Kids

Unraveling Winters Wild Tales - Animal Tracking for Families

Welcome to the wild world of animal tracking! Participants will learn how to identify animal tracks by focusing on key details such as number of toes, toenail impressions, and overall size of the print. In addition to tracks, participants will learn how to look for scat, bits of fur, and evidence of feeding or digging. We will start in the barn with an animal track mystery then take a hike (about a mile) out on the sanctuary to see some for ourselves!

When:

Friday, January 23, 2026 3-4:30pm

Friday, January 30, 2026 3-4:30pm

Location:

Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

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Winter Family Field Trip: Terrific Animal Tracking

Families will learn about identifying animal tracks at Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts!

Mammals such as squirrels, rabbits and deer leave many signs that they are active in winter. Learn how to interpret the tracks and signs or clues of active animals in winter. Stay active and warm with a group challenge about hibernation. Conduct an experiment about snow insulation.

When:

Friday, January 23, 2026 10am-Noon

Location:

Joppa Flats Education Center

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A Landmark Summer Experience

Landmark Summer Experience at Landmark School in Beverly Massachusetts

Boost Skills • Gain Confidence • Get Back On Track

Landmark School empowers students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences to thrive. Join us for a game-changing Landmark Summer Experience!

One-to-one tutorials, guidance from expert teachers, and custom-built programs empower students to improve skills, gain confidence, and have fun! Small classes provide opportunities to be truly engaged in learning without pressure or judgment. Your student will never get lost or overlooked.

Location:

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Thanks for the Trails 5k

ECTA is holding its 8^th Annual Thanks for the Trails 5k and Kids Fun Run the Saturday after Thanksgiving at Patton Park in Hamilton (November 29, 2025). The Kids' Run will begin at 9:30AM and the 5k will start at 10AM. Using a scenic and challenging course and offering great prizes, this will be an event for all! Super prizes for top finishers, and many other terrific prizes.

When:

Saturday after Thanksgiving

Location:

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CraneExplorer: Coastal Holiday Crafts

Make holiday gifts with beach treasures from the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts

This holiday season, give a gift from the sea! Beach treasures make beautiful holiday ornaments, jewelry, and keepsakes. Join this workshop to take a beach walk to collect coastal treasures and then make some coastal crafts with our educators. Bring your own shells and beach treasures and we will provide the craft supplies and inspiration!

When:

Saturday, December 13, 2025 10AM-12:30PM

Saturday, December 20, 2025 10AM-12:30PM

Location:

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

Trustees of Reservations

Gifts

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Hamilton-Wenham Carol Sing & Tree Lighting

Hamilton-Wenham Community hosts a community carol sing and tree lighting in Massachusetts

The Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham invites children to join us for a jolly evening of carol singing and holiday cheer, led by Kimberly Robertson, Music Director for Stage 284! Santa will be arriving in style at about 7:15pm. Free to attend!

When:

Friday, December 5, 2025 6:30pm

Location:

Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham

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Cape Ann Symphony Holiday Pops

Celebrate the Holidays on Thanksgiving weekend with the Cape Ann Symphony conducted by Yoichi Udagawa. The annual Holiday Pops is a musical celebration of the season. The Cape Ann Symphony Chorus now under the direction of Brittany Betts will join the orchestra for a Holiday Pops series for the whole family. The ever popular audience sing-along concludes the performance.

When:

Saturday, November 29, 2025 2PM [Ipswich]

Saturday, November 29, 2025 7:30pm [Manchester]

Sunday, November 29, 2025 2pm [Manchester]

Location:

Ipswich High School

Manchester Essex Regional High School

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Turkey Trot at Maudslay State Park

Begin Thanksgiving Day running in one of Massachusett's most picturesque state parks by running the 35^th Annual Newburyport Maudslay 3.1 mile X-Country Run/Walk. Run with family, friends, and neighbors! Organized by Turkeys for the 35th straight year. Parking is FREE to runners on race day.

When:

Thanksgiving Day 8:20am

Location:

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Ocean View Half Marathon & 5k

The Ocean View 5k & Half Marathon Ipswich Massachusetts

Run 5K and Half Marathon - or both races Back-to-Back! Come enjoy beautiful ocean views as you run along the scenic coastline of Great Neck! On the course you'll race past some of the oldest and most historical homes (pre-revolution) in the entire country. You'll also enjoy some breathtaking ocean views in this charming coastal community!

