Play Time

Imagine, Sing, & Learn 11A: Do Animals Build?

Kids ages 3-6 will learn about animal homes, nests, burrows hideaways and the  animals that make them at Joppa Flats Education Center

Join Mass Audubon for this fun, hands-on science program about animals who build nests, burrows, webs, and dens and make their own homes comfy and safe. We will make make-believe bird nests, learn how animals use materials from nature and people to create their homes and we’ll burn off some energy with fun role plays as we dig, weave, spin and build! This program will include active group play, a take home craft and a very special homemade snack!

When: 
Thursday, November 19, 2015 1-2:30 pm

Imagine, Sing & Learn: Tracks in the Snow

Kids ages 3-6 will learn about tracks in the snow and the animals that make them

This parent/child program is designed for the creative, curious, and active preschooler. Each 90-minute session offers a structured series of activities including original songs, movement, dramatic play, outdoor exploration, and a thematic snack. When it's time to go home, you'll receive coloring pages, song lyrics, vocabulary, a fun fact sheet, and a suggested reading list via e-mail. At this ISL, we'll learn to identify tracks in the snow and the creatures that leave them behind!

When: 
Friday, February 7, 2020 10-11:30am

Nature Walks for Tots: Rolling Logs & Finding Tracks

Kids ages 4-6 will learn about tracks in the snow and the animals that make them

As we think about the coming snow, we'll find the signs that animals leave in tracks and under rotting logs to discover how they are getting ready for winter. As our colder weather arrives and settles in, Miss Lisa wants you to join her for some family friendly nature walks. Let's explore the woods, the salt marsh, and the streams 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 wildife together!

When: 
Thursday, December 9, 2021 1:30-3pm

Monarch Migration Celebration

Kids will learn about monarch butterflies at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate in North Andover!

You spent the summer watching them flit about your gardens, now it’s time to wish them well on their trip down to Mexico – it’s the Monarch Migration Celebration at Stevens-Coolidge Place! This celebration will kick off with a children’s pollinator parade around the property (costumes encouraged!) bringing all visitors to an afternoon of demos, crafts & stories, seed bomb making and gardening tips to bring these orange friends to your yard in the spring.
Butterfly release at 2:30pm

When: 
Saturday, October 5, 2019 10am-3pm

Nature Playgroup at The Stevens-Coolidge Place

Toddlers are invited to come play and discover nature at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate in North Andover!

Join The Trustees of Reservations at the Stevens-Coolidge Estate for a nature playgroup designed just for the little ones! To encourage outdoor play and familiarity with the natural world, a nature-based toddler playgroup will be held at the Stevens-Coolidge Place on every-other Tuesday, April through June.

When: 
Tuesdays 2, 16 & 30, 2019 9:30-11am

Raising Treehouse Kids in an iPad World

Do you want to child to ... Dig in the dirt? Daydream? Imagine? Create? Many families today find their days are pressured, tightly scheduled and hectic. Children move from adult-driven activities to device-driven activities with little time left for child-driven free play. In this group parents will learn how to make unstructured play time a natural part of the daily routine. Parents will learn concrete strategies to decrease the allure of electronic devices and find tools to offer a childhood experience surrounded by nature, imagination and creativity.

When: 
Mondays, April 22-May 20, 2019 10:15-11:15am

Marblehead Rec Gym Play Time & Activities

Gym Play Time & Activities at Marblehead Recreation Department

DJ, Dancing & Cookie Decorating! Join the Marblehead Recreation Department for the 8th Annual Daddy Daughter Dance. This is a social event for girls of all ages with their fathers, grandfathers, uncles or other guardians/caregivers.

When: 
Thursdays through April 11, 2019
3-3:45p for ages 2½-3½ 3:45-4:25p for ages 3-4

Pizza and Play Night

Greater Newburyport Mothers and Families Club Pizza and Play Night

Come join the GNFC Kids Outing Team for some Friday night fun! A night filled with free play in an indoor playground. Enjoy musical activities such as instrument play, bubbles, and a dance party. There will be pizza and juice provided for each child. Children must be accompanied by a guardian and registration is required for each child attending. Recommended age is 5 years old and under. Hope you can make this fun event! Sign up on the GNFC website. Space is limited so sign up fast!

