Farmer for a Day: Dairy Detectives
![This April vacation program at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts will follow the farms dairy operation. This April vacation program at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts will follow the farms dairy operation.](https://northshorekid.com/sites/default/files/styles/post_photo/public/events/appleton_farms_calf.jpg?itok=3OxvB8P9)
The farm is coming alive in April and there is so much to do! Dig into vacation at Appleton Farms and become a farmer for a day (or 4)! You’ll get to help care for our animals, learn to grow and eat farm fresh food, create natural crafts, and explore the farm as it wakes up to spring! Your little farmers will come home with stories of adventure, a deeper understanding of where their food comes from, a sense of responsibility, and memories made with new friends. This session will focus on Appleton Farm's dairy operations.
April Vacation Treks & Trails: Joppa Flats
![Identifying Minnows with naturalists from the Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts. Photo by Lisa Hutchings Identifying Minnows with naturalists from the Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts. Photo by Lisa Hutchings](https://northshorekid.com/sites/default/files/styles/post_photo/public/events/minnow_id-joppa_flats.jpg?itok=ejyetpE6)
Joppa Flats Education Center helps families beat the blahs and keep minds active and hands busy during school break! Head out into the wild with kids and families for great outdoor explorations this April vacation. For families with children ages 3 and up, School and Youth Education Coordinator Lisa Hutchings heads a program where kids will to learn all about the "nursery of the sea" with our salt marsh science stations including live minnow ID, salinity experiments, and a chance to meet some of the live inhabitants of the salt marsh.
Junior STEAM Team
![Sawyer Free Library STEAM Team for Children ages 3-6. Dwarf Galaxy Image by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory Sawyer Free Library STEAM Team for Children ages 3-6. Dwarf Galaxy Image by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory](https://northshorekid.com/sites/default/files/styles/post_photo/public/events/steam.jpg?itok=NkfBWW9C)
Sawyer Free Library offers a S.T.E.A.M.* club for children ages 3-5. We will be providing STEAM, story, and sensory activities all year round with opportunities for your child to do safe science experiments, build with Duplo and other materials, play some beginner Minecraft, read stories, make art, etc. We will have a different activity each month. This program is ideal for older preschool and younger elementary school students who are not yet ready for our other afterschool programs! Please register.
Concert with Parker Bent at GUS
![Come to Glen Urquhart School in Beverly Massachusetts for a kids' concert with Parker Bent Come to Glen Urquhart School in Beverly Massachusetts for a kids' concert with Parker Bent](https://northshorekid.com/sites/default/files/styles/post_photo/public/events/gus_parker_bent_concert.jpg?itok=-viaxYU0)
Come to Glen Urquhart School as they host children's performer Parker Bent LIVE from LA for an exclusive free concert for kids! Parker Bent brings his original songs to over 450 kids every week throughout Los Angeles area preschools and beyond. His music is smart, cool, sophisticated, and fun. It's been played on NPR and Disney Radio, made the "recommended listen" list by the Grammys, has been featured in LA Parent Magazine, and most importantly has made tens of thousands of children laugh, dance, and sing.
Sprouting Melodies Music Program
![Sprouting Melodies Music Program at Newbury Town Library Sprouting Melodies Music Program at Newbury Town Library](https://northshorekid.com/sites/default/files/styles/post_photo/public/events/sprouting_melodies.jpg?itok=zJ2yHs7_)
Sponsored by the Friends as well as by a grant from the Newbury Cultural Council, Family Sprouts Music Program gathers kids and families together here at the Newbury Town Library, and provides opportunities for children of different ages to learn and interact with each other. Each session includes active music making designed to elicit different responses from the children based on their cognitive, social and physical skills. Family Sprouts is for children under five and is perfect for families with more than one child. Online Registration Required as Space is limited
This Hike Is For the Birds
![Kids ages 4-10 will love this birding hike to Cedar Point on the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts! Kids ages 4-10 will love this birding hike to Cedar Point on the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts!](https://northshorekid.com/sites/default/files/styles/post_photo/public/events/irws_chickadee.jpg?itok=5_A5yARE)
This hike starts at the Barn on the Crane Estate, and wanders down to the Cedar Point Trail where many of our spring-time birds are busy getting settled. On the way, kids will use their skills of observation to see what kinds of birds are starting to show up – where are they hanging out, and what are they doing? What do they sound like? Then we’ll head to the Pine Grove where we’ll collect pine cones to make unique bird feeders for you to hang up at home. Our adventure will end with hot chocolate and s’mores around a camp fire in the Pine Grove.
Toad Trek at the Crane Wildlife Refuge
![Join the Trustees of Reservations at the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts in search of the American Toad! Photo: Public Domain by ChristinaT3 on Wikipedia Join the Trustees of Reservations at the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts in search of the American Toad!](https://northshorekid.com/sites/default/files/styles/post_photo/public/events/american_toad.jpg?itok=PyPGy5XP)
Join The Trustees of Reservations at Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate in search of the American Toad in Ipswich, Massachusetts! Ever wonder what that screeching sound is on damp spring evenings? The cacophonous chorus of toads and Spring Peepers means winter is finally coming to an end. In the early evening darkness we’ll quietly make our way through the dunes to the bogs and puddles that serve as breeding pools for the American Toad, and hope to catch a glimpse of them (and other species too!) as they call to find a mate. These are the toads you most often see around your yard – but there’s a lot to learn about them! Come with us as we get up close and personal with these awesome amphibians!
Sense of Wonder Walk: Animal Architects
![Come Explore the world of animals that build their homes based on instinct at the Mass Audubon Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary! Beavers are natural builders. We'll explore their instinct to build at IRWS.](https://northshorekid.com/sites/default/files/styles/post_photo/public/events/animal_architects.jpg?itok=rdnRMQGj)
CCome hike to Rockery Pond to observe a beaver lodge. Then as a group, we will attempt to build our own lodge. Along the way, we will investigate other animal homes including bird and squirrel nests, chipmunk holes, and tree cavities, and discover who made them and how.
Family Night-Hike: Equinox Evening Explore
![Celebrate the equinox with your family at Joppa Flats at Rough Meadows with Mass Audubon Celebrate the equinox with your family at Joppa Flats at Rough Meadows with Mass Audubon](https://northshorekid.com/sites/default/files/styles/post_photo/public/events/night_owl_santino.jpg?itok=vczYAGP1)
Joppa Flats Education Center Staff is invites you and your family for a night hike to celebrate the Spring equinox, the celestial event that marks the true beginning of spring. As the sun sets, we'll search for signs of spring in the forest and field and use some tricks for investigating nature at night. We'll end the evening around a toasty fire pit with blankets and treats while sharing legends about the seasons and constellations.
Sense of Wonder Walk: It's Nice Under the Ice
![Kids will find out what happens to pond creatures in the Winter at Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield. Kids will find out what happens to pond creatures in the Winter at IRWS](https://northshorekid.com/sites/default/files/styles/post_photo/public/events/ice_pond.jpg?itok=L0wQY3Ib)
With the lush green fringe of plants and lily pads gone, the winter pond looks deserted. Where did all the turtles, frogs, and insects go? Come learn about the amazing adaptations these animals have developed to survive winter and some cool things about ice. We will stroll along the boardwalks at Waterfowl Pond to see who is around in the winter and who has gone into hibernation. On our return, we'll enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate.