All Ages

Toy Stores of the North Shore

The North Shore offers a variety of local toy stores for finding just the right gift for kids of all ages!

Kids love toys, and the North Shore has some great toy stores where you find more than just current assorment of toys that you'll find at the big box stores!  From Marblehead to Newburyport, the locally owned and operated stores offer a great array of unique, fun and educational toys that make memorable gifts for kids of all ages.  Local toy shops offer a fun excursion for families to explore the world of toys outside of the warehouse setting.  Some of our fondest memories ad greatest discoveries with our kids happened in local stores! 

Nature's Gifts Free for All

Use what nature has to offer tomake toys at the Joppa Flats Education Center!

This program was canceled due to the Winter Storm! Season's greetings! Come to Joppa Flats during this festive time of year to create clever and whimsical gifts, toys, and ornaments for the holidays using natural materials. We'll make everything from hand puppets and animal masks, to jewelry and frames, to sculptures and mobiles with simple, easy to follow instructions. Or use our materials to create your own original gift of nature. We'll provide sand, seashells, twigs, stones, bark, driftwood, pinecones, and more at our age-appropriate stations. Bring your imagination and enjoy a day of hand-crafting with your family.

When: 
Canceled! Sunday, December 15, 2013 10am - 3pm

The Secret Life of Pets at Newbury Town Library

Come to Newbury Town Library for a free showing of Illumination's 'The Secret Life of Pets'!

The Newbury Town Library invites kids to a showing of Illumination's 'The Secret Life of Pets' as the half-day movie for town kids. A Jack Russell Terrier named Max lives with his owner Katie in a Manhattan apartment. While she is at work during the day, he hangs out with other pets in the building: tabby cat Chloe, pug Mel, dachshund Buddy, and budgerigar Sweetpea. One day, Katie adopts Duke, a large and shaggy mongrel from the pound, leaving Max jealous because of her divided attention between him and Duke. Enraged by Max's attitude towards him, Duke tries to abandon Max in an alley, but they are both attacked by a gang of alley cats led by Sphynx cat Ozone. The cats remove both dogs' collars and leave them to be caught by Animal Control. Hilartiy ensues, and we lear a little about the way pets live their lives while we are all attending to other matters.   

When: 
Friday, January 13, 2016 12-2pm

CAM Kids: Cape Ann Improv

 Cape Ann Museum hosts a family friendly performance by Cape Ann Improv!

What happens when history and fine art meet improv and silliness? Bring the kids and find out for yourself when Cape Ann Improv performs at the Cape Ann Museum. The arts and objects on display in the galleries will provide the inspiration for scenes and characters for interactive improvisational games throughout the Museum. Discover the art, history and culture of Cape Ann and have a good laugh with the talented and witty Cape Ann Improv performers.

When: 
Saturday, January 14, 2017 11am
Location: 

The Nutcracker Panto - Matinee

Come enjoy a Nutcracker Panto performed by Theater in the Open at the Firehouse Center for the Arts!

The tree is lit up and the stockings are hung and Clara’s Christmas is perfect…except for her Uncle Drosselmeyer sitting up on that clock and the sudden rat infestation…sounds like panto time!Edward Speck and Joshua Shack return to direct another cracking holiday panto, this time seizing on Tchaikovsky’s classic holiday tale to do what panto does best: make a favorite old story new and particular to our place and time again. What does Clara’s magical journey have to teach us? How many nuts would a nutcracker crack if a nutcracker could crack nuts? Let’s find out! Come with us as panto and ballet collide in a delicious mix of sugar plums and pies-in-the-face, dance and comedy, fairies and snowballs, in A Nutcracker Panto!

When: 
Saturday & Sunday, December 10, 11, 17 & 18, 2016 at 3 pm
Friday & Saturday, December 9,10, 16,17 & 23, 2016 at 7 pm

Gloucester Stage Holiday Delights 2016

Students participating in the Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Program perform in this wonderful seasonal show about the importance of family and friends.

Gloucester Stage Company Youth Acting Workshops proudly presents Holiday Delights! Students participating in the Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Program perform in this wonderful seasonal show about the importance of family and friends. The show features a cast of 35-40 student actors and a crew of 6-8 student technical interns whose ages range from 6 to 16 years old. Any student who completed a class session during the calendar year of the production is invited to join the cast. Holiday Delights affords the YAW students an opportunity to collaborate harmoniously on a professionally-run, large-scale theater project resulting in a three-performance run at the Gorton Theater, home of the Gloucester Stage Company.

When: 
Friday, December 9, 2016 7:30pm
Saturday & Sunday, December 10 & 11, 2016 2pm

Gloucester Stage Holiday Delights Matinee

Students participating in the Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Program perform in this wonderful seasonal show about the importance of family and friends.

Gloucester Stage Company Youth Acting Workshops proudly presents Holiday Delights! Students participating in the Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Program perform in this wonderful seasonal show about the importance of family and friends. The show features a cast of 35-40 student actors and a crew of 6-8 student technical interns whose ages range from 6 to 19 years old. Any student who completed a class session during the calendar year of the production is invited to join the cast. Holiday Delights affords the YAW students an opportunity to collaborate harmoniously on a professionally-run, large-scale theater project resulting in a three-performance run at the Gorton Theater, home of the Gloucester Stage Company.

When: 
Friday, December 11, 2016 7:30pm
Saturday, December 10, 2015 2pm
Sunday, December 11, 2016 2pm

Holiday Candy Making Demonstrations

Come to Tuck's Candy in Rockport and see how they make candy canes by hand!

