Exploration

Outdoor Adventures for Families: Spring Ponding

Explore the ponds of Dow Brook Conservation Area with Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Educators!

As spring takes over, it's a great time to explore green spaces with your family in the woods, on trails, and along the shore. "Miss Lisa" and her team will assist with the identification of creatures, provide small group challenges, and share our joy and knowledge about the natural world. Sign up for one or all of these educational outdoor excursions and see nature through the lens of a naturalist!

When: 
Saturday, April 16, 2022 10am-12pm
Location: 

Nature Walks for Tots: Look, Listen & Smell - A Sensory Walk

Kids will explore at Parker River Wildlife Sanctuary with Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport!

As warmer temperatures tell us spring is coming, Miss Lisa wants you to join her for some family friendly nature walks. Let's explore the woods, the salt marsh, and the streams to look for creatures like birds, fish, frogs, and more while we learn, play, and explore. We'll use our "science eyes" and "nature ears" and discover wildife together!

When: 
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 10-11:30am

Nature Walks for Tots: Spring is on its Way!

Come see the signs of emerging Spring at Moseley Woods in Newburyport

As warmer temperatures tell us spring is coming, Miss Lisa wants you to join her for some family friendly nature walks. Let's explore the woods, the salt marsh, and the streams to look for creatures like birds, fish, frogs, and more while we learn, play, and explore. We'll use our "science eyes" and "nature ears" and discover wildife together!

When: 
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 10-11:30am
Location: 

Imagine, Sing, & Learn 7A: Splish Splash Science

Learn about water and the scientific principles behind it at Joppa Flats

Splish Splash Science is an active, fun, program where you and your child will learn all about water properties such as sinking, floating, surface tension, buoyancy, and waterproofing. Using fun props and lots of hands on science, we’ll look at everything from ducks to scuba divers and how water works!

When: 
Thursday, July 10, 2014 10 - 11:30 am

Family Fun Free Day

Albert Alcalay (1917-2008), Night Fleet (detail), 1956. Oil on canvas.

The second Saturday of every month is free for families with school-aged children. Families are invited to the Activity Center to participate in art, history, and cultural activities, and explore the museum using a Seek and Find. Each month has a different theme, from exhibitions to special celebrations. With September 2013's theme 'Four Winds' families are invited to the Children's Activity Center to participate in themed art, history and cultural activities that explores the Gloucester's Rocky Neck Art Colony, its artists and sculptors. This program is free and open to the public.

When: 
Second Saturday of Every Month
Location: 

Spirit Animals Workshop

Teens are invited to discover their Spirit Animals at the Beverly Library!

You do not have access to view this node invites teens to explore themselves and discover their Spirit Animals! Discover the animal lurking within you; then make it out of clay! The Zuni and other Pueblo Indians carve animals small enough to fit into their pockets. They believe these connect the humans who carry them to the spirit of the animals they represent. After an introductory discussion and brief demonstration, participants sculpt their own spirit animals which they can paint when dry and decorate with a “bundle” using small shells, feathers, beads, etc.

When: 
Wednesday June 26, 2013, 2-4pm

Vacation Week Flyby: March in the Marsh!

March the Marsh Habitat during the vacation week fly-by.

Joppa Flats Education Center offers April vacation programs offer a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities - keeping minds active and hands busy during school break! Come all day or as your schedule allows! This Vacation Week Flyby will focus on the salt marshes, the important role they play in the ecosystem and the creatures that use them to feed, live and breed.

When: 
Frisday, April 19, 2013 10am-2pm

Imagine, Sing, & Learn 6A: Beat the Heat!

Beat the Heat at this Imagine Sing and Learn at Joppa Flats Education Center

This parent/child program is designed for the creative, curious, and active preschooler. Each 90-minute session offers a structured series of activities including original songs, movement, dramatic play, hands-on science, and a thematic snack. When it's time to go home, you'll receive coloring pages, song lyrics, vocabulary, a fun fact sheet, and a suggested reading list via email.

When: 
Thu, Jun 21, 2012 10:00 am - 11:30 am

February Vacation at Joppa: Caribbean Carnival

February Vacation Week at Joppa Flats: Caribbean Carnival is a drop-in program

Joppa Flats Education Center vacation programs offer a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities while we keep minds active and hands busy during school break. Each session offers a different theme, with art activities, experiments, group games, and scheduled family presentations for everyone. It's free-flow learning for the whole family. Come once or make it a multiple-day adventure; drop in for an hour or stay all day for a vacation activity that suits your family schedule.

When: 
Wednesday, February 20, 2013 10am-3pm

Friday Morning

Learn about water and the scientific principles behind it.

