Outdoor Activity

Family Forest Festival

Join Mass Audubon to celebrate the forest with your family at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary.

Journey back in time with Mass Audubon and the Topsfield Historical Society on a child-friendly guided hike with hands-on games and activities to learn about the people and wildlife who have called these forests home. Try your hand at building a kid-sized log cabin, see and use real historical carpentry tools, and learn the names and stories of the towering trees and woodland wildlife all around us. Late fall is a wonderful time to take a hike with friends and family and give thanks for the resources and beauty that nature provides for us all. The hike is approximately 1 hour long, set at a leisurely pace with stops to explore. Fun forest activities, snacks, hot drinks, and a roaring fire in our cozy barn are ongoing throughout the program.

When: 
Saturday, November 23, 2019 1-4pm

Family Open House: A Songbird Celebration

Kids will learn about local and migrating birds at Joppa Flats Education Center.

As backyard birds head south for the winter, let's give them a proper send-off with a fun, free family event that features bird banding demonstrations, interactive games about bird migration, and lots of table-top science. Younger children will enjoy our crafts and games, while older children can get involved in physics and engineering fun! Preregistration is not required. children must be accompanied by an adult. Family presentations will be offered at half-past each hour.

When: 
Sunday, November 17, 2019 10am-3pm

Youth Outdoor Survival: Fire Challenge

Youth Survival Fire Challenge at Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

In this outdoor survival skills program, we will venture out onto the Ipswich River. Learn the In this outdoor survival skills program, older children will learn the basics of the ancient outdoor skill of fire-building. Participants will learn important safety steps, collect their own firewood, try different methods of fire-starting, and end with a roaring campfire and s'mores. No experience is necessary - just a willingness to learn and a respect for working with fire. 

When: 
Saturday, November 16, 2019 1:30-3:30pm

Beaver Moon Hike at IRWS

Families are invited to walk through the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary under the Beaver moon.

Find out why Native Americans call the November moon the Beaver Moon. Spend an evening walking in the crisp autumn air searching for fishers and racccoons and scanning the barren treetops for the silhouettes of owls. Smell the wood smoke and hear the crunch of leaves underfoot, reminding us that winter is just around the corner. We'll stop in the wetlands to observe beavers making their final winter preparations. What a perfect way to spend a quiet evening with your family before the rush of the holidays begins.

When: 
Friday, November 15, 2019 7-8:30pm

Ipswich Chowder Fest

Sample some of the best chowder in the world at the Ipswich Chowder Festival!

This popular fall classic is one of the North Shore’s most anticipated events. Folks on the North Shore and beyond will flock to Ipswich for its famous fried clams, seafood and of course delectable clam chowder. What better way to round out the season than with an opportunity to, not only samples some of the best chowder around, but also become judge for a day?

When: 
Saturday, October 19, 2019 12-2pm
Location: 

Autumn Feature Story Walk

Join DCR’s Autumn Feature StoryWalk® at Maudslay State Park, featuring One Small Place in a Tree, written by Barbara Brenner and illustrated by Tom Leonard

Join DCR’s Autumn Feature StoryWalk® at Maudslay State Park  Walk a trail and read the story One Small Place in a Tree, written by Barbara Brenner and illustrated by Tom Leonard.  Come and participate in this self Guided StoryWalk for Pre-K kids with adults!  Autumn is a perfect time to enjoy the magic of reading together outdoors!

When: 
Daily, October 1st - October 20, 2019

Family Hike - Hills and Bogs

Families with school-aged children are invited to join The Trustees in the great outdoors on this 2 mile hike at Ward Reservation.

Come hike at Ward Reservation with The Trustees. Families with school-aged children are invited to join The Trustees in the great outdoors on this 2 mile hike at Ward Reservation. This guided hike on the property's Yellow and Blue Trails will offer scenic vistas of Boston and the unusual solstice stones arrangement at the top of Holt Hill, as well as a bog habitat and carnivorous plants!

When: 
Saturday, October 12, 2019 10:30am-Noon
Location: 

Fall Colors Paddle for Families

Come see fall foliage from a different perspective on the Fall Foliage Paddle.