Ever wonder how ribbon candy is made, or how candy canes get their stripes? Tuck's Candy Factory is having free candy making demonstrations of candy-cane, ribbon candy, and satin stick making. Visit, watch and sample! Bring the whole family for an old-fashioned holiday treat, and don't forget to enter the drawing for a 6-foot candy-cane!  No demonstrations on Christmas Eve!

When: 
Every Saturday between Thanksgiving and December 17, 2016 9:30am-4pm
Friday after Thanksgiving 9:30am-4:30pm

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Adirondack Leadership Program at Gordon College’s La Vida Center

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

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

StoryWalk Series at Maudslay

“Magnificent Monarchs” by Linda Glaser Storywalk at Maudslay State Park in Newburyport Massachusetts
Enjoy this pre-school StoryWalk® at your leisure with the younger set and combine reading and time in nature! “Magnificent Monarchs” by Linda Glaser is featured in this StoryWalk Series. Younger kids will love this gentle, richly illustrated children’s nonfiction book aimed at preschool–third grade...
7:00 am to 8:00 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

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 4:00 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

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

Salisbury Farmers' Market

Salisbury Farmers Market is a great source of local produce.
The Salisbury Farmers' Market offers a vibrant community experience with a variety of fresh, locally sourced produce, unprocessed honey, farm-fresh eggs, and maple syrup. Enjoy music, local market creations, and engage with local farmers. The market also features monthly craft markets, cooking...
5:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Castle Hill Picnic Concert - Studio Two

elebrate the legacy of the Beatles with Studio Two at The Trustees Castle Hill Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts!
Looking for a fun family outing on the North Shore of Massachusetts? Don't miss the Thursday Night Picnic Concerts at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich! These concerts offer a perfect opportunity to enjoy quality time with your loved ones in a beautiful and exclusive setting on the North...
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Saturday, August 30

The Lady of Salem: Maritime Art

Learn about the history of Salem Massachusetts through this unique public art installation self-guided tour!
Discover Salem’s Golden Age of Sail as you uncover clues! Celebrate America’s Maritime History! The Ladies of Salem will have you looking up at whimsical and beautifully designed figureheads gracing lampposts downtown. “What is a figurehead ?” you may ask? It’s a large carved wooden decorative...
8:00 am to 10:00 pm

Haverhill Farmers' Market

Haverhill Farmers Market, North Shore Farmers Market, Cape Ann Farmers Marke
The vibrant, colorful Haverhill Farmers Market is where local farmers and food producers meet to sell directly to the community. Established in 1978, the Haverhill Farmers Market mission is to provide access to farm-fresh products and promote local agriculture, as well as serve as a social...
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Marblehead Farmers' Market

Find fresh local produce and other foods at the Marblehead Farmer's Market!
The Marblehead Farmer's Market boasts 15+ local farms, and booths with an educational spin nutrition, vendors and farms selling homemade prepared goods and craft vendors that are switched up in a rotation basis week to week. Additionally there are entertainers and exhibits by environmentally...
9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Andover Farmers' Market

Find Fresh Local Produce at the Andover Massachusetts Farmers Market North of Boston
The Andover Farmers Market is a vibrant hub connecting local farmers, artisans and the community through the joy of local food. Whether you come for carrots or conversation, it is a place to nourish the body, mind and spirit.
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Rockport Farmers' Market

The Rockport Farmers' Market runs every Saturday at Rockport Music in Downtown Rockport!
The Rockport Farmers Market offers a variety of locally-grown produce, hand-crafted products, baked goods, and live music. It provides a community space to support local farmers and artisans.
9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Crane Outdoors: Kayak Adventure on the Castle Neck River

Take a guided kayak paddle adventure on the Castle Neck River with the Trustees of Reservations!
One of the best was to enjoy the natural beauty of the Massachusetts North Shore is kayaking the placid waters of the Great Marsh—the largest continuous stretch of salt marsh in New England, extending from Cape Ann to New Hampshire. The Castle Neck peninsula on the Crane Estate is a vast barrier...
9:00 am to 5:00 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 4:00 pm

Heritage Day in Gloucester

Maritime Gloucester & Ocean Alliance hosts a day of free exciting demonstrations and interactive fun for all ages in Gloucester Massachusetts.
Maritime Gloucester is hosting their annual Heritage Day in honor of the Gloucester Schooner Festival 2025. Step aboard a schooner, learn about traditional shipbuilding and fitting out, watch America’s oldest marine railway in action, or explore the unique biology that makes our oceans so amazing....
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Kids Sail Free on the Schooner Lannon

Kids ride free on the 10:30am an Noon Saturday Cruise on the Schooner Lannon through Summer
Schooner Thomas E. Lannon is a fixture on the Gloucester Harbor vista throughout the day in the warm months, but to really experience the Lannon, you need to come aboard and go for a cruise!  Sail and see lighthouses, castles, scenic beaches, and magnificent waterfront homes.
10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Boat Tour to Misery Island

Journey on Essex Heritage’s landing craft Naumkeag to Great Misery Island in Salem Sound Massachusetts
Journey on Essex Heritage’s landing craft Naumkeag to Great Misery Island in Salem Sound. Along the way, hear stories about the rich history of the harbor and how the Misery Islands acquired their unique name. When you arrive, you’ll have 2 hours to explore the trails, open meadows, rocky shoreline...
11:00 am to 2:00 pm
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