Kids

All Family Field Trips - Coastal Winter Wildlife

Joppa Flats Education Center host an outing at the Salisbury Beach State Reservation in search of coastal wildlife.

Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the north shore with naturalists from the Joppa Flats Education Center. Our engaging and experienced staff will introduce families to local forests, beaches, and wetlands to make observations in nature, identify wildlife, and enjoy hands on science activities outdoors. Sign up for one, some, or all!

When: 
Saturday, January 18, 2024 10am-Noon

MLK Day at PEM

Peabody Essex Museum offers free admission on Martin Luther King Day in Salem Massachusetts. Image: Luis Martin, Harvest of Perpetuity, 2016. © Luis Martin/The Art Engineer, 2016.

Join us as we celebrate the legacy and leadership of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Come explore America, A Hymnal, the writings of Sarah Parker Remond, David Boxer’s The Black Books and other works that examine social justice, identity and freedom across the generations. All visitors enjoy free admission for the day!

When: 
Monday, January 15, 2024 10am-5pm

Farmer for a Day | Winter Break Week

Appleton Farm's Farmer for a Day program is geared to children aged 6-9 in Ipswich Massachusetts

Ever wanted to know what a farmer’s life is like? Find out at Appleton Farms for one or more of our “Farmer for a Day” drop-off programs! In the holiday week before New Years, kids ages 5-11 can experience a farmer’s life through authentic barnyard chores, fun-filled farm adventures, and traditional crafts. On one day, your child may learn about dairy farming through hands-on games and a tour of the milking barn. On another, they’ll discover the process of making clothes by collecting fibers from our Angora rabbits and creating yarn of their own. Every day, they’ll explore the forests and fields of Appleton, enjoy a craft and a story, and get their hands dirty with animal chores!

When: 
Tuesday-Friday, December 27-29, 2023 9am-Noon
Location: 

Appleton Farms' Winter Solstice Walk

Celebrate the solstice with the Trustees of Reservations at Appleton Farm in Ipswich Massachusetts

This Event is Full! Join us for a wintery lantern-lit stroll through the property to one of the many beautiful secluded spots on the farm. Once there, our staff will lead you in a solstice ritual of reflection and meditation around the fire, looking back on the past year and welcoming the new year, celebrating the end of days getting darker and looking forward to the increasing of the light. We look forward to having you at Appleton to mark this moment in our journey together.

When: 
Thursday, December 21, 2023 4-6pm or 6:15-8:15pm
Location: 

Holidays on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Winter and the Holiday Season at Long Hill Sedgewick Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts

The Trustees of Reservations invite you to tour* the gardens at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts to celebrate the Holidays! The first three weekends of December, join us for our annual Holidays on the Hill event! This festive celebration with music and cheer is sure to get the whole family in the holiday spirit.

When: 
Weekends, December 2-17, 2023 11am-3pm

Otters, Beavers, and Muskrats, Oh My!

Join us as we look for elusive river mammals at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: American Beaver ©Scott Santino

Wetlands are home to many fascinating creatures, including some unique mammals. While visiting the numerous wetlands on the sanctuary, we will explore active and abandoned beaver lodges, scan the marshes for signs of muskrats, and search for signs of otter activity. With a little luck, we may see some of these mammals making their final preparations for winter.

When: 
Saturday, December 2, 2023 10-11:30am
Saturday, December 9, 2023 10-11:30am
Saturday, December 16, 2023 10-11:30am

DCR First Day Hikes on the North Shore

Explore a nearby state park on New Year's Day for a great start to the year!

First Day Hikes take place at nearby State Parks nationwide on New Year's Day. The annual hike originated more than 20 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation in Massachusetts. The program was launched to promote both healthy lifestyles throughout the year and year-round recreation at state parks. On the North Shore, there will be First Day hikes at Halibut Point State Park.

When: 
Tuesday, January 1, 2024

Seaside Saturday at MPL

Seaside Saturday Storytime and Craft Sessions at the Manchester Massachusetts Public Library

Join Ms. Julie for Seaside Saturday at the Library every 2nd Saturday, where participants will enjoy themed stories, activities and crafts! This program will be outside or in the Children's Room depending on the weather. Please register on their website or call: www.EarlyChildhoodPartners.com / 978-468-5489 or email e.menchini@hwschools.net

When: 
Saturday, December 16, 2023 10-11am

Holiday Invitation Nights

Downtown Newburyport Massachusetts is the place to shop during the invitation nights!

