Animals

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 note there are no live animals in these programs.

When: 
Friday, January 24, 2025 1:30-3pm
Friday, February 7, 2025 1:30-3pm
Friday, March 7, 2025 1:30-3pm

ECGA Family Series - Spooky Animals

Essex County Greenbelt Association and North Shore Nature Programs team up for a hike in search of Spooky Animals!

Canceled - The Essex County Greenbelt Association and North Shore Nature Programs to meet some of our favorite critters! Some critters get a bad rap! But there is lots to love about the creepy, wiggly, and crawly creatures in our woods! We'll look for spiders, bugs, centipedes and millipedes, as well as signs of cool predators like owls, coyotes, and weasels.

When: 
Saturday, October 21, 2023 3-4:30pm
Location: 

February Vacation at Joppa Flats: Wildlife of the World

Come learn about the animals of the world at the Mass Audubon Joppa Flats Cen

Joppa Flats Education Center school vacation programs offer a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities while we keep minds active and hands busy during school break with free-flow learning for the whole family. Each session offers a different theme, with scheduled family presentations and something to engage hearts and minds for all ages and interests. For ages 7 and up, there are STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) activity stations featuring experiments, challenges, data sheets, maps, and charts. For ages 2 to 6, there are stories, crafts, table top games, coloring pages, and science activities. Family presentations will be offered at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.

When: 
Monday, February 15, 2016 10am - 3pm

Imagine, Sing & Learn: Animals of the Ice

Preschoolers learn about the animals of the polar habitats at the Joppa Flats Center.  Photo: A Weith CC BY-SA 4.0

Joppa Flats Education Center invites preschoolers to a fun session where they will learn about artcic animals! This parent/child program is designed for the creative, curious, and active preschooler who loves animals. Each 90-minute session offers a structured series of activities including original songs, movement, dramatic play, hands-on science, and a thematic snack. You'll receive coloring pages, song lyrics, vocabulary, a fun fact sheet, and a suggested reading list in an electronic goody bag!

When: 
Thursday, March 16, 2017 9:30-11am

Imagine, Sing, & Learn: Dragonflies and Hummingbirds

Come learn about dragonflies and hummingbirds at the Joppa Flats Center!

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 dragonflies and hummingbirds.

When: 
Friday, August 10, 2018 9:30-11am

Wild About Reptiles & Amphibians

Saturday morning science - Come learn about reptiles and amphibians at the Joppa Flats Center! Photo by Bill O'Connor

Saturday Morning Science at Joppa | Joppa Flats Education Center invites kids 7-11 for a series of fun-filled science programs with others who are interested in science and wildlife.  Participants will  get in touch with their "inner scientist"! Twice a month we'll offer a chance to meet live creatures, design something "green", or explore a new field in science.  This particular program will focus on amphibians and reptiles.

When: 
Saturday, September 8, 2018 10-11:30am

Animals of the Ice

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

Imagine, Sing, & Learn: Arctic Animals

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 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

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

Youth Outdoor Winter Survival Skills Program

Kids and Tweens will learn outdoors survival skills at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary!

This new three-day drop-off program is for youths who want to learn what it takes to survive in the wild. Each day will have a different theme around an outdoor skill. We will explore the sanctuary, look to our local wildlife for inspiration, and complete an outdoor skill challenge each day. Our last day will end with a carefully made campfire and toasted marshmallows!

When: 
Daily, December 28-30, 2022 10am-Noon

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Appleton Farms offers great farm-based Vacation Week Programs for kids ages 5-11

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

Barnyard Story Hour at Appleton Farms

Kids can meet the barnyard animals and hear a story at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts.
Barnyard stories really come alive when you get to see the main characters in real life! Bring the kids down to Appleton Farms for our farm-fresh version of story time. Explore the farmstead, visit our learning garden, see our cows and rabbits, and find a spot to play under a shady tree in our...
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Wednesday, January 21

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

Thursday, January 22

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

Owl Prowl Hike at Appleton Farms

Learn all about owls at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts for kids older than 12
Join us for a very special evening hike to see the owls who might be out and about in the dark winter woods and fields of Appleton Farms. This hike will take place along the trails of Appleton, known to have multiple species of owls. Before our hike, you’ll learn about wintertime nocturnal animals...
4:15 pm to 5:45 pm

Friday, January 23

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

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.
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Kidleidoscope at Breakheart Reservation

Kidleidoscope is a program designed for preschoolers at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
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

Unraveling Winters Wild Tales - Animal Tracking for Families

Kids will learn about tracks and signs and how they can tell a story at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield Massachusetts!
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.
3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Saturday, January 24

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

Nice n' Easy Hike at Breakheart Reservation

Nice and Easy winter hike at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus Massachusetts
Join the Park Interpreter for this weekly guided hike! Each trip will highlight natural and historic features unique to Breakheart. Hikes are moderately paced and range from 2-3 miles over sometimes uneven and rocky terrain. Best for ages 8 years and up. Meet at the Visitor Center.
9:30 am to 11:30 am

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
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…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
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