PEM February School Vacation Week

February School Vacation Week programs at Peabody Essex Museum in Salem Massachusetts

Peabody Essex Museum invites kids and families for days of fun and engaging events and activities during February vacation week!  Come to the Museum Come join us for a week of exploration into our relationship with nature and discover new ways to become a steward of the earth.  There will be drop in art activities, collaborative art projects, multisensory tours, artist demonstrations and more! The museum hosts a weeklong celebration (10am - 4pm daily) of Black History Month and the exhibition 'Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle' through family-friendly art making, music and storytelling. All programs are included with admission.

Monday, February 17 | Holiday Monday |

  • DROP-IN FAMILY STORYTIME | 10:30am - 11:30am | Main Atrium
    • PEM Pals: Parker Looks Up
      • Four-year-old Parker Curry was transformed by her encounter with Amy Sherald’s portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama at the National Portrait Gallery. This extraordinary museum moment has been captured in a delightful book written by Parker and her mom, Jessica Curry, with illustrations by Brittany Jackson. Designed for toddlers and their caregivers, PEM Pals is a storytime program that includes movement, singing, and art making.
  • DROP-IN ART MAKING | 1pm - 2pm | Main Atrium
    • Story Trails: Jake Makes a World
      • Jake has just moved to New York City, where he’s greeted by new people, new sights and new sounds in his new neighborhood of Harlem. To make sense of it all, he turns to art. Inspired by the childhood of artist Jacob Lawrence, Jake Makes a World will help you find inspiration in everyday things! After a reading of the story, create a paper collage portrait mask just like young Jake does in the book.

Tuesday, February 18

  • DROP-IN ART MAKING | 11am - noon | Main Atrium
    • Story Trails: Jake Makes a World
    • See Monday description.
  • GALLERY POP-UP
    • Freestyle Cipher with Wreck Shop, featuring Big Brotha Sadi
      • Make your voice heard with local artist collective Wreck Shop Movement. Wreck Shop aims to empower people by creating community through hip hop and spoken word. Witness the performance of local artist Big Brotha Sadi. Then, move into the exhibition to experience a freestyle “cipher,” a performance circle of improvised rhyming, responding to stories of struggle in the work of Jacob Lawrence. Let the power of words inspire you to stand with the artists and participate in the cipher!
    • Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle | 1pm-2:30pm

Wednesday, February 19

  • DROP-IN FAMILY STORYTIME | 10:30am - 11:30am | Main Atrium
    • PEM Pals: Black is a Rainbow Color
      • Angela Joy’s Black is a Rainbow Color is a rhythmic celebration of Black culture and Black History, accompanied by colorful illustrations by Ekua Holmes, an award-winning artist from Roxbury, MA. Designed for toddlers and their caregivers, PEM Pals is a storytime program that includes movement, singing, and art making.
  • DROP-IN WORKSHOP | 1pm-2pm | Main Atrium
    • Castle of Our Skins: A Little History
      • Castle of Our Skins is a concert and educational series dedicated to celebrating Black artistry, history and heritage through music. In this workshop, artistic director and violist Ashleigh Gordon weaves music, poetry, storytelling and audience interaction into a fun-filled exploration of both unsung and celebrated figures of past and present.
  • DROP-IN WORKSHOP | 2pm-3pm | Create Space
    • Wee Wear the Crowns: Celebrate Black Identity & Creativity
      • Join Boston-based social justice project Wee the People for a two-part workshop celebrating black identity, creativity, and cultural expression. Explore the lives and contemporary art of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Nina Chanel Abney, two artists whose revolutionary work champions Black lives, celebrates resistance, and radicalizes mainstream art spaces. Then, dive into their own art-making activity with Identity Collages, creating collages that reflect and celebrate Black culture, circles of community, and kids’ hopes for change in the world.
  • DROP-IN BOOKMAKING | 11am-3pm | Create Space
    • Publish Your Voice with 826 Boston
      • 826 Boston is building communities of young writers by empowering students to share their stories through bookmaking and literacy workshops. In collaboration with middle school students from Roxbury, write your own ending to a story inspired by Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle. Illustrate and bind your book in this workshop, then take a copy home with you!