When:

Sunday, November 1, 2025 8:30am

9:25am 5k Race Start | 9am Half Marathon Start

Location:

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Halloween on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Autumn and Halloween at Long Hill Sedgewick Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts

The Trustees of Reservations invite you to tour the gardens at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts to celebrate Autumn and Halloween! Long Hill is excited to bring back our annual Halloween on the Hill event! Come explore our beautiful property as we transform the Long Hill gardens into a celebration of autumn and the Halloween season. As always, there are a few new surprises and of course many more pumpkins this year. Follow our seasonal-themed trail that will feature over 1,500 jack-o'-lanterns, hundreds of mums, elaborate Halloween decorations, light displays, music, and more. This is the perfect Halloween event for the whole family!

When:

Wednesdays-Sundays, October 3-30, 2025 5:30-8:30pm

Location:

Long Hill and Sedgwick Gardens

Trustees of Reservations

Halloween

Haunted Happenings

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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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Teen Naturalist Club at IRWS: Spring/Summer Series

Explore a variety of local ecosystems such as a salt marsh, a freshwater river, or a tide pool on the beach. Take part in wildlife data collection in tide pools and vernal pools and engage in conservation projects such as a macroinvertebrate study or a horseshoe crab count in this exciting science...

Where: Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

8:00 am to 5:00 pm

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CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…

Where: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

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2nd Saturday at Lynn Museum

Come to the Lynn Museum and Historical Society for FREE family fun. Join us on the second and fourth Saturday of each month for FREE admission to the Museum from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.! You can view our latest exhibitions, purchase Lynn-themed goods in our shop, check out books in our free library, and...

Where: Lynn Museum and Historical Society

10:00 am to 2:00 pm

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Discover Saturdays at Cape Ann Museum

Enjoy a FREE guided activity (ages 4+) in the gallery. Learn about Cape Ann’s Granite Industry, try a fun art making activity, and join in gallery tour designed for kids and their caregivers, led by a CAM Educator. Afterwards grab a scavenger hunt to explore the property and enjoy the lawn.

Where: Cape Ann Museum Green

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

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Read to a Dog at SPL

Have a new or struggling reader who needs to build confidence and practice reading aloud? Come read to Hendrix, the trained therapy dog, a sweet a non-judgmental listener! Bring your own book to read, or choose one of ours.

Where: Salem Public Library

10:00 am to 11:00 am

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The Legacies of Long Hill: House & Garden Tour

The Trustees of Reservations invite you to join our expert guides for a tour around Long Hill’s stunning Sedgwick Gardens and learn more about the special plants. Step inside the beauty and layered history of Long Hill with a guided tour of its breathtaking gardens and historic house. Once the...

Where: Long Hill and Sedgwick Gardens

10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Vernal Pool Party: Big Night Celebration at IRWS

Each spring, on the first warm, rainy night, frogs and salamanders emerge and begin an extraordinary journey to the vernal pools where they breed.

Where: Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

2:00 pm to 5:00 pm

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Saturday, April 25

Annual ECTA Equine Expo & Tack Sale

Don't miss the 31st annual Equine EXPO & Tack Sale, Saturday, April 25, 2025 from 9-3 in the Arena Building at the Topsfield Fairgrounds on Route 1, Topsfield, MA. Individuals, groups & businesses will make up our booths offering new and used items as well as services for the horse and...

Where: Topsfield Fairgrounds

9:00 am to 3:00 pm

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Family Day at the Bird Banding Station

There's nothing like a visit to Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for wonderful family nature experiences, and seeing the bird banding station in operation is at the top of the list. See Mass Audubon scientists evaluate, examine, and release migrating songbirds while you learn about migration...

Where: Joppa Flats Education Center

9:00 am to 11:30 am

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CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

Where: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

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4th Saturday at Lynn Museum

Where: Lynn Museum and Historical Society

10:00 am to 2:00 pm

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The Legacies of Long Hill: House & Garden Tour

Where: Long Hill and Sedgwick Gardens

10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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Sunday, April 26

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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The Legacies of Long Hill: House & Garden Tour

Where: Long Hill and Sedgwick Gardens

10:30 am to 12:00 pm

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CraneOutdoors: Castle Neck Hike in the Dunes

You may be familiar with Crane Beach, but have you ever visited the dune trails? The dunes of Castle Neck are a much less explored world unto themselves. They offer one of the most accessible dune landscapes in New England and trails that provide a firsthand look into the delicate and ever-changing...

Where: Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate

1:00 pm to 3:30 pm

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Sunday STEAM Club at North Shore Children's Museum

Join in on Sundays at 2:30 for STEAM Club for ages 5-11. Each week participants will explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math with our NSCM staff! Every STEAM club session will see your kids participating in hands-on activities while exploring a new topic. Space is limited, please...

Where: North Shore Children's Museum

2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

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