When: 
Friday, June 22, 2018 5-7pm

Saturday Legos & More!

LEGOs and Tea at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum!

Take a break! Relax with a cup of tea or coffee while the kids play with Legos, drawing and coloring materials, or other games in the Museum's Orientation Center (front building). No charge. Bad weather - heavy snow, bad driving conditions cancels. Supported through a grant from the Robbins de Beaumont Foundation.

When: 
Saturdays February 15 - March 1, 2014 10am-1pm

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Carousel at Salisbury Beach MA. Parties, Family Reunions, Weddings, Showers, Birthday Parties

Tree Planting at Veasey Park

Help reforest/rewild Veasey Park in Georgetown Massachusetts by volunteering to plant seedlings! Image AI Generated
We need many hands to help us in planting THOUSANDS of trees at Veasey Park in April! Any amount of time you can donate to this project will be much appreciated. Please use the this link to sign up.
8:00 am to 5:30 pm

Early Spring Birds at IRWS

Come learn what birds are returning to the North Shore at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary! Image: Mass Audubon
Come learn what birds are returning after spending the winter months in the warm south. Equipped with binoculars, let's see how many different colors, sizes and sounds of birds we can find. We'll observe nests and attempt to build one of our own!
10:00 am to 11:30 am

The Boston Outdoor Expo

Boston Outdoor Expo
If your family loves adventure, join us for a 2-day outdoor expo that offers a full weekend of inspiration for outdoor enthusiasts, like you. You'll meet famous explorers and adventurers hundreds of brands, plus 20+ hands-on activities including Bushcraft Skills workshops.
10:00 am to 4:00 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

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

Whiz Kid at North Shore Children's Museum

Visit Peabody MA, NorthShore, North Shore Children's Museum
Join in on the excitement on Saturday at 10 am for a foam-spewing, rocket-launching, mummifying, vortex-making blast of fun! Children are awed and amazed. Whiz Kidz provides science-themed entertainment for children aged 5-13.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

Art in Bloom at MFA - Boston

Art in Bloom at MFA - Boston
Celebrate the return of spring with Art in Bloom, the Museum’s annual festival of fine art and flowers. Enjoy exquisite art from across the MFA’s collection paired with magnificent floral interpretations created by New England-area garden clubs. Professional designers delight with creative designs...
10:00 am to 3:45 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

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

Portraits in Silhouette at Wenham Museum

Portraits in Silhouette will have portrait sittings at the Wenham Museum!
Portraits In Silhouette is the combined expertise of silhouette artists and mother-daughter team, Jean Comerford and Marcella Comerford-Foley. Portraits In Silhouette is focused on bringing you original, personalized work, full of inventive detail and creative spark. The silhouettes are never...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Annual Sheepshearing Festival

Gore Place Sheep Shearing Festival Waltham MA for North Shore Children Families
Since 1987, this annual event has entertained guests with music, 100+ craft and fiber artists, demonstrations of traditional shearing and herding dogs, and historic re-enactors on the beautiful grounds of this historic, 50-acre estate. People often tell us that spring doesn't begin until the...
Where: Gore Place
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

LEGO Club at Salem Public Library

Come to the Salem Massachusetts Public Library for an afternoon of LEGO and fun!
Salem Public Library hosts a morning session of LEGO fun! We provide the LEGO, you provide the imagination.  Stop by the library on Saturday mornings (every other Saturday) to play and build.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

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

Live Animal Presentation at Halibut Point

Come to Halibut Point State Park for a live animal presentation featuring turtles, frogs and salamanders.
Come to a Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team presentation at Halibut Point State Park to get an up-close view and learn all about vernal pond creatures you
11:00 am to 12:30 pm