Thursday, February 20

  • DROP-IN BOOKMAKING | 11am-3pm | Create Space
    • Publish Your Voice with 826 Boston
      • See Wednesday description.
  • DROP-IN ART MAKING | 11am - noon | Main Atrium
    • Story Trails: Jake Makes a World
      • See Monday description.
  • GALLERY POP-UP
    • Freestyle Ciphers with Wreck Shop, featuring Shalom the Poet
      • Make your voice heard with local artist collective Wreck Shop Movement. Wreck Shop aims to empower people by creating community through hip hop and spoken word. Witness the performance of local artist Big Brotha Sadi. Then, move into the exhibition to experience a freestyle “cipher,” a performance circle of improvised rhyming, responding to stories of struggle in the work of Jacob Lawrence. Let the power of words inspire you to stand with the artists and participate in the cipher!
    • 1pm-2:30pm | Jacob Lawrence: The American Struggle

Friday, February 21

  • DROP-IN BOOKMAKING
    • Publish Your Voice with 826 Boston | 11am-3pm | Create Space
      • See Wednesday description.
  • WORKSHOPS
    • Castle of Our Skins: A Little History | 1pm-2pm | Main Atrium
      • See Wednesday description.
    • Syncopated Ladies | 2:30pm-3:45pm | East India Marine Hall (TBD)
      • Join internet tap dance sensations Syncopated Ladies for a fresh new perspective on working together while expressing your individuality with movement and musicality. Attendees will build from the basic steps up to improvisational “conversations” with each other, then learn a simple routine under the master guidance of Syncopated Ladies Anissa Lee and Assata Madison. No experience or tap shoes required; sneakers or hard sole shoes recommended.
When: 
Daily, February 17-21, 2020 10am - 4pm
Prices: 
Included with Museum Admission
Phone: 
978.745.9500
Harborlight Montessori School - Infant to Grade 8 - Beverly MA

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

Reading to a Therapy Dog at NTL

Kids can sign up to read to a therapy dog at the Newbury Town Library in Massachusetts
Children can register to come and read to a certified therapy dog. This program encourages reading confidence and is a fun way for kids to practice literacy. Sessions last for 15-minutes, and we ask that you please arrive for the time slot that you register for.
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Wednesday, March 20

Story Walk |This Is the Nest Robin Built

Kids will enjoy this self-guided story based tour of the Halibut Point State Park in Rockport Massachusetts! Photo by Bill O'Connor
Enjoy a story, fresh air and exercise at Halibut Point State Park ! Join us on the grounds of the for a self-guided StoryWalk® featuring the children’s picture book This is the Nest Robin Built, by Denise Fleming. Follow the path to book pages posted along the route. A wonderful story awaits! For...
8:00 am to 4:00 pm

Fiddleheads | Preschool Drop-Off Series

The Fiddlehead program at Appleton Farms encourages kids 3-5 to explore their environment in Ipswich Massachusetts
Spring has sprung! It is an excellent time of year for exploring and learning on the farm. We will be planting and harvesting in our garden, taking care of our animals and finding all the signs of spring that nature divulges. Join us on Wednesday mornings from 9:30AM to 12:30PM for a preschool drop...
9:30 am to 12:30 pm

We Walk the Woods!

Walk the trails in a group at Harold Parker State Forest Every Wednesday at 10am
Walk the trails with a group at Harold Parker State Forest every Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. – Meeting location varies weekly. Email trek.reef@mass.gov for location.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Abbot Library Story Time A-Go-Go

Abbot Library in Marblehead Massachusetts story time for kids aged 1-4.
Children are invited to a weekly Wednesday program with stories and movement led by early childhood educator Debbie Leibowitz. Story Time A-Go-Go is for children ages 1-4 years old in the Program Room, or outside depending on the weather.
10:30 am to 11:00 am

MPL: Mother Goose Storytime

Manchester Public Library Storytime with Miss Audrey Manchester by the Sea Massachusetts
Join Miss Audrey for Storytime for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers! We'll share books, songs, and games. Registration is required each week as space is limited.
10:30 am

Read to Jackson at TOHP Burnham Library

Kids will read stories to Jackson the Reading Dog in Essex Massachusetts!
TOHP Burnham Public Library invites children, kindergarten and older, reserve your 15 minute slot to read aloud to Jackson, our sweet Reading Dog! Bring your own books, or choose from ours. Register for your individual reading time, slots are as follows: 5:00, 5:15, 5:30 or 5:45.
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Thursday, March 21

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

Dungeons & Dragons | Roaming Realms

Table Top Role Playing Games (RPG) at Newburyport Massachusetts Public Library
This program is registration only. Space is limited so register right away! Join the adventure guild and explore the Roaming Realms! All you need is your wit and a level 4 character sheet. Premade character sheets will be provided as well. This D&D club is for new players as well as experienced...
3:30 pm to 5:00 pm

Read to Keeva at HW Library

Read to Keeva a certified therapy dog at the Hamilton Wenham Public Library in Massachusetts
Read to Keeva the Therapy Dog! Keeva and her trainer, Ms. Fleming, visit the library to help children practice reading! Therapy dogs provide a calm and non-judgemental environment that's perfect for practicing read-aloud skills. Open to children in Grades K - 3. Registration is required. Reading...
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Pokemon Club at Newbury Library

Pokemon Club Newbury Town Public Library in Massachusetts.
Newbury Town Library invites kids of all ages for some Pokemon fun!  Grab your trading cards and come join us for Pokemon Club! Recommended for ages 7+.
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm