Kids

Growing Strong | Free Youth Fitness Program

Growing Strong is a free youth fitness program hosted by Beverly Massachusetts Recreation Department

A free youth fitness class run by Beverly High School volunteers. Children are welcome to attend any number of the classes. Growing Strong is a new, free, youth program that aims to provide a welcoming, social environment for children to begin a healthy lifestyle. Fitness is so important, especially for young children. It not only benefits a child’s overall physical health but also improves self esteem, concentration and decreases stress.

When: 
Sunday, July 23, 2023 10-11am
Sundays, August 6, 13 & 20, 2023 10-11am

Babysitters Course at Essex Library

Essex Public Library offers a free babysitting course developed by the 4H Club!

The 4-H Babysitters Training Course teaches youth ages 11 and older what they need to know to be caring, trustworthy, responsible and competent babysitters.  This free, 8 hour course includes topics such as: Safety, First Aid, Child Development, Nutrition, Entertaining Children, Business of Babysitting. Participants will learn how to create age-appropriate activities and games, feed and change infants, and handle emergency situations. With hands-on activities to keep the participants engaged, this program aims to be both educational and fun, providing valuable skills and knowledge that will serve participants well in the future.

When: 
Tuesday, April 18, 2023 | 8:45am-5pm

Plum Island Lighthouse Tour

Be prepared to climb a steep ladder to get a view from this iconic Light House. Photo: Plum Island Light House ©2015 Bill O'Connor

Enjoy a panoramic view of Salisbury, Newburyport, and the Isles of Shoals and much of Cape Ann  while learning about the history of the Plum Island Lighthouse. Send an email to friendsofpilight@gmail.com to request a 15-minute tour of the light on tour days, you’ll get an email back from our kind volunteers with availability. Please be aware that we reserve the right to have to cancel tours due to weather, unanticipated maintenance or other various factors. Rain dates are not available.

When: 
Saturday, May 27, 2023 10-1
Saturday, June 24, 2023 10-1
Saturday, July 22, 2023 10-1
Saturday, August 5, 2023 10-1
Saturday, August 26, 2023 10-1
Saturday, September 9, 2023 10-1

Waterfront Concert: BeatleJuice

Beatlejuice is the leading Beatles cover band in New England

The Yankee Homecoming Waterfront Concert Series invites you to enjoy Beatles music by the sea with Beatlejuice! BEATLEJUICE doesn’t mimic the Beatles, they honor them! Widely recognized as the finest interpreters of Lennon & McCartney, Beatlejuice combines wonderful vocals, great musicianship and true respect for their heroes. Playing special tribute to the late Brad Delp will be friends Mike Girard and Joe Holaday (Newburyport’s own) of “The Fools” along with Jim Rogers, Buddy Bernard, Steve Baker, John Muzzy and Bob Squires. This will be an evening of celebration, love and remembrance and the greatest rock ‘n roll music ever written!

When: 
Thursday, August 3, 2023 7:30-9pm
Location: 

Summertime Birding for Families

Kids will learn more about our local birds and how to identify them at Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts

Want to learn more about our local birds and how to identify them? Joppa Flats education interns will take you on an easy walk and introduce you to a variety of birds, from egrets and herons in the salt marsh, to ducks and shorebirds along the river, to songbirds and hummingbirds at our feeders. We'll provide binoculars and field guides along with tips on how to use them. Get started on the hottest new hobby around - birding!

When: 
Thursdays, June 22-August 17, 2023 8:30-10am

Family Open House: Butterflies & Bugs

Joppa Flats will have Free indoor and outdoor activities for kids and families!

Joppa Flats Education Center invites families to drop in to meet live caterpillars, moths, and butterflies! Learn how to attract birds and other wildlife to your own yard and safely identify insects. Enjoy a Backyard Bug Hunt with our naturalists, join in a Monarch Migration Relay Race, and take home a fun craft or two.

When: 
Saturday, July 22, 2023 10am - 3pm

Family Nature Series - Pond Habitat

Families will learn about the pond habitat with ECGA at Bailey Reservation!

Get to know the residents of a beaver pond! From tiny insects, to the beavers themselves, we'll use all our senses to look for signs of life! Join Greenbelt and Northshore Nature Programs to learn all about a pond habitat! Who lives there? What do they eat? How do they get around? We'll use our senses to find some answers to those questions and more!  Meets at Bailey Reservation in Haverhill.

When: 
Saturday, August 5, 2023 3-4:30pm

Plein Air Painting for Kids at Halibut Point

Kid ages 7-15 are invited to Halibut Point State Park in Rockport Massachusetts for a a Plein Air painting session!

