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 !

For this school vacation week, travel across the world without leaving Salem by learning traditional Chinese paper cutting with local guest artist Zhonghe (Elena) Li on Monday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons. Join us for film screenings in Morse Auditorium on Friday, and challenge yourself all three days with a museum-wide dragon scavenger hunt!

When: 
Monday, April 15, 2024 - Friday, April 19, 2024 10am - 4pm

North Shore Collectibles Show

North Shore Collectibles Show
The North Shore Collectibles Show is the largest and most exciting sports and TCG collectibles show on the North Shore! 
With over 100 tables and located in the Grand Ballroom of the DoubleTree Hotel in Danvers MA, The North Shore Collectibles Show is a family-friendly event for all ages! 
Vendors specializing in all different sports cards and memorabilia as well as TCG cards and collectibles!  We have something for everyone! 
When: 
Sunday, April 14, 2024, from 8:30 am - 2:00 pm

Cool Collage with Annisquam Arts

Summer Art and Photography Program for Kids on Cape Ann, Annisquam Arts, Gloucester MA

Ignite your imagination this summer at Annisquam Arts

Crazy Cool Collage
Clip, cut, collect, compose, and collage creative constructions and assemblages made from a variety of materials. Student creations will include wall-sized drawings, sculptures with wood and found objects, as well as a combination of printmaking, photography, and magazine collage. We will look at the mixed mediums of Robert Rauschenberg, the cutting-edge pieces by the Twentieth Century’s greatest master of collage, Kurt Schwitters, and the crazy upside-down world of Julian Schnabel as we make and manipulate an artful array of free associations.

Monday, July 29 to Thursday, August 1; 9 AM - 1 PM

Location: 

Book Making with Annisquam Arts

Summer Art and Photography Program for Kids on Cape Ann, Annisquam Arts, Gloucester MA

Ignite your imagination this summer at Annisquam Arts

Do you keep a diary? Do you record your dreams? Do you write notes to your friends and family? Do you sketch and doodle or write stories? This week, students will construct their own ornate books from cover to cover! Students will learn the art of traditional binding while experimenting to add their unique touches. We’ll use our imaginations to incorporate painting, printing, drawing, and collage techniques to make our books pop with personality.

Monday, July 1 to Friday, July 5; 9 AM - 1 PM - No Class on July 4th.

Location: 

North Shore Children’s Museum’s Grown-Ups Gala

North Shore Children’s Museum’s first official Grown-Ups Gala

Join us for North Shore Children’s Museum’s first official Grown-Ups Gala on Friday, May 17, 2024, at the Black Box Theater in Peabody. This special evening is the signature fundraising event for our newly created 501c3, Friends of North Shore Children’s Museum, which provides critical funding for the museum’s income-based admission prices, educational exhibits, and robust and accessible program offerings. 

When: 
Friday, May 17, 2024 at 6 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 and charm to your photos.

When: 
Sunday, April 28, 2024 from 1:30 - 4:30

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Art Academy Summer Program at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly MA

Fee-Free Day: Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Parker River

Fee-Free Day: Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Parker River NWR in Newburyport Massachusetts
In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, all national wildlife refuges and other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands that normally charge an entrance fee offer free admission January 15, 2024.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

YWCA Celebration of Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King Jr. quote about nonviolence as a weapon that heals. YWCA Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration in Newburyport Massachusetts
he YWCA Greater Newburyport is excited to host its Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Breakfast on Monday, January 20, 2025, 9:30 am at the Newburyport Community Senior Center, 333 High Street, Newburyport, MA.  with Keynote Speaker: Katrina “Kat” Hobbs  Everett.    “Kat” is an anti-racist...
9:30 am

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. with free admission to the museum! Come explore America, A Hymnal, David Boxer’s The Black Books, Alison Saar’s Weight and other works that examine social justice, identity and freedom across the generations.
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

