Hands-On

Maritime Adventure Days

Maritime Adventure Free Days at Custom House Maritime Museum Newburyport Massachusetts

Maritime Adventure Free Days offers families and kids a unique opportunity to explore maritime history through interactive activities, guided tours, and hands-on workshops. A day of fun and discovery at the Custom House Maritime Museum for the family. These free Saturday events include experiencing a traditional Wampanoag dugout canoe being made by a team of craftsmen. Part of Trails & Sails

When:

Saturday, September 13, 2025 9am-1pm

Saturday, September 20, 2025 9am-1pm

Saturday, September 27, 2025 9am-1pm

Location:

Custom House Maritime Museum

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Girls in STEM Session at Acera School

Acera Schools Girls in STEM Hands-On Science Event for K-8 Kids in grade K-8

Do you know a girl who is curious about science? Join Acera School on Saturday, April 5th from 10AM to 12PM for an exciting – and FREE – morning of interactive STEM! The event will be held at Acera School, located at 5 Lowell Ave in Winchester. Free on site parking is available.

When:

Saturday, April 5, 2025 10am-Noon

Location:

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Brookwood School Sustainable Future Fest

Brookwood School Future Fest sustainability festival in Manchester Massachusetts

Join Brookwood School in Manchester, MA, for the Sustainable Future Fest—an event bringing together North Shore families, eco-advocates, and local businesses in the spirit of sustainability and community fun! Designed for families and kids aged 3-14, the festival will feature:

When:

Saturday, November 23, 2024 from 10am-1pm

Location:

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Plankton Safari

Come to Maritime Gloucester and discover what lives near the bottom of the oceanic food chain using digital microscopes! Join Maritime Gloucester’s education and aquarium staff as we take a deep dive into some of the ocean’s smallest, yet most important, organisms. Learn about plankton’s vital role in the marine ecosystem, and look under our microscopes to see what local species you can identify!. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

When:

Tuesdays & Thursdays through August 22, 2024 10:30-3:30pm

Location:

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Snowy Owl Whooooo?

Teens are invited to come craft amigurumi snowy owls at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newbury Massachusetts

Teens are invited to the Parker River Wildlife Refuge to learn about owls! Join Parker River Staff to crochet a snowy owl. Using amigurumi, the Japanese practice of crocheting small stuffed yarn, we will crochet a small stuffed snowy owl that's great for desk decoration, keychain, or dangle. Beginners welcome!

When:

Saturday, January 13, 2024 10am-12:30pm

Location:

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

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Free Admission & Fall Workshop with Kelly Slater

The Lynn Museum Will offer free admission and a workshop with artist Kelly Slater during Trails and Sails in Massachusetts!

Come to the Lynn Museum and Historical Society enjoy complimentary admission! View our latest exhibitions, buy locally made goods in our shop, take advantage of our virtual tour, or read a book in our courtyard.

When:

Saturday, September 23, 2023 10am-2pm

Location:

Lynn Museum and Historical Society

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Tinker Time at Amesbury Carriage Museum

Tinker Time at Amesbury Massachusetts Carriage Museum For kids Aged 6-12.

Join Amesbury Carriage Museum for a FREE monthly drop-in time at the Industrial History Center for 6 to 12 year olds. Drop in for family Tinkertime and try your hand at weaving!

When:

Saturday, August 19, 2023 1-4pm

Location:

Amesbury Carriage Museum

Experiential Learning

Instruction

Demonstration

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Hands on History

Each weekend in July and August the House of 7 Gables invites young (and young at heart!) guests to explore different elements of colonial life through hands-on activities. These drop-in programs will run 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. Saturdays and Sundays and are free with the purchase of admission. This summer, we will be exploring traditional children’s games and the art of calligraphy. Stop in for some hands-on fun!

When:

Weekends through August 2023 11am-3pm

Location:

House of Seven Gables

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Broom Decorating for Kids at the Witchery

The Witchery is hosting a ‘Broom Decorating for Kids’ class each Saturday in Salem Massachusetts

Kids are invited to decorate their own broom with pendants, charms, plants, ribbons & more. Our 20" kids' brooms are assembled by The Witchery and ready for your little ones to customize! Broom decorating is a hands-on, friendly activity in a relaxed setting. Kids will browse our tables to select their items and then customize your broom. Parents may need to assist with tying and fastening, etc. Appropriate for ages 3-10. Activity will be outdoors whenever possible. Kits to go also available.

