Exploration

Becoming a Wildlife Detective

What animals do you see in winter?  Kids will learn about how animals survive the winter months

Even in the middle of winter, nature is a very busy “place!” Though you may not see them, there are an amazing variety of critters going about their business, outdoors, all winter long. What you can see are the tracks and other sign that they leave behind. Participants in this program will be able to explore selected areas to look for clues that paint a picture of “who was here” and “what they were doing.” Participants should meet the ranger at the Hellcat Trail in parking lot 4. Please arrive 10-15 minutes early. This program is appropriate for people of all ages and skill sets.

When: 
Sunday, January 29, 2023 10-11:30am

Outdoor Adventures for Families: Winter Wildlife

Mass Audubons Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary invites you to come learn about coyotes, beavers deer and other animals as they prepare for Winter!

Beavers, coyote, and deer, oh my! Mammals are storing food, putting on fat, thickening their fur, and winterizing their homes for winter. Let's see what evidence of these preparations we can find in the woods and wetlands as we use our science eyes for this hike around the remarkable rockery.

When: 
Thursday, December 22, 2022 1-3pm
Saturday, December 31, 2022 10am-Noon

Youth Outdoor Winter Survival Skills Program

Kids and Tweens will learn outdoors survival skills at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary!

This new three-day drop-off program is for youths who want to learn what it takes to survive in the wild. Each day will have a different theme around an outdoor skill. We will explore the sanctuary, look to our local wildlife for inspiration, and complete an outdoor skill challenge each day. Our last day will end with a carefully made campfire and toasted marshmallows!

When: 
Daily, December 28-30, 2022 10am-Noon

Parent & Child Build a Birdfeeder

Build a Birdfeeder with your child that attracts birds to your yard this winter.

Brighten up your yard this winter with a bird feeder handmade by you and your child. Each family will receive a kit containing all the necessary parts and step-by-step instructions to build a feeder that will attract chickadees, nuthatches, cardinals, and many other birds to your yard. A short presentation will highlight the birds that commonly come to feeders, and we will also observe birds in the sanctuary's bird garden. Please bring a hammer!

When: 
Wednesday, December 28, 2022 1-3pm

Nature Walk Wednesdays | Forest and Salt Marsh Walk

Stroll through the coastal forest and discover what lives in the marsh with naturalists from Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport

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. What changes will you find as we walk through the woods and into a salt marsh? We'll be looking for snails in the salt meadow hay, birds and mammals as they prepare for winter, fish in the marsh waters, and fungi and lichen on trees and logs.

When: 
Wednesday, December 14, 2022 10-11:30am

Nature Walks for Tots: Whose Tracks are in the Woods?

Kids will learn about tracks and signs and paint what they learn at IRWS

As temperatures cool and autumn arrives, Miss Lisa invites you to join her for some family friendly nature walks. Let's explore the woods, a pond, and the beach to look for creatures like birds, fish, frogs, and more while we learn, play, and explore. We'll use our "science eyes" and "nature ears" and discover wildlife together!

When: 
Saturday, December 10, 2022 1:30-3pm

Not Too Stuffed to Hike

Walk the trails in a group at Harold Parker State Forest for some post-Thanksgiving excercise!

You’ll feel better about that Thanksgiving indulgence if you come join us for a hike through the beautiful Harold Parker State Forest! We will be hiking about 2 miles on moderate trails. Wear clothing for hiking; bring rain gear as appropriate. ouring rain, snow, or ice cancels.  Best for children ages 8 and up. Meet at 305 Middleton Road, North Andover, MA

When: 
Friday, November 25, 2022 10am-Noon

Outdoor Adventures for Families: Life at the Edge of the Lake

Explore the habitat at Lake Gardener in Amesbury Massachusetts with Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Educators!

Learn about fall and early winter wildlife with your family in the woods, around wetlands, and along the shore. Lisa Hutchings and her team will assist with the identification of creatures, provide small group challenges, and share their joy and knowledge about the natural world. Sign up for one or all of these educational outdoor excursions and see nature through the lens of a naturalist!

When: 
Saturday, November 19, 2022 10am-12pm
Location: 

CAM: Make & Take Fabric Postcards

Cape Ann Museum Make and Take Fabric Postcards Gloucester Massachusetts

The Sisters In Stitches Joined By The Cloth will be hosting a Make & Take workshop where attendees can create their own fabric postcards at the Janet & William Ellery James Center at the Cape Ann Museum Green on Sunday, July 24. This hands-on event is presented in conjunction with In Her Mind’s Eye: Doris Elizabeth Prouty, an exhibition of quilts designed and sewn by Gloucester resident and self-taught African American quilter, Doris Elizabeth Prouty. Free and open to the public, seats limited and registration required.

When: 
Sunday, July 24, 2022 1-4pm
Location: 

CraneOutdoors: Castle Neck Riverboat Tour

Tour the waters of Essex Bay estuary aboard the Trustee's pontoon boat Osprey!

Join us for a cruise in Essex Bay aboard our pontoon boat the Osprey! We’ll view the seldom seen backside of the Crane Wildlife Refuge and take a turn around Choate Island to view the open fields, wooded hillside and historic structures from the water while hearing stories and learning fun facts about the area from our veteran riverboat captains.