Plein air painting is experiencing painting and drawing in the landscape. The practice goes back for centuries but was truly developed as an art form by the French Impressionists. Their desire to paint light and its changing, ephemeral qualities, coupled with the creation of transportable paint tubes and the box easel—the precursor to the plein air easels of today—allowed artists the freedom to paint “en plein air,” which is the French expression for “in the open air.” Space is limited to 15.  Rain cancels.  Co-Sponsored by Friends of Halibut Point State Park.

When: 
Thursday, July 13, 2023 10am-Noon

Chalk this Way

Marblehead Festival of the Arts Chalk Art Display for Amateurs and Professionals

Chalk This Way is Marblehead Festival of the Arts inaugural event highlighting 23 amateur and professional chalk artists who will transform our sidewalks into a captivating one-of-a-kind arts experience. ​ Sidewalk Art will be distributed throughout the main areas of town and where other festival activities are happening. ​ If you are an amateur or professional artist and would like to display your favorite place in town through chalk.

Interested Artist Information:​

When: 
Saturday July 1, 2023 6-9am

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A Landmark Summer Experience at Landmark School in Beverly Massachusetts prepare students for success in the fall and beyond.

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

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!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Santa at Salem Common

Come visit Santa at Salem Common in Massachusetts for a free photoshoot with your phone or camera!
Santa will be visiting the Salem Common Gazebo on Saturday, December 9th from 9:00am -12:00pm.  This event will give families the opportunity to have their picture taken with Santa and pre-bagged treats will be available for the kids.
9:00 am to 12:00 pm

Marblehead Christmas Walk

The Marblehead Christmas Walk is several days of local Holiday events in Marblehead Massachusetts
The Marblehead Chamber of Commerce invites you to Marblehead to enjoy several days of holiday festivities, family events and activities!  Come for one or all days with highlights that include Santa's arrival by lobster boat,Festive shopping, Tree Lightings, a holiday parade, Artisan Markets,...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Santa Arrives in Marblehead

Come to Marblehead to welcome Santa as he arrives for the Christmas Walk!
Come to the State Street Landing in Downtown Marblehead to welcome Santa as he arrives by lobster boat!  There's plenty of photo ops and Santa's arrival is followed by the Marblehead Christmas Walk Parade. 
9:00 am

Music Together - Saturday

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
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...
9:15 am to 11:15 am

2024 Marblehead Gingerbread Festival

The Marblehead Gingerbread Festival is part of the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce's Christmas Walk, and the proceeds will go to benefit the Marblehead Family Fund and the Marblehead Historical Society.
Come see over 100 locally and professionally made gingerbread creations on display at the historic Jeremiah Lee Mansion in Marblehead, MA during this year's Marblehead Christmas Walk. Community members, businesses, and families are building and donating dozens of gingerbread houses, boats and local...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Natural Wreath Making Workshop | Appleton Farms

Come to Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts to make your own Holiday Wreath!
Decorate your door with a gorgeous holiday wreath, created from a variety of textural evergreen boughs all foraged from our historic farm property! Join us in our historic barn where we will demonstrate a simple technique for making your wreath. You will then have the opportunity to make your...
10:00 am to 1:30 pm

A Colorful Christmas at Castle Hill

A Colorful Christmas by the Sea is a weekend of festivities hosted by the Trustees of Reservations at Castle Hill in Ipswich Massachusetts
Visiting Castle Hill at Christmas is a time-honored tradition. Don’t miss this year’s Travels with the Cranes. Each room in our 1920s mansion is decorated for the holidays drawing inspiration from Crane travels around the world, including Paris, Japan, Egypt, and New York.
10:00 am to 8:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: Family Snowy Owl Prowl

Join the Trustees of Reservations at the Crane Wildlife Refuge in Ipswich Massachusetts in search of the Snowy Owl!
Wide-open coastal sites are the location of choice for wintering Snowy Owls; common perches are dunes and salt hay staddles. In winters past, these owls have been frequent visitors to the Crane Wildlife Refuge.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Marblehead Artisan's Holiday Marketplace

Find unique hand made gifts at Abbot Hall in Marblehead, Massachusetts - MFoA Artisans Holiday Market
The Marblehead Festival of Arts invites families to their holiday arts-and-crafts show at Marblehead Arts Association the first weekend in December. The market place is held in conjunction with the Marblehead Chamber of Commerce Marblehead Christmas Walk, a town-wide event. Each year the market...
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Sing & Dance with the Music Man

Sing & Dance with the Music Man Brian Doser in Hamilton visit Massachusetts
Come join the fun at Community House Of Hamilton & Wenham Monday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10am for 30 - 45 minutes of great music with Brian Doser! Sing and dance with the Music Man during a family concert, featuring familiar and original tunes, performed by local dad and musician,...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Reindeer Run 5k

