Essex National Heritage Area sites offer over 150 free family fun events over two weekends each September for the annual celebration of TRAILS & SAILS. Participants can hike, bike, paddle, stroll or sail through the region and Essex National Heritage Area will provide a passport to fun and adventure. It’s all FREE and it’s all located within the 34 cities and towns of Essex County. You can read more about it Trails & Sails 2018
Explore nature and get outdoors at Joppa Flats Education Center Summer Camp. Joppa Flats Summer Camp is the perfect program for children with an interest in and curiosity about nature. Campers ages 6 to 11 have fun and make friends as they discover local habitats and wildlife. Register for a nature-based day camp sessions for childages 6-11 today!
Appleton Farms is one of the most significant cultural and natural landscapes in American agrarian history. Our working landscape offers a diversity of learning opportunities for all ages, from soil science and habitat management to cheese making and community supported agriculture. The rich stories, rare resources, and sustainable operations, make Appleton Farms one of the finest stages in the country to showcase and teach excellence in small-scale agriculture.
Studies show that children who spend time in nature and develop a rapport with the great outdoors are healthier, happier kids. At SummerQuest, we strive to connect children with the natural world, and to exercise their imaginations as well as their muscles.
Wee Farmers is designed for our 3-4 year old friends who want to explore the farm, meet our animals, and get a taste of what Farm Camp is like at Appleton! Kids will get to dig into life on the farm and lend a helping hand brushing our goats, feeding our bunnies, singing songs, and taste testing in the education garden! Learn about how we grow our vegetables and see how good your senses are with Harvest Blanket. Tour the Cheese Kitchen and learn how sunshine helps to makes our delicious milk. We’ll start our morning with a quick craft and song before venturing out for some farm discovery and nature exploration. This program is perfect for younger siblings who have older siblings signed up for the Appleton Farm Camp and want to join in the fun too!
Amesbury Youth Recreation offers over 30 different summer programs to choose from for ages 3 and up. Please see summer brochure for extensive list [download link below]. There are plenty of programs to choose from for kids 4 and up.
Joppa Flats Summer Camp is the perfect place for youth with an interest in and curiosity about the world around them. Their weekly summer themes offer a wide range of topics – everything from oceans to birds to nature art – as well as opportunities for children to experience hands-on science, discuss reasons “why” and “how” things happen, handle live animals, explore the outdoors, and create art projects to take home. Joppa Flats programs stress environmental awareness, having fun, and learning, both indoors and out. Flats Summer Camp is the perfect place for youth ages 6 to 12 with an interest in and curiosity about the world around them.
Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary offers a wide range of ecological activities at multiple locations on the north shore. Their programs are age appropriate and are designed to specific age ranges. Kids 4-14 are bound to have a good time exploring and learning about the habitats that surround them and the creatures that live there.
The Brimmer and May School offers a variety of exciting and enriching programs designed to meet your family's summer needs. At Brimmer and May, we offer campers a traditional day camp experience as well as the opportunity to explore specific areas of interest in one of our specialty camps.