When: 
Wednesdays & Fridays through September 2022 Times Vary
Select Mondays Through September 2022 Times Vary

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

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

When Spring Comes Storywalk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts!
When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes is the subject of this STORYWALK Series.  Watch the world transform when Spring comes!Enjoy this preschool storywalk at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time outside in nature!
7:00 am to 8:00 pm

Tulip Festival at Cider Hill Farm

Come cut your own tulips at Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury Massachusetts
Enjoy free live music, self-guided orchard walks, hard cider, food trucks, fitness n' family activities AND pick-your-tulips! Festival entrance is free but PRE-PURCHASED tickets for tulip picking REQUIRED. Tulip picking tickets will go live late April-early May as we monitor fields.
8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Newburyport Farmers' Market

Newburyport Farmers find organic locally grown produce, meat, dairy Newburyport
The Newburyport Farmers Summer Market celebrates local fresh produce every Sunday morning rain or shine!  Start your Sunday browsing fresh North Shore local produce, meats, cheeses, and seafood in an open air market atmosphere! Food and beverage vendors offer fresh hot coffee, breakfast treats and...
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Spring Blooms at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate

Spring Blooms at the Trustees Stevens Coolidge Estate in North Andover!
Join The Trustees of Reservations at our new entrance location showcasing contemporary gardens, historical gardens, and our Garden Gateway visitor orientation center at 153 Chickering Road, North Andover MA.
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Interpretation Station at Maudslay

Learn about the bloom cycles at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
Join the park interpreter and discover more about the bloom cycle at Maudslay. View the beautiful varieties featrued throughout the park, and peak bloom locations through the growing season.Check the bulletin board in the parking lot for the Interpetation Station location each day.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

"Lilac Sunday" at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University

Educational Program for Families North of Boston Arnold Arboretum Harvard
Take part in a beloved Boston tradition! Of the thousands of flowering plants in the Arboretum, only one, the lilac, is singled out each year for a day-long celebration. Tours of the lilacs, dance performances, picnicking (allowed on this special day only), and family activities make for a...
10:00 am to 2:59 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

Home & Food Truck Show | Topsfield

Home and Food Truck show at the Topfield Fairground in Massachusetts
April 20th & 21st. FREE admission and FREE parking. All INDOORS & Enjoy the Food Trucks outside. Speak to leading home industry professionals to plan your spring home projects.
10:00 am to 6:59 pm

Befriend the Barnyard

Befriend the Barnyard is a hands-on barnyard experience at the Trustees of Reservations' Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts
Discover our special barnyard animals! Our Angora rabbits Violet, Mabel, Oiver and Charles; Nubian goats Maeve, Morgana, and Mordred; dairy cows Gray, Jasmine, their calves Gigi and Joanie and our friendly flock of heritage chickens will take center stage as we learn about what makes them so unique...
11:00 am to 1:00 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 it’s most known for. In addition to learning about what plants are in bloom as well as the rare and unique species in our collection, you...
11:00 am to 12:00 pm

TitO presents Petrushka's Puppet Theater

Theater in the Open presents Petrushka's Puppet Theater at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
Come one! Come all! Join us in Maudslay State Park for Petrushka and the Catapillar! What happens when your favorite stories need a new ending? Everyone's favorite clown upends iconic fables and fairytales in our signature storytelling style – with tons of imagination, humor, and heart. Join...
2:00 pm to 4:30 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. May’s theme is Farms, and each week participants will explore science and arts through hands-on projects and experiments. This program is free with admission to the 2-4PM play session. You can purchase tickets and sign up for STEAM club...
2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

Boston String Academy at Shalin Liu

Boston String Academy at Shalin Liu Performing Arts Center. Visit Rockport Massachusetts, Cape Ann, North of Boston.
Boston String Academy (BSA) is a non-profit organization, inspired by the Venezuelan El Sistema model which believes in music as a vehicle for social change. We provide rigorous string instrument instruction to children in under-served communities, laying a solid musical foundation and creating a...
3:00 pm

Sunday, May 26

Newburyport Farmers' Market

Newburyport Farmers find organic locally grown produce, meat, dairy Newburyport
The Newburyport Farmers Summer Market celebrates local fresh produce every Sunday morning rain or shine!  Start your Sunday browsing fresh North Shore local produce, meats, cheeses, and seafood in an open air market atmosphere! Food and beverage vendors offer fresh hot coffee, breakfast treats and...
9:00 am to 1:00 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

Home & Food Truck Show | Topsfield

Home and Food Truck show at the Topfield Fairground in Massachusetts
April 20th & 21st. FREE admission and FREE parking. All INDOORS & Enjoy the Food Trucks outside. Speak to leading home industry professionals to plan your spring home projects.
10:00 am to 6:59 pm

Interpretation Station at Maudslay

Learn about the bloom cycles at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
Join the park interpreter and discover more about the bloom cycle at Maudslay. View the beautiful varieties featrued throughout the park, and peak bloom locations through the growing season.Check the bulletin board in the parking lot for the Interpetation Station location each day.
10:00 am to 12:00 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 it’s most known for. In addition to learning about what plants are in bloom as well as the rare and unique species in our collection, you...
11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Monday, May 27

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance that occurs on the last Monday of May in the United States. Photo ©2023 Bill O'Connor
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance that occurs on the last Monday of May in the United States
12:01 am to 11:59 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

Home & Food Truck Show | Topsfield

Home and Food Truck show at the Topfield Fairground in Massachusetts
April 20th & 21st. FREE admission and FREE parking. All INDOORS & Enjoy the Food Trucks outside. Speak to leading home industry professionals to plan your spring home projects.
10:00 am to 6:59 pm

Tuesday, May 28

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
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