Splish Splash Science is an active, fun, program where you and your child will learn all about water properties such as sinking, floating, surface tension, buoyancy, and waterproofing. Using fun props and lots of hands on science, we’ll look at everything from ducks to scuba divers and how water works!

When: 
Friday, July 11, 2014 10-11:30am

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Maudslay in Bloom Self-Guided Walk

 Maudslay in Bloom self guided walk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts.
Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, Massachusetts, offers a delightful self-guided walk that is perfect for families with children. The park's 480-acre expanse, once the Moseley Estate, is rich with historical charm and natural beauty. Families can embark on a self-guided tour through lush...
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Trails & Sails

Explore the North Shore with over 150 Free Events in Essex National Heritage Area's Trails & Sails celebration in Massachusetts.
Essex National Heritage Area sites will offer over 150 free family fun events from September 14-29, 2024 for the annual celebration of TRAILS & SAILS. Discover special places in your backyard and be guided through unique landscapes on land and sea, explore historic properties, and take in...
7:00 am to 10:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

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

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Step Inside the Historic Custom House

Take in the views of this prominent building where Nathaniel Hawthorne once worked and the U.S. Custom Service operated. This Custom House was built in 1819 and housed offices for the officers of the U.S. Customs Service, as well as an attached warehouse, the Public Stores, used for the storage of...
9:30 am to 4:30 pm

Kidleidoscope

Kidleidoscope at Maudslay State Park is a chance for preschoolers to explore the park, enjoy a story and make a craft!
Maudslay State Park has created this program for their youngest crowd! The park interpreter will lead a weekly nature themed preschool aged program that involves a story time and outdoor exploration of Maudslay trails and gardens! 
10:00 am to 11:00 am

Lowell's Boat Shop: Boatbuilding in the New Nation

Learn about Lowell's Boat Shop in Amesbury Massachusetts on this guided Trails and Sails Tour
Step back in time with a visit to Lowell’s Boat Shop  in Amesbury Massachusetts during Trails & Sails! Established in 1793, Lowell’s was one of The New Nation’s many boat shops, and is the oldest continuously operating boat shop in the country. Simeon Lowell founded his own business after...
11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Step Aboard the Friendship of Salem

Permission to come aboard the Friendship of Salem is granted at Derby Wharf in Salem Massachusetts!
Explore the FRIENDSHIP OF SALEM, a replica tall ship based on a 1796 Salem vessel at Salem Maritime National Historic Site.
1:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

Salem Farmers' Market

The Salem Farmer's Market bring the goodness of local farm to downtown Salem!
The Salem Farmers' Market brings fresh local produce and other foods from North Shore farms and other local resources to downtown Salem every Thursday at  Bentley Academy Charter School!
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Paddle Around Historic Rockport Harbor

Paddle around Rockport Massachusetts Harbor for FREE as part of Trails and Sails
Come join North Shore Adventures and Outdoor Center for some fun on the water! No experience necessary. Depart from our private beach in one of our safe, stable kayaks or paddle boards and paddle around the historic Rockport Harbor for 30 mins. See lobster boats, Motif #1, the Rockport Break water...
10:30 pm

Wednesday, September 24

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Step Inside the Historic Custom House

Take in the views of this prominent building where Nathaniel Hawthorne once worked and the U.S. Custom Service operated. This Custom House was built in 1819 and housed offices for the officers of the U.S. Customs Service, as well as an attached warehouse, the Public Stores, used for the storage of...
9:30 am to 4:30 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

Discover the Highest Point on the Essex Seacoast!

Take a Trails & Sails hike to the top of Powow Hill in Amesbury Massachusetts!
Come join Amesbury Trails for a guided hikeup Powow Hill, at the summit of the highest peak on the Essex County Seacoast! This narrated hike will include the historical background of the area and descriptions of the features and landscapes encountered along the hike. Enjoy exploring a variety of...
10:00 am

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Step Aboard the Friendship of Salem

Permission to come aboard the Friendship of Salem is granted at Derby Wharf in Salem Massachusetts!
Explore the FRIENDSHIP OF SALEM, a replica tall ship based on a 1796 Salem vessel at Salem Maritime National Historic Site.
1:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

The Backyard Growcery

Join Backyard Growers at Burnham's Field in Gloucester Massachusetts for a weekly Farmer's Market
Stop by Gloucester’s new weekly farmers market, the Backyard Growcery, managed by Backyard Growers. The Backyard Growcery is located at Burnham's Field, an urban park near Gloucester’s thriving waterfront, and features small-scale North Shore farmers, bakers, a seafood vendor, an artisanal pizza...
2:30 pm to 6:30 pm
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