Photo courtesy of Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens.
Need ideas to keep your kids engaged and having fun during February School Vacation Week? Look no further! We’ve compiled a list of outdoor, in-person and virtual events happening for children of all ages. If you see something you like, don’t hesitate to register. Spots are limited at many of these events, due to COVID safety guidelines.
Afternoon Adventures: Take a Hike, Ward Reservation, 34 Prospect Rd #42, Andover – Get outside this school vacation and join The Trustees on a hike at Ward Reservation. Along the trail, explore bogs, trees and birds during this 2 hour drop-off program. Wed. 2/17, 1-3pm and Thurs. 2/18, 10am–12pm. Space is limited; pre-registration required. Trustee Member Child: $12; Nonmember Child: $20.
Afternoon Adventures: Family Edition, Ward Reservation, 34 Prospect Rd #42, Andover– Get outside this school vacation and join The Trustees on a hike at Ward Reservation. During this 2 hour program, the whole family can explore bogs, trees and birds along the trail. Tues. 2/16, 1-3pm. This family hike is best suited for explorers ages 6-12 and their caregivers. Space is limited; Pre-registration required for all adults and children. Trustee Member Adult: $5; Trustee Member Child: $4; Nonmember Adult: $10; Nonmember Child: $8.
Appleton Farm Camp, 219 County Road, Hamilton & Ipswich – This program is for kids who are looking to make friends, explore the forests and fields of the farm, and learn about life in New England in winter, including maple sugaring! Every program will include an outdoor adventure of hiking, snowshoeing, or other farm explorations. Mon. 2/15 – Fri. 2/19, 9am-3pm. $395 Member Child/$495 Nonmember Child. Visit thetrustees.org to register.
Arcade Fun at In the Game Peabody, 535A Lowell Street, Peabody – Open daily with restrictions (times vary by day). Includes laser tag, a rock wall, ropes course, mini bowling arcade games and more. Visit inthegamepeabody.com for more details.
Art Club with Essem Art Studio, Online – Take a virtual Drop-in Art Class for $15 each, through this fun studio. My son and I took a class with Sophia in the spring and loved it! Virtual Art Club for ages 3+ on Sat. 2/13 from 12-12:45 pm or Tues. 2/16 from 4-4:45 pm. Music and Art Lab for ages 2+ on Mon. 2/15 from 10-11 am. Sign up at www.eventbrite.com/o/essem-art-studio.
Art Workshops at Art’s Cool, 1 Central Street, Middleton – Offering safe studio art classes Tues. 2/16 – Thurs. 2/18 for ages 5.5-12 years. Class themes and times vary by day; prices range from $35-40 per class. Visit www.artscoolmiddleton.com/programs for more info and to register.
Filmmaking Classes at The Cabot, 286 Cabot Street, Beverly – Kids and teens can sign up to bring creativity to life in a fun, collaborative and exciting environment. They will learn skills in scriptwriting, storyboard sketching, improvisation and camera skills. Together they will write, shoot and edit a film in a genre of their choosing and edit their project together using the professional editing software Adobe Premiere. Session 1 (ages 8-11) takes place on Tues. 2/16 – Fri. 2/19 from 9am-12pm and Session 2 (ages 12+) takes place on the same days from 1-4 pm. Each session costs $240. Register here or contact Natalia Morgan at [email protected] for more info.
Gymnastics at the Greater Beverly YMCA, 254 Essex St Beverly – Offering a half-day Gymnastics Program for kids ages 4-14. Sign up for either M/W/F or T/Th at the Sterling Center. Free to YMCA Family Members, or $56 for M/W/F and $25 for T/Th for Community Members. Contact Kim Allatt at [email protected] for more details or to register.
Hike & Seek: Winter Wonderland (Stevens-to-Stevens Trail), 113 Andover St., North Andover – Available daily, through 3/7, from 9 am-5 pm. Curious children and their caregivers are invited to discover their own magic in the woods with this family-friendly outdoor self-guided program. Participants will be emailed an activity bundle to help them look for clues along the trail and work as a team to discover the tiny world beneath their feet and under their nose. Pre-registration required to receive downloadable bundle of the created activities, including maps, scavenger hunt, crafts, additional reading list and recipes. Trustee Member Family: $4; Nonmember Family: $8. Registration Link.
