Kids

Snakes Alive! Snake Hunt & Live Snake Show

Hunt for snakes with Rick Roth of the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team!

The Trustees of Reservations hosts an afternoon of fun herpetology at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate with Rick Roth of the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team! We’ll start with a hunt for local snake species around the Crane Estate, looking under logs and around the stone walls that lace the property. Capture will be strictly catch and release! We’ll then make our way to the Barn where Rick Roth, founder and executive director of the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team and local snake expert, will present "Snakes of New England and the World." Rick cares for over 100 snakes of all different species -- even if we don’t find any slithering friends on our hunt, there will be plenty of snakes to see and learn about during the show.

When:

Sunday, May 20, 2018 1-3pm

Location:

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

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A Fairy House Tea for Mother’s Day

Come to the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts for a fun exploration and fairy house building session on Mother's Day!

Join The Trustees of Reservations at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate for a special Mother's Day tea! We’ll start with a walk to the Pine Grove, then create special fairy houses to visit for teatime. Join in the wonder of making a tiny world with nature’s treasures, and linger for a cuppa and a snack to honor the awe-inspiring marvels of Mothers!

When:

Sunday, May 13, 2018 1-3pm

Location:

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

Ipswich

Outdoor Activity

Obstacle Course

Trustees of Reservations

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Who Was Book Club? - Albert Einstein

Who Was Albert Einstein? A bookclub for kids in grades 2-5 at Newbury Town Library

This month's book club will be reading 'Who Was Albert Einstein?' and making our very own BLUBBER creations!! This Book Club meets once a month and lets kids use technology, crafts, and imagination to share what they learned in every book in the “Who Was Series”. Books will be available for pickup March 31^st. Online Registration Required. **Please email Katelyn White (children's librarian) if your child has any food allergies or restrictions.

When:

Saturday, April 28, 2018 11am-Noon

Location:

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Farmer for a Day: Dairy Detectives

This April vacation program at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts will follow the farms dairy operation.

The farm is coming alive in April and there is so much to do! Dig into vacation at Appleton Farms and become a farmer for a day (or 4)! You’ll get to help care for our animals, learn to grow and eat farm fresh food, create natural crafts, and explore the farm as it wakes up to spring! Your little farmers will come home with stories of adventure, a deeper understanding of where their food comes from, a sense of responsibility, and memories made with new friends. This session will focus on Appleton Farm's dairy operations.

When:

Friday, April 20, 2018 9am-12pm

Location:

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April Vacation Treks & Trails: Joppa Flats

Identifying Minnows with naturalists from the Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts. Photo by Lisa Hutchings

Joppa Flats Education Center helps families beat the blahs and keep minds active and hands busy during school break! Head out into the wild with kids and families for great outdoor explorations this April vacation. For families with children ages 3 and up, School and Youth Education Coordinator Lisa Hutchings heads a program where kids will to learn all about the "nursery of the sea" with our salt marsh science stations including live minnow ID, salinity experiments, and a chance to meet some of the live inhabitants of the salt marsh.

When:

Thursday, April 19, 2018 10am-Noon

Location:

Joppa Flats Education Center

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Junior STEAM Team

Sawyer Free Library STEAM Team for Children ages 3-6. Dwarf Galaxy Image by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Sawyer Free Library offers a S.T.E.A.M.* club for children ages 3-5. We will be providing STEAM, story, and sensory activities all year round with opportunities for your child to do safe science experiments, build with Duplo and other materials, play some beginner Minecraft, read stories, make art, etc. We will have a different activity each month. This program is ideal for older preschool and younger elementary school students who are not yet ready for our other afterschool programs! Please register.

When:

Thursday, April 19, 2018 4-4:30pm

Location:

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Concert with Parker Bent at GUS

Come to Glen Urquhart School in Beverly Massachusetts for a kids' concert with Parker Bent

Come to Glen Urquhart School as they host children's performer Parker Bent LIVE from LA for an exclusive free concert for kids! Parker Bent brings his original songs to over 450 kids every week throughout Los Angeles area preschools and beyond. His music is smart, cool, sophisticated, and fun. It's been played on NPR and Disney Radio, made the "recommended listen" list by the Grammys, has been featured in LA Parent Magazine, and most importantly has made tens of thousands of children laugh, dance, and sing.

When:

Saturday, April 7, 2018 10am-Noon

Location:

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Sprouting Melodies Music Program

Sponsored by the Friends as well as by a grant from the Newbury Cultural Council, Family Sprouts Music Program gathers kids and families together here at the Newbury Town Library, and provides opportunities for children of different ages to learn and interact with each other. Each session includes active music making designed to elicit different responses from the children based on their cognitive, social and physical skills. Family Sprouts is for children under five and is perfect for families with more than one child. Online Registration Required as Space is limited

When:

Thursday, April 26, 2018 10:15-11am

Location:

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This Hike Is For the Birds

Kids ages 4-10 will love this birding hike to Cedar Point on the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts!

This hike starts at the Barn on the Crane Estate, and wanders down to the Cedar Point Trail where many of our spring-time birds are busy getting settled. On the way, kids will use their skills of observation to see what kinds of birds are starting to show up – where are they hanging out, and what are they doing? What do they sound like? Then we’ll head to the Pine Grove where we’ll collect pine cones to make unique bird feeders for you to hang up at home. Our adventure will end with hot chocolate and s’mores around a camp fire in the Pine Grove.

When:

Monday, April 16, 2018 1-3pm

Location:

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

Trustees of Reservations

Birding

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Toad Trek at the Crane Wildlife Refuge

Join the Trustees of Reservations at the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts in search of the American Toad!

Join The Trustees of Reservations at Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate in search of the American Toad in Ipswich, Massachusetts! Ever wonder what that screeching sound is on damp spring evenings? The cacophonous chorus of toads and Spring Peepers means winter is finally coming to an end. In the early evening darkness we’ll quietly make our way through the dunes to the bogs and puddles that serve as breeding pools for the American Toad, and hope to catch a glimpse of them (and other species too!) as they call to find a mate. These are the toads you most often see around your yard – but there’s a lot to learn about them! Come with us as we get up close and personal with these awesome amphibians!

When:

Wednesday, April 18, 2018 7:30-9pm

Location:

Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate

Trustees of Reservations

Natural History

Spring Peepers