The Reindeer Run 5k Road Race is hosted by the YMCA of Beverly Massachusetts
Get your best reindeer on and join us as we run, walk or prance through Beverly's coastal roads and historic downtown! You may see Santa, his elves and others in festive costume…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Fishtown Horribles Parade of Trees

Fishtown Horribles Parade Trees, a holiday fundraiser in Gloucester Massachusetts
Gloucester's Fishtown Parade of of Trees is a community holiday fundraiser for the annual Fishtown Horribles Parade in July! Take a stroll the the Parade of Trees and find your favorites! All trees are donated and decorated by community members, businesses and organizations.
10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Tree Jubilee at Marini Farm

The Tree Jubilee hosted by Marini Farm in Ipswich  MA is a fun and unique charity event!!
Come to Marini Farm for the Tree Jubilee fundraiser to benefit The Ipswich Humane Group.  Tour the gallery of beautifully decorated trees and wreaths donated by local organizations, families, and businesses then choose the ones you want a chance to win! More than 50 spectacularly decorated trees...
10:00 am

Winter Wreath Making Workshop at Long Hill

Wreath Making Workshop at the Trustees of Reservations' Long Hill Garden in Beverly, Massachusetts
SOLD OUT! Learn how to craft a beautiful wreath for the holidays or for the winter season with Iris Weaver!
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Come to Hammond Castle for the 6th annual Deck The Halls holiday celebration. Hammond Castle Museum will be dressed for the holidays inside and out. Delight in the enchanting ambiance of Christmas and White Birch trees, meticulously arranged garlands, festive wreaths, and the warm embrace of...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Children's Holiday Party with the Snow Sisters at IPL

Children's Holiday Party with the Snow Sisters at the Ipswich Public Library in Massachusetts!
Join IPL children’s librarians for a fun-filled morning to get you in the holiday spirit with a visit from the Snow Sisters along with crafts and refreshments!
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Predator vs. Prey | Family Nature Series

Essex County Greenbelt teams up with North Shore Nature Programs for a wildlife hike in Ipswich Massachusetts!
Look for signs of our local predators on the prowl and learn about how prey animals have evolved to evade them in this family-friendly walk. Appropriate for all ages - we’ll talk scientifically about what types of animals are predators or prey, without going into especially gory details.
10:30 am to 12:00 pm

Christmas in Salem House Tour

Tour some of Salem Massachusetts' historic houses all done up for the Holiday and raise funds for a worthy local cause
Historic Salem, Inc. hosts its annual holiday house tour in downtown Salem Massachusetts! Few communities have the rich legacy of historic houses that Salem, Massachusetts boasts. These homes, spanning four centuries, help define the character as well as the appearance of the city.  Every year...
10:30 am to 4:30 pm

Holiday Market in the Shipyard

Shop Local and stuff your stockings with unique gifts from curated vendors at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum in Massachusetts
Head over to the Essex Shipbuilding Museum and the historic schoolhouse at 28 Main Street for unique local holiday gifts!
11:00 am to 3:00 pm

NEER North Holiday Open House

NEER North Holiday open house to celebrate the holidays and with our adopted animals!
NEER North invites you to their Holiday Open House! Swing by NEER North for our fourth annual Holiday Open House event.
Where: NEER North
11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Lowell's Boat Shop Holiday Open House

Visit Lowell's Boat Shop in Amesbury Massachusetts for their annual holiday open house!
Visit Lowell’s Boat Shop during their Annual Holiday Open House is a two day family event during the first weekend in December. See the shop transformed with beautiful trees, an art show, silent auction, Nautical Gift Shop, Lowell’s gear to wear, books, glassware, and more. Make it a day! Live...
11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Santa's Workshop

Santa's Workshop in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Visit Newburyport MA during the holidays
Newburyport is a favorite local town to shop - especially during the holidays. The fantastic lights downtown, the tree in Market Square, all the beautifully decorated window boxes and of course, Santa's Workshop, where the kids can whisper their wishes to Santa.
11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Christmas Tea at the Phillips House

Celebrate the season with a Holiday Tea at the Phillips House in Salem Massachusetts
Celebrate the season with Christmas Tea at Phillips House! Enjoy a festive tea with tea sandwiches and sweet treats in beautiful Samuel McIntire-designed rooms.
11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Marblehead Christmas Walk Parade

The Christmas Walk parade in Marblehead Massachusetts is a a holiday tradition for the entire town!
The Marblehead Christmas Walk Parade takes place after Santa Arrives in Marblehead. The Parade begins at 11:45 and the route takes approximately one hour, traveling from Front St., State St., Washington St., Five Corners, Atlantic Ave. Gerry Street, down Pleasant St. and concluding at the National...
11:45 am