Karen K’s Love Fest: A Virtual Family Music Festival, Online – Hosted by Karen K of Karen K & the Jitterbugs and The Cabot! Featuring (virtual) live performances by: Shine and the Moonbeams, The Uncle Devin Show, Flor Bromley, Stella (Age 10!) and her D.a.d. Pierce Freelon, Mista Cookie Jar, Zoë Lewis, Production by Latin-Grammy winning 123 Andres! PLUS…live interviews with young heroes putting love into activism, including: Cartier Carey, an 11-year-old change-maker whose lemonade stand provided diapers for single mothers during COVID…and went viral; our friends at the YMCA of the North Shore; and the bold and brave 5th graders at KIPP Academy Lynn! This event will take place on Sat. 2/13 at 10:30 am and is free, though donations to The Cabot are appreciated. Find the link to watch this livestream event on Facebook.
Open Paint & DIY Craft Kit Grab & Go, Hammer & Stain North Shore, 296A Cabot Street, Beverly – Create a craft project at the studio or pick up all the supplies in a kit to bring home and create. Projects start at $12 and are great for kids and adults! Learn more at hammerandstainnorthshore.com. Available Tues. 2/16 & Fri. 2/19, from 11am-3pm.
Private Dance Lessons with Mini Movers Studio, Online – Schedule a private, virtual dance lesson for up to 3 children in ballet, jazz hop, musical theater, cheer, or lyrical/contemporary. Available Mon. 2/15 & Thurs. 2/18 from 11am-5pm and Tues. 2/16 & Wed. 2/17 from 10am-5pm. $30 for a 30 minute private lesson, $45 for 45 minutes. Book at www.minimoversstudio.com.
Skillz Check Soccer Academy, Danvers Indoor Sports, 150 Andover Street, Danvers – Offering their popular, weeklong February Skillz Camp from 2/15-2/19, featuring professional soccer training in a fun and safe environment. Players – ages 5 to 17 – train in small groups based on skill and age level and will receive high-level soccer training through technical training, small area activities and scrimmages. Half (9am-12pm; $200) and full (9am-3pm; $300) day options are offered and sibling discounts are available. Skillz Check is also able to prorate the session fee to accommodate a player’s schedule. Space is limited, visit SkillzCheck.com to register.
Mini Chef / Chef’s Challenge Camp at Taste Buds Kitchen – Kids can battle it out like they do in the Iron Chef’s Kitchen Stadium during the Mini Chef / Chef’s Challenge Camp for February School Vacation. With a new secret ingredient each day to guess, taste, prepare and enjoy, they’ll be whipping up recipes galore. All camps feature both savory and sweet recipes from Lasagna Cupcakes to Dumplings and Chocolate Bread Pudding. This camp is drop-off and you must register for the full week. Class sizes are limited to 12 campers. Ages 4-8 from 9am-12pm and Ages 9+ from 1-4 pm; cost $350. Register for Camp in North Andover or register for camp in Beverly.
Wee Explorers, The Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens, 113 Andover St., North Andover – Held on Tues. 2/16 from 9:30-10:30am, this nature-based toddler playgroup (for ages 2-5) will incorporate guided activities with clear objectives such as story time and music time. Along with these guided activities, opportunities for free time for children and their caregivers to peek under rocks, inspect tree bark for hiding bugs and jump in puddles. (This program runs every Tuesday in February, not just vacation week.) Pre-registration required for all adults and children. Trustee Member Child: $5; Nonmember Child: $10; Adult: Free.
Winter Walk at Long Hill (Family), 572 Essex Street, Beverly – Join Senior Horticulturist Dan Bouchard and Property Director Jared Bowers for a fun and family-friendly winter walk to explore the property’s woodland trails. The walk will focus on nature discovery through different multi-sensory activities but will also include some fun games (woodland scavenger hunt!) and simply enjoying the wonders of nature in winter.Thurs. 2/18, 10:30am-12pm. Trustee Member: $9 adult, $6 child; Nonmember: $15 adult, $10 child. Register at thetrustees.org.