Fairy Gnome Discovery Walk at Pettengill Farm

Pettengill Farm and Salisbury PTA in Salisbury is hosting a gnome and fairy discovery walk
Come to the eighth annual Fairy Gnome Discovery Walk at Pettengill Farm. The gems of the event are the 200+ Fairy and Gnome Homes peppered throughout a 1 mile wooded path that leads to the marsh and back. Homes are created by very talented professionals, families, school children, and local...
11:00 am to 3:00 pm

Earth Day Live Animal Demo at Halibut Point

Earthday Frog Turtle and Salamander Demo at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts
DCR hosts a live animal demonstration at Halibut Point State Park to celebrate Earth Day! Live frogs, turtles, and salamanders, our vernal pond ambassadors, will visit Halibut Point with Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team.
11:00 am to 12:30 pm

Plant a Seed – Paint a Pot at MPL

Come to the library to plant some seeds and paint your own pot in Manchester by the Sea Massachusetts
During the plant swap kids and kids of all ages can paint a pot and plant a seed of their choice. Bring it home your creation and watch it grow! 
11:00 am to 1:00 pm

Gloucester Zinefest at SFL

Come the the Gloucester Zinefest at Sawyer Free Library in Massachusetts
 come to the the Sawyer Free Library (21 Main Street) and our event space across the street (20 Main Street) for a day that celebrates the library’s new zine collection, zine-making, and zine culture! Enjoy: Zine Marketplace | Music | Speakers | Make your own zine | Holy Cow Ice Cream | Free stuff...
11:00 am to 3:00 pm

Salisbury Beach Carousel - Saturday Hours

Carousel at Salisbury Beach MA. Parties, Family Reunions, Weddings, Showers, Birthday Parties
Salisbury Beach Carousel Hours: Friday: 4 pm to 8 pm Saturday: 12 pm to 8 pm Sunday: 12 pm to 6 pm Hours of operation are to change.
12:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Salisbury Beach Carousel - Vacation Hours

Carousel at Salisbury Beach MA. Parties, Family Reunions, Weddings, Showers, Birthday Parties
Salisbury Beach Carousel Hours: Monday - Saturday 12 - 7:00 pm Sunday: 12 pm to 5:00 pm Hours of operation are to change.
12:00 pm to 7:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: Castle Neck Hike in the Dunes

Hiking the Dunes at the Crane Wildlife refuge with the Trustees of Reservations.
While just about everybody on the North Shore has probably been to Crane Beach, 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 miles of trails, traversing the dunes, maritime...
1:00 pm to 3:30 pm

Board Game Afternoon in Salem

Come to the Salem Massachusetts Public Library for an afternoon of board games and fun!
Salem Public Library hosts a an afternoon of board games and fun! Drop by and play!  A variety of board games will be provided. Open to all ages!
2:30 pm to 3:30 pm

Cow Connection at Appleton Farms

Join The Trustees of Reservations at Appleton Farms for Cow Connection in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come and meet, cuddle, brush, scratch, talk, and sit with our hand-raised cows at Appleton Farms! The mild heart rate and warm body temperature of the cows induces a slowing of our own heart rate, as well as the release of Oxytocin, our social bonding hormone. Visit our scenic and historic dairy...
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Sunday, April 28

Family Portraits at the North Shore Children’s Museum

Portraits at the North Shore Children’s Museum
Capture the beauty of the season with a family photo session at the North Shore Children’s Museum in Peabody! This event features photography by Tracey Westgate Photography and a stunning backdrop and art installation by local artist Linda Mullen of Grace & Diggs, adding a touch of creativity...
1:30 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. Each week participants will explore science and arts through hands-on projects and experiments. This program is free with admission to the play session.
2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

Monday, April 29

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

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

Tuesday, April 30

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

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

Barnyard Story Hour at Appleton Farms

Kids can meet the barnyard animals and hear a story at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts.
Barnyard stories really come alive when you get to see the main characters in real life! Bring the kids down to Appleton Farms for our farm-fresh version of story time. Explore the farmstead, visit our learning garden, see our cows and rabbits, and find a spot to play under a shady tree in our...
10:30 am to 11:30 am
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