Let's celebrate winter as we look at this beautiful season through storybooks, art, and music. Weather permitting, we'll take a riverside walk in Joppa Flats' backyard and experience the frozen artistry of the season. Later we'll create artwork that reminds us of the winter joys we found together.
This parent/child program is designed for the creative, curious, and active preschooler who loves animals. Each 90-minute session offers a structured series of activities including original songs, movement, dramatic play, hands-on science, and a thematic snack. We are going to learn about the journey our backyard birds have made from the south to the north, what they will do now that they are here and we’ll get to learn all about bird nests and explain why we are hearing so many birds in the morning now! We’ll make a bird nest snack and a great take-home craft to welcome in spring! Bring your rain boots so we can venture out into the riverside yard and see/listen for our returning birds!
Joppa Flats Education Center invites families to join them for a full day of free outdoor and indoor nature activities, art projects, and biodiversity! Connecting with nature starts with developing a good sense of place, and a great place to start is right here at Joppa Flats. This full-day family event will feature an exciting mixture of indoor and outdoor activities that encourage children and adults to learn more about the biodiversity of all the animals, plants, and insects that frequent our butterfly garden, salt marsh, and backyard!
The BEST block party of 2017 is back and better than ever! Join us for an outdoor party featuring live music by The Doped Up Dollies, Big D and the Kids Table, and Bim Skala Bim Music.
Maudslay State Park invites you to be an archaeologist for the day! Learn how to think like an archaeologist…excavate a test unit, screen for and identify artifacts, and document and record soil levels. Other activities focus on the extensive and rich peopling of the area dating back thousands of years. Find out why this place was and is so special to the First People of Massachusetts. Learn how to use a bow-drill, grind corn with a mortar and pestle, weave a fishing net, make a ground stone-tool fishing weight, make a ceramic pot in the traditional indigenous way, play the game of Hubhub, bring an artifact for the experts to ID, and even try your hand (arm) at throwing an atlatl!
Ipswich Museum hosts a a wire sculpting workshop. Learn the basics of working with this fun and simple medium with professional award winning artist Ryan Kelley. Teen and adult students will create mixed media sculptures with wire and found objects while learning to work with their hands in our 3D world!
Origami Master Michael LaFosse will offer a free origami workshop at the The G.A.R. Memorial Library. Come learn folding techniques and how to create art using just a sheet of paper from an origami master! For ages 6 and up. Registration required. Contact Kate Gove for more info.
Warmer spring weather means its sheep shearing time on the farm. But what to do with all that wool? Learn about the time honored tradition of wool felting. We’ll start by learning how to “card” the raw wool into soft fiber for spinning or felting. Afterwards, we’ll try our hand making twisted wool bracelets and felt balls to be used for farm-fun necklaces. Wool, wood beads and decorative string will be provided, but feel free to bring anything special of your own to add to your necklace. Afterwards meet our three woolly sheep and feed them a snack! Recommended for ages 6-9 but all are welcome.
Celebrate spring by building a bluebird house with your child. We’ll supply all the materials and instruction to build a nest box for bluebirds and tree swallows. These wonderful nest boxes also attract chickadees, tufted titmice, house wrens, and woodpeckers. A short slide presentation will introduce families to the natural history and behavior of birds in Massachusetts, and we’ll discuss where and how to place your nest box. Dress for the weather because we will take a short walk to look and listen for bluebirds.
Flag Day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official U.S. flag in 1777. Drop in and fashion flags, bookmarks, & more using postage stamps. Led by Spellman Museum crafters, Elaine & Amy. All ages are welcome, no registration necessary, free and open to the public.
