Ipswich

Annual Ectathlon

The Essex County Trail Association ECTAthlon includes horseback riding, kayaking, mountain biking and running!

The ECTA annual ECTAthlon is friendly relay competition held at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield and Hamilton and on private trails in Ipswich where teams or individuals compete in running, mountain biking, horseback riding and kayaking events.  This unique event, which will be held on Saturday, June 4th, was envisioned as a way to bring diverse trail users together in a fun and exciting way, and to highlight the incredible network of trails in our area.  The June 4th date also coincides with American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day, a series of nationwide events celebrating trails and trail access.

When: 
June 4, 2016 9am-2pm

Let’s Go Fly a Kite: A Practically Perfect Mary Poppins Party

Come fly a kite at the Trustees of Reservations Castle Hill Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts!  Photo by Bill O'Connor

It’s an afternoon of Poppins fun for the whole family at this Mary Poppins Party at Crane Estate. Activities include kite making and flying, chalk drawing, lawn games, and more. Kite aficionados from Kites Over New England are on hand to show their kites and flying techniques. Tea, lemonade, and cookies are served. 

When: 
Sunday, May 22, 2016 1-4pm

Appleton Farm Camp Open House

Camp At Appleton Farm is a fun summer adventure for kids in Ipswich Massachusetts!

Calling all animal lovers! Our new farm camp is coming this July! Join us Saturday April 16th & 23rd for a FREE drop-in camp sampler. Come see what to expect at Appleton Farm Camp this summer! Meet with our camp director, see our camp headquarters, and find out what Appleton Farm Camp will offer for activities, learning, and summer fun. Our camp area will be open from 10AM – 2PM for you to explore. We’ll have special activities and tours between 11AM and 1PM. Register for camp on site or take home information to share with friends.

When: 
Saturday, April 23, 2016 10am-2pm
Location: 

Long Way Around Hike

The Cedar Point Trail at the Crane Estate winds through varied terrain to a beac

This hike explores the wild wonders of the Crane Estate!  We’ll launch our long walk at the Cedar Point Trail and follow it to the Ipswich River, then meander along the beach and through seldom-traveled paths to the trailhead at the Crane Wildlife Refuge. We’ll wander the dunes to Essex Bay, then make our way along the backside of Crane Beach to reach the Essex River. A bag lunch will be delivered to us at the approximate halfway point, and will give us the sustenance we’ll need to finish the hike! Come prepared for a leisurely long-way-around walk of about 8 miles.  

When: 
Saturday, April 30, 2016 10am-2pm

Vernal Pool Exploration at Crane Refuge

Explore the vernal habitats of the Crane Wildlife Refuge with the Trustees at Ni

Join The Trustees of Reservations on a misty evening in early Spring, vernal pools are hopping! The swales we find tucked amongst the dunes are coming alive, host to a variety of creatures waking from a long winter’s nap and ready for action! We’ll hike out under cover of darkness to spy on – and listen to – this celebration of awakening. Bring a flashlight or headlamp, and wear boots!  We’ll have nets and buckets for up-close observations, but our specimen collecting is strictly catch-and-release.

When: 
Sunday, April 17, 2016 7-9pm

Homeschool Workshop: Ipswich & the China Trade

Join the Ipswich Museum for a hands-on workshop on the 19th century China trade. Through museum collections, children will learn about the Augustine Heard & Co. (Heard lived in the house now part of the Ipswich Museum) and the production of porcelain in China during this time. Participants will also get to practice producing painted "china" together in a group activity.

Homeschool Workshops are open to all kids ages 6-12. We meet on the last Monday of each month from 10am-noon. The cost is $5/child to explore hands-on history at the Ipswich Museum!

When: 
Monday, March 28 at 10 AM - 12 PM
Location: 

From the Sugar Shack: Maple Culinary Class and Sugaring Tour

Come to Appleton Farms to learn about maple sugaring and then learn some great recipes using maple syrup in ipswich Massachusetts!

March is the time for sugaring in New England. Appleton keeps this very special tradition alive by tapping the farms beautiful maple trees and producing wood-fired, small-batch syrup. The first part of the workshop will include a leisurely walk around the farmstead to show how sap is harvested and collected. The tour will wrap up at our sugar shack so you can see (and smell!) the transformation of sap to syrup. You'll gather in the farm kitchen for the second part of the workshop, where chef Carolyn Grieco will teach how to make some of the most delectable maple syrup recipes. Workshop ends with a generous sampling of all our delicious maple dishes!

When: 
Sunday, March 13, 2016 3-5pm
Location: 

Special Showing of 'Most Likely to Succeed'

Come see the acclaimed filma about the future of education in America, 'Most Likely to Succeed' at the Ipswich Performing Arts Center.

Come to  the Dolan Performing Arts Center for a speical FREE screening of 'Most Likely to Succeed', a film about modern education and paving a way for students to thrive in the world of the future. The film inspires its audiences with a sense of purpose and possibility, and is bringing school communities together in re-imagining what students and teachers are capable of doing. After seeing this film, you’ll never look at school the same way again. A panel discussion will follow the film.

When: 
Thursday, February 25, 2016 7pm

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Brookwood School Summer Program for kids Pre-K through 9 in Manchester Massachusetts

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

Kidleidoscope at Breakheart Reservation

Kidleidoscope is a program designed for preschoolers at Bradley Palmer State Park
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.
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Music Together - Friday

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...
10:30 am to 11:15 am

Animal Adventures Series: Inside & Out

Come learn about your favorite animals and their habitats at the Joppa Flats Center in Newburyport Massachusetts! Photo: Kathy Crane, NOAA Arctic Research Program
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...
1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Drop-In Family LEGO at HWPL

Wednesdays are LEGO Build Days at the Hamilton-Wenham Public Library
Put your imagination and building skills to the test at this self-directed drop-in program. All ages are welcome with a caregiver.
3:15 pm to 4:15 pm

Monday, February 17

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

Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt

Kids will enjoy this treasure hunt at the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry in Rockport Massachusetts
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!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

LEGO Train

LEGO Train Weekend at Wenham Museum during Fevruary vacation weekend in Massachusetts
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...
10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Tuesday, February 18

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

Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt

Kids will enjoy this treasure hunt at the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry in Rockport Massachusetts
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!
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

Guided Tour | When Granite Was King!

Find out the story behind the history of granite quarrying at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport, Massachusetts!
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.
11:00 am to 12:30 pm

Wednesday, February 19

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

Quarry Quest Treasure Hunt

Kids will enjoy this treasure hunt at the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry in Rockport Massachusetts
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!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Music Together - Wednesday

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...
9:30 am to 11:15 am
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