All Ages

Maple Sugaring Saturday at IRWS

Sugaring Off tours are a fun and tasty way to learn about maple sugaring at IRWS

Experience the age-old tradition of maple sugaring at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary! The warm days of late winter awaken the flow of sap in the maples resulting in sweet-smelling, billowing clouds of steam rising from the sugarhouse. On a naturalist-guided walk, learn how to identify a sugar maple, observe tapping and sap collection methods, watch the sap being boiled down in the sugarhouse, and get a sweet taste of the final product. 

When: 
Saturdays, March 1, 8 & 15, 2025 10:30am-3:30pm
Location: 
Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
Topsfield
Hike
Tour
Walk
Outdoor Activity
Mass Audubon

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 with our coastal educators. This program will start with a beach walk to collect coastal treasures, and then we will head inside for crafting. Materials and inspiration provided.

When: 
Sunday, February 8, 2025 10am-Noon
Location: 
Castle Hill on the Crane Estate
Ipswich
Crafts
Valentine's Day
Instruction
Art
Trustees of Reservations

Children's Craft Series: Cross-stitch Bookmarks

Kids will learn the skill of cross-stitching at the Amesbury Carriage Museum in Massachusetts.

Join us for a fun and creative series of workshops where children can learn traditional decorative arts and take home their very own handmade projects! The first class will introduce the timeless art of cross-stitch. In this beginner-friendly workshop, children will learn the basics of cross-stitch while creating a beautiful bookmark to take home. All materials provided. No prior experience is necessary. Ages 6+

When: 
Thursday, January 16, 2025 1-3 PM
Location: 
Amesbury Carriage Museum
Amesbury
Bike
Safety
Repair Clinic
Bicycle
Museum

Family Open House: Winter Wildlife Wonders

Stop by as part of Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport for a family oriented open house! Photo: Eastern Bluebirds © Cheryl Rose

Drop in to learn what mammals, birds, insects and sea creatures do in the winter! Test your knowledge and skills at a science station, examine natural objects with our new bioscope, and take home a fun nature craft or two. Family presentations with Miss Lisa at 11am and 2pm. Great for families and kids aged 3-14!

When: 
Saturday, January 18, 2025 10am-3pm
Location: 
Joppa Flats Education Center
Newburyport
Hike
Walk
Exploration
Open House
Science
Festival
Discovery
Games
Art
Mass Audubon

Marblehead Annual Tree Burning

The Annual Tree Burning at Riverhead Beach is scheduled for Saturday, January 6, 2024. The Christmas Tree pile will be set alight at 6 p.m. Residents are invited to attend this community event . Trees will be picked up at the curbside from Wednesday, December 27, 2023, through Friday January 5, 2024, and will be placed at Riverhead Beach for the community bonfire on Monday evening January 6, 2025.

When: 
Monday, January 6, 2025 6pm
Location: 
Riverhead Beach
Marblehead
Bonfire
Beach
Holiday

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. The Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport Massachusetts is participtating, so come to the refuge and apend some time outside!

When: 
Monday, January 20, 2025 7am–7pm
Location: 
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
Newburyport
Martin Luther King Day
Outdoor Activity

Salem's Annual Christmas Tree Bonfire

Come to Dead Horse Beach in Salem for the annual Christmas Tree bonfire!
Bring your Christmas tree with you that evening, drop it off at the beach after January 2nd or leave it out for curbside pickup beginning January 2nd. Please don't forget to remove all decorations and lights from your tree! Sponsored by the City of Salem, Salem Park, Recreation & Community Services Department & The Gathering
When: 
Tuesday, January 7, 2025 5:45pm
Location: 
Dead Horse Beach
Salem
Celebration
Bonfire

Rockport New Year's Eve 2024

Family Friendly New Year's Eve celebration for kids and families in Rockport Massachusetts.

Rockport New Year’s Eve (RNYE) is a family-friendly year-end celebration of the arts held in downtown Rockport, Massachusetts annually since 1996. Halls, churches, town offices, and some streets are taken over by happy revelers celebrating the New Year.

When: 
Tuesday, December 31, 2024 4pm-Midnight
Location: 
Downtown Rockport
Rockport
Holiday
Food
Parade
Dance
Live Performance
Puppet Show
Crafts
Story Telling
Clown
Rides
Live Music
Art
Magic
New Year's Eve

Intro to Sourdough Bread Workshop at Appleton Farms

Learn the ins and outs of sourdough bread at Appleton Farms in in Ipswich Massachusetts!