When:

Saturdays through August 6, 2022 9am

Location:

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Art in the Shipyard!

Kids will create art at the Essex Shipbuilding Musem each Wednesday afternoon!

See, learn, find, create! Young artists are invited to enjoy drawing, painting, print making, and sculpture using the Museum's shipyard and artifacts for inspiration. All materials are provided for projects. All ages are welcome. Those seven and younger must be accompanied by an adult. A public exhibit of the art work produced will take place at the museum. This program is supported in part by the Essex Cultural Council, a local agency, through the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

When:

Wednesdays, April 17 to June 5, 2013 3:30-5pm

Location:

Essex Shipbuilding Museum

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New Years Eve

12:00 am to 11:59 pm

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Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!

Where: Halibut Point State Park

7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.

Where: Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site

7:00 am to 7:00 pm

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Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....

Where: Downtown Salem

9:00 am to 5:00 pm

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CraneOutdoors: Family Winter Wildlife Walk

A CraneOutdoors Family Winter Wildlife Walk will take you on a stroll through the Crane Beach dunes while learning about the plants and animals that call this special place home. You may be familiar with Crane Beach, but have you ever visited the dune trails? The dunes of Castle Neck are a much...

Where: Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

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Rockport New Year's Eve 2025

Rockport New Year’s Eve (RNYE) is a family-friendly year-end celebration of the arts held in downtown Rockport, Massachusetts annually since 1996. Halls, churches, town offices, and some streets are taken over by happy revelers celebrating the New Year.

Where: Downtown Rockport

4:00 pm to 11:59 pm

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Launch! Salem

Come ring in the New Year with us! Salem Main Streets and the City of Salem are teaming up to throw LAUNCH!, our family-friendly New Year’s Eve party, on Wednesday, Dec. 31 from 4:30 pm to 6 pm on Artists’ Row. There will be an early countdown just before 6 pm.

Where: Artists' Row

4:30 pm to 6:00 pm

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Thursday, January 1

CraneOutdoors: First Day Hike in the Dunes

Start the year off outside with some fresh air. You may be familiar with Crane Beach, but have you ever visited the dune trails? The dunes of Castle Neck are a much less explored world unto themselves. Offering one of the most accessible dune ecosystems north of Cape Cod, Castle Neck has over six...

Where: Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate

1:00 pm to 3:30 pm

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Friday, January 2

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

Travel back in time to a castle filled with lush, opulent textures inspired by the great medieval and Renaissance castles of Europe. Wander through rooms adorned with White Birch and Christmas trees, sparkling fairy lights, hydrangea-lace garlands, and elegant bows, each space transformed with its...

Where: Hammond Castle Museum

10:00 am to 8:00 pm

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CraneOutdoors: Family Winter Wildlife Walk

Where: Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

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Saturday, January 3

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

Where: Hammond Castle Museum

10:00 am to 8:00 pm

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Music and Movement at North Shore Children's Museum

Music and Movement with Marybeth Maes is an engaging music and movement class for young children at the North Shore Children's Museum. Marybeth brings her guitar and instruments for the children to use while they sing, dance, and play.

Where: North Shore Children's Museum

10:00 am to 11:00 am

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Sunday, January 4

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

Where: Hammond Castle Museum

10:00 am to 8:00 pm

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Sunday STEAM Club at 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...

Where: North Shore Children's Museum

2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

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Wednesday, January 7

Mini Movers at North Shore Children's Museum

Mini Movers is an engaging dance and movement class for young children at the North Shore Children's Museum. Led by experienced instructors, the program introduces young children to the world of dance in a safe and nurturing environment.

Where: North Shore Children's Museum

10:00 am to 11:00 am

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Saturday, January 10

Sourdough Bread Workshop at Appleton Farms

In this culinary workshop, participants will learn to make bakery quality bread with local flour in their home oven. Culinary Program Manager Jess Porter will demonstrate mixing, folding, shaping, proofing, scoring and baking Appleton’s flagship Farmstead Sourdough. Class ends with fresh bread and...

Where: Appleton Farms

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

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