Santa’s Arrival & Tree Lighting in Rockport

Santa comes to Rockport Ma by lobster boat to kick off the Holiday season in Rockport Massachusetts!
Where else can you see Santa arrive by lobster boat? Santa will arrive at Rockport’s T-Wharf on Rockport Harbor following a brisk lobster boat ride across Sandy Bay. Then Santa will climb up onto a Rockport Forest Fire truck and proceed along T-Wharf and Broadway to the First Baptist Church, led by...
12:30 pm to 5:00 pm

Native Seed Sowing at Long Hill

Seed Sowing Woirkshop at The Trustess of Reservations' Long Hill Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts
Sold Out! Join Erin Hammes, Plant Records and Production Horticulturist at Native Plant Trust, for this native seed sowing workshop. Learn about our native seeds and then get your hands in the soil to sow some seeds that you can take home.
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm

Santa-by-the-Sea!

Santa will arrive at Masconomo Park by lobster boat at 1 pm on December 2, 2017
Come to the the annual Jingle Bell Walk in Manchester! Santa will arrive at Masconomo Park by boat and lead the children in a parade around the park and then be available for pictures. There will also be a petting zoo, crafts, face painting, a candy cane hunt, refreshments and a visit from Mrs.
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: Sunset Hike to Cedar Point

Sunset hike to Cedar Point at the Trustees Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to a sunset hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich,Massachusetts. There’s no better excuse to explore Cedar Point—the western-most part of the Crane Estate—than a hike at sunset. This two-hour adventure in a lesser-known part of the property has it all…
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Amesbury Holiday Parade

Enjoy the tradition of the Amesbury Massachusetts Holiday parade with your family!
Enjoy the tradition of the Amesbury Massachusetts Holiday parade with your family! This year’s theme for the Amesbury Holiday Parade is Musical Notes and Holiday Floats. The parade will begin at 3:30pm from the intersection of Sparhawk and Greenleaf Street, and finish up with the Amesbury Holiday...
3:30 pm to 5:00 pm

Rowley Tree Lighting on the Common

Come to the Town Common in Rowley Massachusetts for the annual holiday tree lighting
The Rowley Girl Scouts and RMLP look forward to seeing you at Rowley Town Common for the Lighting of the Common at 4:30pm. Caroling, cocoa, cider and candy canes and genuine Hallmark small town vibes.
4:30 pm

Trustees Winterlights at Stevens Coolidge Place

The Trustees of Reservations Winterlights at the Stevents-Coolidge Place North Andover North Andover.
Winterlights is back! Join the Trustees for a magical outdoor experience at Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens, and see the gardens aglow with your favorite light installations as well as marveling at new components. Bring the whole family for a fun and safe outdoor experience. Winterlights runs...
4:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Monday, December 16

Lego Time at MPL

Children in grades 2 and up are invited to come to the Manchester Massachusetts Library's Lego Club
Drop-in, unstructured Lego building fun! Come with friends or come to make new ones, this program is for kids ages six and up. 
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Tuesday, December 17

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

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!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Music Together - Tuesday in Marblehead

Marblehead, Beverly Farms, Hamilton, Salem, Peabody Music Together
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...
10:00 am to 10:45 am

Deck The Halls: Hammond Castle

A holiday themed tour of Hammond Castle Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts
Come to Hammond Castle for the 6th annual Deck The Halls holiday celebration. Hammond Castle Museum will be dressed for the holidays inside and out. Delight in the enchanting ambiance of Christmas and White Birch trees, meticulously arranged garlands, festive wreaths, and the warm embrace of...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Gingerbread Contest at Wenham Museum

Wenham Museum Gingerbread Contest is free to enter and open to all!
Everyone's invited to enter Wenham Museum’s gingerbread contest! Individuals, families, groups, teams–all are encouraged to create a Gingerbread House for this friendly community competition.
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Santa at the Phillips House

Join Santa for some traditional holiday fun at the Phillips House in Salem Massachusetts
Santa and Mrs. Claus are coming to Phillips House! Take a photo with Santa and see the elegant Chestnut Street mansion aglow with holiday cheer. Before or after meeting Santa, join us for stories with Mrs. Claus, cookies, cider, and a drop-in Christmas craft workshop, where you can make festive...
12:00 pm to 2:00 pm

Community Game Night at MPL

Enjoy a board game with your family and neighbors at the public library in Manchester Massachusetts.
Do you know that the library has lots of games in our new board game collection? Come on by with your game face on! Drop In. All ages welcome! Snacks provided.  
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Wednesday, December 18

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

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!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm
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