurels

Maudslay State Park has one of the best shows of flower bloom in the Commonwealt

Maudslay State Park has one of the best shows of flower bloom in the Commonwealth. Enjoy a guided walk along the river to view this beautiful area of the park, and learn about the natural, cultural and historical content of this location.  J.G. Whittier’s famous poem “The Laurels” will be highlighted during the walk. Comfortable walking shoes, water and sunscreen are recommended. For: All Ages. Meet at the park headquarters on 74 Curzon Mill Road.

When: 
Saturday, June 16, 2018 2-3:30pm
Saturday, June 23, 2017 2-3:30pm

Sharing Nature with Children

Come experience Nature Awareness activities and games that engage heart, mind, and senses at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Want to instill your children with the wonder and joy of nature but aren't sure how? Come experience Nature Awareness activities and games that engage heart, mind, and senses. Fun and easy to learn, these uplifting and playful activities were developed by world-renowned experiential educator Joseph Cornell. Share them as a family and rediscover the beauty and richness of nature.

When: 
Saturday, June 9, 2018 10am-Noon

Endangered Species Day at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Explore Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and learn about endangered species like the piping plover!!

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge invites people of all ages to celebrate Endangered Species Day at the Refuge Visitor Center.  Endangered Species Day was designated to educate the American public on the importance of protecting endangered species and highlight the everyday actions that individuals can take to help protect our nation’s wildlife, fish and plants.

When: 
Saturday, May 19, 2018 1-4pm

Farmer for a Day: Dairy Detectives

This April vacation program at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts will follow the farms dairy operation.

The farm is coming alive in April and there is so much to do! Dig into vacation at Appleton Farms and become a farmer for a day (or 4)! You’ll get to help care for our animals, learn to grow and eat farm fresh food, create natural crafts, and explore the farm as it wakes up to spring!  Your little farmers will come home with stories of adventure, a deeper understanding of where their food comes from, a sense of responsibility, and memories made with new friends. This session will focus on Appleton Farm's dairy operations.

When: 
Friday, April 20, 2018 9am-12pm
Location: 

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

Childhood on Cape Ann Family Tour

Cape Ann Museum Collection. Kids skating on frozen Gloucester Harbor

How did Cape Ann children play, learn, dress and think throughout history? Learn the answers with docent Trudi Olivetti during this all ages family tour. End your visit in the Activity Center with hands-on art-projects and play in a real dory. Free for CAM members or with Museum admission. Best for ages 5+. To register, call Kirsten Vega.

When: 
Saturday, April 28, 2018 1-1:45pm
Location: 

CAM Kids Second Saturdays - Calligraphy

CAM Kids will teach kids the basics of Calligraphy at Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester

Learn calligraphy basics with specialist Albina Papows. Inspired by the special exhibition Unfolding Histories: Cape Ann before 1900. Write your name, use calligraphy tools and leave with a sampler to take home. This family workshop is recommended for children 7 and up with an adult. Registration required.

When: 
Saturday, April 14, 2018 10am-Noon
Location: 

Wind, Weather, and Snow, Oh My!

 Kids will learn about seasons, snow, wind and weather at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport.

Why do we have seasons? Why is it hotter in summer and colder in winter?  What is wind? How is it measured? How do clouds form? Where do snowflakes come from and why do they fall to Earth? Join us for fun, interactive learning activities to answer these questions about wind, weather, and snow. Learn how to make your own weather vane. Be a snowflake engineer (with the help of toothpicks and marshmallows) and take your tasty construction home! 

When: 
Sunday, March 25, 2018 1-2:30 pm

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Brookwood School Summer Program for kids Pre-K through 9 in Manchester Massachusetts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Music in the Millyard: Studio Two Beatles Tribute

Studio Two is a Beatles cover band that will play at Amesbury Town Park.
Studio Two is a headlining Beatles band that pays tribute to the early Beatles years, choosing songs from the pre-Sgt. Pepper era. Featuring graduates from Berklee College of Music and Beatles devotees, Studio Two band mates met in a “cellar full of noise” in a town slightly west of Liverpool (...
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Sunday, July 6

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

Kite Festival in Marblehead

The Kite Festival at Devereaux Beach is just one event of many in the Marblehead
Head over to Devereaux Beach for one of the most eclectic and ascendent events of the Festival! Join Three Moons Rising  and create your own flying art! Buy a kite kit on site or BYO Kite! Whether flying a kite or just attending for the fun, the multitude of kites in the sky are a spectacular sight...
12:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Sand Sculpture Competition

Marblehead FoA Sand Sculpture Competition on Devereaux Beach in Marblehead
Register to build a sandcastle or sculpture together! Entry is free and open to all ages and families at the start of the event. Please bring your own buckets, shovels, and building tools! Entries will be judged by a small team of local children, and prizes given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, as...
12:30 pm to 3:00 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

Art on the Avenue

Marblehead Festival of the Arts Art on the Avenue July 4th weekend in Marblehead MA
Young in Age or Young at Heart - All ages welcomed to Art on The Avenue located on Atlantic Avenue part of the Marblehead Festival of Arts. ​ Paint your own pottery with Hestia Creations, make jewelry with EOS studio, learn about plants from Marblehead Garden Center or connecting with mini horses...
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

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

Sundays in Patton Park

North Shore Free Concerts for North Shore Families at Patton Park in Hamilton Massachusetts
Come enjoy community and music each Sunday in Patton Park! Dust off your lawn chairs and bring your picnic down to the park on Sunday evenings. We have a fantastic line up of bands this summer ---presented by Institution for Savings Bank and sponsored by The Community House, Town of Hamilton, HW...
5:00 pm to 7:00 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
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