In this workshop, participants will learn to make bakery-quality bread with local flour in their home oven. Culinary Program Manager Jess Porter will demonstrate mixing, folding, shaping, proofing, scoring, and baking Appleton’s flagship Farmstead Sourdough. We will discuss sourdough starter maintenance as well, as each new baker will be taking home some of Appleton’s own sourdough starter. Participants will be involved in hands-on experience mixing and shaping their own loaves, with the option of taking them home to bake! Class ends with fresh bread and a seasonal accompaniment to enjoy.

When: 
Friday, January 17, 2025 6-8pm
Location: 
Appleton Farms
Ipswich
Farm
Instruction
Cooking
Baking
Cuisine
Trustees of Reservations

Pages

Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts offers farm-based Summer Programs for kids ages 5-15

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!
Where: Halibut Point State Park
7:00 am to 6:00 pm
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Winterfest Weekend in Amesbury
Winterfest is a 5 day family celebration in the heart of downtown Amesbury Massachusetts!
For Five Days in February, Amesbury's beautiful and historic Downtown, Market Square and Upper Millyard will be the center of a winter celebration! Enjoy crafting, cocoa, kid's cookie decorating, a winter obstacle course, a Valentine Makers Market, a dance party, live music, a winter market and a...
Where: Downtown Amesbury
10:00 am to 9:00 pm
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LEGO Club at Danvers Library
LEGO club at Danvers Library Massachusetts
Peabody Institute Library - Danvers invites kids to an afternoon of building and fun! Activities will include free build, themes and instructional design. All structures will remain on display in the Children’s Room till the following weeks's session
Where: Peabody Institute Library - Danvers
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
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Era’s After School Program Performance
Era’s After School Program Performance at the Firehouse Center for the Arts Newburyport, Massachusetts
The Firehouse Center for the Arts presents the culmination of our after-school Era’s Program! $5 / All Tickets
Where: Firehouse Center for the Arts
6:00 pm to 6:30 pm
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Saturday, February 1

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.
Where: Halibut Point State Park
11:00 am to 12:30 pm
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Befriend the Barnyard
Befriend the Barnyard is a hands-on barnyard experience at the Trustees of Reservations' Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts
Discover our special barnyard animals! Our Angora rabbits Violet, Mabel, Oiver and Charles; Nubian goats Maeve, Morgana, and Mordred; dairy cows Gray, Jasmine, their calves Gigi and Joanie and our friendly flock of heritage chickens will take center stage as we learn about what makes them so unique...
Where: Appleton Farms
11:00 am to 1:00 pm
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STEM Club at MPL
Stem Club for kids in grades 3-6 at the public library in Manchester Public Library
Have some fun and learn a little science too at STEM Club! This group meets every third Thursday from 4-5 and is for grades 4-6. 
Where: Manchester Public Library
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
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Pajama Story Time at Manchester Public Library
Kids are invited to the pajama time book reading at the Public Library in Manchester by the Sea Massachusetts.
Join Miss Audrey for a cozy pajama storytime and craft the first Thursday of every month from 6-7. This program is for kids ages 4 and up and their families. 
Where: Manchester Public Library
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
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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.
Where: Breakheart Reservation
9:30 pm to 11:30 pm
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Sunday, February 2

Bruins Pajama Drive
Drop off new pajama donations at libraries across the North Shore as part of the Boston Bruins PJ Drive.
From February 1 through March 15, Cradles to Crayons®, the Boston Bruins, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and Wonderfund are coming together with organizations in your community to collect new pajamas for local children living in low-income and homeless situations. Together, we are...
7:00 am to 9:00 pm
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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!
Where: Halibut Point State Park
7:00 am to 6:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Family & Friends CPR Course
Learn about infant and child cpr and choke saving skills at Beath Israel Lahey Health's Beverly Hospital in Massachusetts!
It is only a matter of a few short minutes before it is too late to save a life … learning what to do provides you precious minutes and gives someone a chance to survive.  The Family & Friends CPR Course teaches the lifesaving skills of child CPR with breaths, child AED use, infant CPR, and m
Where: Beverly Hospital
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
♦ Read More →

Winterfest Weekend in Amesbury
Winterfest is a 5 day family celebration in the heart of downtown Amesbury Massachusetts!
For Five Days in February, Amesbury's beautiful and historic Downtown, Market Square and Upper Millyard will be the center of a winter celebration! Enjoy crafting, cocoa, kid's cookie decorating, a winter obstacle course, a Valentine Makers Market, a dance party, live music, a winter market and a...
Where: Downtown Amesbury
10:00 am to 9:00 pm
♦ Read More →

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.
Where: Halibut Point State Park
11:00 am to 12:00 pm
♦ Read More →
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