Kids

February Vacation at Joppa Flats: Pole to Pole

Come learn about the animals of the polar habitats at the Joppa Flats Center! Photo: Kathy Crane, NOAA Arctic Research 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. Beat the winter blahs during school break! Drop in for an hour or stay all day, either one or both days, for a vacation destination that suits your schedule. Participate in half-hour presentations at 11:00 am or 1:00 pm. We'll use experiments, crafts, and games to show you how to blend science and art based on the day's theme. It's free-flow learning for the whole family. This session will be focused on arctic animals from polar bears to pengiuns!

When:

Monday, February 18, 2019 10am-3pm

Location:

Joppa Flats Education Center

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Imagine, Sing, & Learn: Arctic Animals

Joppa Flats Education Center invites kids 3-6 for a fun-filled morning program that is perfect for you and your active preschooler! Our structured activities include hands-on science, music and movement, a thematic snack, and an outdoor adventure if the weather complies. Keep learning with coloring pages and follow-up activities to continue the fun at home. This particular program will focus on the Arctic and Antarctic habitats and the animals that live there.

When:

Friday, March 15, 2019 10-11:30am

Location:

Joppa Flats Education Center

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New Year's Resolution Scavenger Hunt

Stop by The Stevens-Coolidge Place from Monday, December 30 to Sunday, January 12 to get a jump start on those 2020 resolutions! Just inside the white gate at the front door of the the house, you’ll find a scavenger hunt list on the brick patio to get you started exploring all that 2020 has to offer. On the sheet, you’ll find a list of 15 common resolutions, turned into a call to action that will take you through the property. Borrow one and find what’s in store for you in the new year! This activity is suitable for all ages and is best completed in groups of 2 or more. Get outside and explore this winter!

When:

Daily December 30, 2019 through January 12, 2020

Location:

Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens

Trustees of Reservations

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Raptor Rapture

Come learn about birds like Bald Eagles, Snowy Owls, Hawks and other birds of prey at Joppa Flats Center during February Vacation Week! Photo: Bill O'connor

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. Beat the winter blahs during school break! Drop in for an hour or stay all morning, either one or both days, for a vacation destination that suits your schedule. Drop in for family fun! You'll see winter bird banding demonstrations and try out science and art activities. "Miss Lisa" invites you to join her at 11:00 for an energetic educational presentation where everyone particpates in the fun of an interactive mult-media show. After the presentation, weather permitting, we'll go outside for a group game.

When:

Tuesday, February 18, 2020 10am-Noon

Location:

Joppa Flats Education Center

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Winter Fun at Castle Hill

Beat those winter blues and make the most of February vacation by getting outside at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts

Beat those winter blues and make the most of February vacation by getting outside! Every afternoon February 16-22, join us for winter fun for all ages at the Crane Estate from noon-4pm (we recommend you arrive by 3pm). Check in at the front desk in the main gallery of the house then plan your adventure! Roast s'mores around an outdoor fire pit, go on a winter scavenger hike, do an outdoor activity (see below), or cozy up inside with daily story time and a seasonal craft.

When:

Daily, February 16-22, 2020 Noon-4pm

Location:

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

Trustees of Reservations

February Vacation

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Castle Hill Fire Pit Adventure

Get the kids outdoors with a Fire Pit Adventure during school vacation at the Trustees Castle Hill in Ipswich!

Get the kids outdoors with a Fire Pit Adventure during school vacation! Do our family treasure hunt and explore the grounds and then relax around a campfire.

When:

Daily, April 20-23, 2023 1PM, 2PM or 3PM

Location:

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

Trustees of Reservations

April Vacation

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Something's Fishy at Maritime Gloucester

Kids will learn about fish at this Maritime Gloucester April Vacation drop-off program in Gloucester Massachusetts

What makes a fish a fish? Learn about all of the shapes and sizes of local fish and discover how form follows function. Create your own unique newly-discovered species and make a fish print to take home. Feel free to bring your own light-colored T-shirt to print on! For kids ages 6-10.

When:

Monday, April 21, 2023 10am-12pm

Location:

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All About Sharks at Maritime Gloucester

Discover the local shark species and how they play an important role in our ecosystem. Kids will also learn about sharks' sixth sense and how they can track prey! For kids ages 6-10.

When:

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 10am-12pm

Location:

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Farmer for a Day | April Vacation Week

Appleton Farm's Kids in Farmer for a Day program during april Vacation in Ipswich Massachusetts

In the spring, the farmers at Appleton are busy planting vegetables and caring for the new life on the farm. There is no better place to spend spring farm days than in exploring in the fields & forests and learning to love the outdoors in all seasons! This program is for kids who are looking to make friends, explore the farm, and learn about life in New England in spring. Every day will include an outdoor adventure of hiking, a theme-based craft, a farm learning activity, and other farm explorations.

When:

Monday-Friday, April 17-21, 2023 9am-3pm

Location:

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Easter Egg Hunt at Hastings House

Join the fun at the Hastings House's Easter Egg Hunt in Beverly Farms!

Bring your young children and join your neighbors for a fun Easter activity at Hastings House. We will host separate egg-hunting areas for kids under 5 from older kids. Please RSVP for your family so we get an idea of how many are coming. This year's generous sponsors are Matt Gibbons Cross Country Mortgage, Sweetwater & Co, and Kennerkenecht Design Group.

When:

Saturday, April 8, 2023 10-11:30am

Location:

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Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

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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Kidleidoscope at Breakheart Reservation

Come join our park interpreter for a story time and nature walk! Complete a small craft and explore the woods! Walks are gently paced and approximately 1 mile, though not accessible for strollers. Appropriate for families with children 3-5 years old. Meet at the Visitor Center.

Where: Breakheart Reservation

10:30 am to 11:30 am

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Music Together - Friday

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...

Where: Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham

10:30 am to 11:15 am

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Animal Adventures Series: Inside & Out

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...

Where: Joppa Flats Education Center

1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

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Drop-In Family LEGO at HWPL

Put your imagination and building skills to the test at this self-directed drop-in program. All ages are welcome with a caregiver.

Where: Hamilton-Wenham Public Library

3:15 pm to 4:15 pm

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Monday, February 17

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

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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Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt

Enjoy an outdoor treasure hunt at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations during February Vacation! Halibut Point State Park invites kids and families to follow clues then unscramble to find a treasure box!

Where: Halibut Point State Park

7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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LEGO Train

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME! Calling all LEGO fans – we’re excited to welcome the LEGO Train back to the Wenham Museum this February! Come see a rainbow colored, L-gauge model train speeding along a brick track as it races by soaring skyscrapers, country cottages, mountainside ski slopes and much more...

Where: Wenham Museum

10:00 am to 4:00 pm

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Tuesday, February 18

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

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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Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt

Where: Halibut Point State Park

7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Music Together - Tuesday in Marblehead

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...

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead

10:00 am to 10:45 am

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Guided Tour | When Granite Was King!

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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