Mid-October is an excellent time to take in the spectacular and stunning colors provided by the Ipswich River. The riverside silver maples will be showing off their yellow-gold, while the cattails and other marsh grasses will provide beautiful greens and browns, all set against the winding blues and blacks of the river. Have your family join us for a few hours as we explore this pristine habitat via a gentle paddle in canoes. With a little luck we might encounter a beaver, otter, or muskrat as well!

When: 
Saturday, October 12, 2019 1-3pm

TitO presents Poe in Salem

Theater in the Open presents the works of Edgar Allen Poe at Gedney and Cox Houses in Salem Massachusetts!

Join Theater in the Open for a special presentation of Poe! Using music, movement and macabre pageantry, Theater in the Open will explore the emotional tension and otherworldly atmosphere that underscore the work of Edgar Allan Poe. Your favorite fearful Poe poems and stories — including The Raven and The Fall of the House of Usher — come to life at this all-ages show. We'll perform by lantern light in the historic GEDNEY HOUSE at 21 High Street, Salem.

When: 
Friday, October 4, 2019 7-8:30pm or 9-10:30PM
Location: 

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Glen Urquhart School Pre-K through 8th grade in Beverly MA

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Owl Prowl Hike at Appleton Farms

Learn all about owls at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts for kids older than 12
Join us for a very special evening hike to see the owls who might be out and about in the dark winter woods and fields of Appleton Farms. This hike will take place along the trails of Appleton, known to have multiple species of owls. Before our hike, you’ll learn about wintertime nocturnal animals...
4:15 pm to 5:45 pm

Friday, February 20

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt

Kids will enjoy this treasure hunt at the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry in Rockport Massachusetts
Enjoy an outdoor treasure hunt at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations during February Vacation! Halibut Point State Park invites kids and families to follow clues then unscramble to find a treasure box!
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

StoryWalk at Halibut Point

StoryWalk®! Nest Robin Built, by Denise Fleming - a self guided reading tour at Halibut Point in Rockport Massachusetts
Enjoy this pre-school StoryWalk® at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time in nature! StoryWalk®! Nest Robin Built, by Denise Fleming. Self-guided reading pages posted along a lovely Park trail near the visitor center. Connect with nature and each other while enjoying the...
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

February Vacation at MIT Museum

Kids will have a blast at the MIT Museum in Cambridge Massachusetts during February Vacation Week!
Come on your own, with friends, or bring the whole family to the museum for a special week of programming. The museum has a number of activities planned for the week of February 14-22, including extended Maker Hub and Learning Lab hours, tours, gallery cart demos and family workshops. With the...
Where: MIT Museum
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Kidleidoscope at Breakheart Reservation

Kidleidoscope is a program designed for preschoolers at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Come join our park interpreter for a story time and nature walk! Complete a small craft and explore the woods! Walks are gently paced and approximately 1 mile, though not accessible for strollers. Appropriate for families with children 3-5 years old. Meet at the Visitor Center.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Saturday, February 21

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt

Kids will enjoy this treasure hunt at the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry in Rockport Massachusetts
Enjoy an outdoor treasure hunt at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations during February Vacation! Halibut Point State Park invites kids and families to follow clues then unscramble to find a treasure box!
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

StoryWalk at Halibut Point

StoryWalk®! Nest Robin Built, by Denise Fleming - a self guided reading tour at Halibut Point in Rockport Massachusetts
Enjoy this pre-school StoryWalk® at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time in nature! StoryWalk®! Nest Robin Built, by Denise Fleming. Self-guided reading pages posted along a lovely Park trail near the visitor center. Connect with nature and each other while enjoying the...
10:00 am to 2:00 pm

February Vacation at MIT Museum

Kids will have a blast at the MIT Museum in Cambridge Massachusetts during February Vacation Week!
Come on your own, with friends, or bring the whole family to the museum for a special week of programming. The museum has a number of activities planned for the week of February 14-22, including extended Maker Hub and Learning Lab hours, tours, gallery cart demos and family workshops. With the...
Where: MIT Museum
10:00 am to 5:00 pm
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