Come to Downtown Newburyport and the Tannery Marketplace  Merrimac Place, and Horton's Yard for Newburyport’s Holiday Invitation Nights and shop for the holidays in style! Mark your calendars, book a babysitter, and call your friends to make plans for three great nights in Newburyport! Enjoy merchant hospitality, live entertainment, shopping, and dining. Spend your evening strolling from shop to shop as you stock up on holiday gifts while enjoying munchies and beverages offered by local merchants. These Newburyport Invitation Nights will get you in the holiday spirit and will turn any Scrooge into Kris Kringle.

When: 
Friday Evenings, December 1, 8 & 15, 2023 6-9 pm

Pages

Historic Beverly Scavenger Hunt at Lynch Park

Historic Beverly April Vacation Scavenger Hunt at Lynch Park in Beverly Massachusetts
NEW for April school vacation week this year! If you loved our Independence Park Scavenger Hunt you’ll love this one even more! More space to roam and much more to find!
Where: Lynch Park
9:00 am to 11:00 am

Yoga for Kids at NSCM

Yoga for Children during February Vacation at North Shore Children's Museum in Peabody Massachusetts
In Miss Shelleys yoga class for kids, the focus is on making the practice fun, interactive, and age-appropriate. The class includes warm-up activities, teaching yoga poses through storytelling and games, and incorporating music, props, and visuals.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

April Vacation at PEM 2024

PEM has a great lineup for kids and families during April Vacation 2024
Looking for things to do during your April Vacation on the North Shore? Peabody Essex Museum has a fabulous line-up of fun activities, performances, and tours for kids and families. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the cultural exchange project that brought Yin Yu Tang to Peabody Essex Museum !...
10:00 am to 3:59 pm

April Vacation at CAM | Celebrate Spring

Cape Ann Museum has some great April Vacation programs for school aged kids! Photo: Still life by Harold Rotneberg
Celebrate the return of spring with a visit to the Cape Ann Museum during April School Vacation Week! The Museum will be free for school-age children, 18 and under, and their guardians from Tuesday, April 16 – Friday, April 19. Explore the galleries with a scavenger hunt and family-friendly...
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Aleppo Shriners Circus

Aleppo Shriners Circus in Wilmington Massachusetts is a great time for the whole family!
Fun for the whole family! Let us help you make memories this April Vacation with a show they won't forget!The all-new Aleppo Shriners Circus thrills during April school vacation week. Enjoy elephant rides, clown photos, and all sorts of exciting acts - right up close.
10:00 am to 10:00 pm

April Vacation Week at Ipswich Library

sapring Vacation Activities at Ipswich Public Library in Massachusetts
Come to Ipswich Public Library during April Vacation week for family fun. We'll have 4 days of family activities from Tuesday - Friday! Schedule as follows:
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

A Whale of a Time at Maritime Gloucester

Kids will learn all about whales at this Maritime Gloucester April Vacation drop off program in Gloucester Massachusetts
Here in Massachusetts we are lucky enough to host some of the largest animals on earth - whales! Join us in learning more about these majestic mammals! Particitpants learn all about whale behaviors and observe their food source under our microscopes. Create your own unique whale tail design to take...
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

CraneExplorer: Shifting Sands

The Trustees' Crane Estate hosts a beach-centric science learning experience for kids in Ipswich Massachusetts
The beach is much more than just sand! In this family education program, participants will learn about the diverse habitats of the sandy beach and dunes. Learners discover shells, seaweed, plants, animal tracks, and other signs of life on the beach and in the dunes, get an up-close look at sand to...
10:00 am to 12:00 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

HWPL: Wish

Hamilton Wenham Library in Massachusetts shows Disney's 'Wish' during April Vacation
Come to the library for a Friday morning movie series for a popular hit movie! This weeks movie is Disney's "Wish". Water and movie snacks will be served. No sign up required.
10:30 am to 1:00 pm

Cape Ann Symphony Concert | Katy and the Big Snow

Sawyer Free Library hosts a family friendly concert based on Katy and the Big Snow in Gloucester Massachusetts
Vacation week free fun for families! Cape Ann Symphony, along with the Sawyer Free Library, presents Katy and the Big Snow. Enjoy the beloved story by Gloucester's own Virginia Lee Burton read aloud by local actress Heidi Dallin, and set to music for this ensemble performance. Musicians will also...
10:30 am to 11:15 am

Friday Family Farm Chores at Appleton Farms

Join The Trustees of Reservations at Appleton Farms for our special, hands-on Family Farm Chores program held on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
Every day has a full list of barnyard chores we need to accomplish to make sure our farmyard friends are happy and healthy. Let’s get to work! Join us for our special, hands-on Family Farm Chores program held on Fridays and Saturdays! Get on your muck boots – your whole family will get to be...
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Salisbury Beach Carousel - Free Friday 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.
4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Sunday, April 28

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

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

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

Salisbury Beach Carousel - Sunday 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 6:00 pm

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

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
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