MFA Celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Free Open House

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston celebrates Martin Luther King Day with free admission and an open house with great activities for families in Boston Massachusetts
Join us for our annual MLK Day Open House, presented in partnership with Citizens. This year, the MFA offers free admission—including access to “Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore”—for Massachusetts residents. Celebrate the legacy of Dr. King by surrounding yourself with art making, performances, and...
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

MLK Day Celebration at the Meetinghouse

The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation celebrates Martin Luther King Day Massachusetts
The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation proudly presents its ninth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday event. It will be held on Monday, January 20th at 2:00pm in the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, located at the corner of Church and Middle Streets (GPS 50 Middle Street). An elevator...
2:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Chess Instruction at Abbot Library

Kids can play clocked chess matches against each other each Wednesday at the Abbot Public Library in Marblehead Massachusetts
Students in grades 2-6 are invited to weekly evening chess instruction by high school student Flynn MacCallum at levels from beginner through advanced players on Mondays in the Children’s Room. The Children’s Room will provide chess boards and pieces. This program is supported by the Oliver P....
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Friday, February 7

Animal Adventures Series: Inside & Out

Come learn about your favorite animals and their habitats at the Joppa Flats Center in Newburyport Massachusetts! Photo: Kathy Crane, NOAA Arctic Research Program
Joppa Flats Education Center invites families for family fun about your favorite animals with hands-on science, songs, a take-home craft and outdoor time, weather permitting. This is a three-week series for young "naturalists" and their adventure-loving adult to learn about animals together. Please...
1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Saturday, February 8

Music Together - Saturday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45 minutes...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

CraneExplorer: Valentine's Coastal Craft

Make Valentines crafts from materials that we find along the shore at the Trustees of Reservations Crane Estate in Ipswich, Massachusetts
The Trustees of Reservations invites ages 12 and up to a valentine craft making workshop! This Valentine’s Day, give a gift from the sea! From seaweed pressings to shell collages, beach treasures make beautiful greetings and keepsakes. Join this workshop to learn fun craft ideas and make marine art...
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

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. Our engaging and experienced staff will introduce families to local beaches, forests, and wetlands to make observations in nature, identify wildlife, and enjoy hands on science activities outdoors....
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Children's Maple in the Barnyard at Appleton Farms

Visit Appleton Farms' sugaring operation and learn about making maple sugar syrup!
Maple Season is here! This special program for ages 3-11 & their families will focus on the magic of maple from start to finish. We will discover this tradition by observing trees, tasting sap, learning the tools involved, and finally, tasting the sweet product. We will make sure to have time...
10:45 am to 3:00 pm

Guided Tour | When Granite Was King!

Find out the story behind the history of granite quarrying at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts!
Halibut Point State Park is also a granite quarry with a history that goes back billions of years! Over one hundred years ago, the Rockport Granite Company quarried granite stone here.
11:00 am to 12:30 pm

Family Owl Prowl

Join a Family Owl Prowl Campout at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo: Scott Santino
People of all ages love owls, and many species of owls can be found right here in Massachusetts year-round. Experience the excitement of an owl prowl as we take a night hike to look and listen for Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, and Eastern Screech-owls. Before we head out on our nocturnal...
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Nice n' Easy Hike at Breakheart Reservation

Nice and Easy winter hike at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Join the Park Interpreter for this weekly guided hike! Each trip will highlight natural and historic features unique to Breakheart. Hikes are moderately paced and range from 2-3 miles over sometimes uneven and rocky terrain. Best for ages 8 years and up. Meet at the Visitor Center.
9:30 pm to 11:30 pm

Sunday, February 9

Watching the Coastal Edge at Halibut Point

Tour the WWII era observation tower at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport Massachusetts.
Meet at the Halibut Point State Park visitors center to learn about the role Halibut Point has played in America’s military history. One day after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, U.S.
11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Tuesday, February 11

Music Together - Tuesday in Marblehead

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® of Salem classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45...
10:00 am to 10:45 am
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