April Vacation Activities for Kids

It’s getting warmer outside and April School Vacation Week is coming soon. If you’re staying local for the week here are some ideas to keep your kids engaged and having fun! This list includes outdoor, in-person and virtual events happening for children of all ages. If you see something your kids would like, don’t hesitate to register. Spots are limited at many of these events, due to COVID safety guidelines.

All Things Glowing Night Hike, Ward Reservation, 34 Prospect Rd #42, Andover – Enjoy a mindful guided hike at dusk, full of reflection and positive energy. Participants will be greeted by glowing fire pits and a fire spinning performance by Tetra when they reach the top of Holt Hill. Fri. 4/16, 7-8pm. Space is limited; pre-registration required. Trustee member: $15; nonmember: $25.

Arcade Fun at In the Game Peabody, 535A Lowell Street, Peabody – Open daily (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 $16.50 per family, through this fun studio. My son and I took a class with Sophia during February Vacation and loved it! Virtual Art Club for ages 4+ on Sat. 4/17 or Sat. 4/23 from 12-1pm. Music and Art Lab for ages 2+ on Fri. 4/23 from 10-11am.  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. 4/20 – Thurs. 4/22 from 10:30am-12pm. Perfect for ages 5.5-12 years. Class themes include Outer Space, Donut Day, Fenway Fun (12-2pm) and Bitty Birds. $35/class. Visit www.artscoolmiddleton.com/programs for more info and to register.

DIScover April Break Summer Camp Sampler, Danvers Indoor Sports at 150R Andover Street, Danvers – This camp will be full of classic camp-style games and skills competitions. Spanning a variety of sports. Mon. 4/19 – Fri. 4/23. Offered for ages 3-5, from 9-10am daily, at $15/day; and for ages 5-12, from 9am-12pm, at $45/day for members and $55/day for nonmembers. Register at danversindoorsports.com/vacation-camps. Email [email protected] for more information.

DIScover Football Clinic, Danvers Indoor Sports at150R Andover Street, Danvers – This camp will focus on throwing, catching, cutting, back pedaling and more! For ages 5-12. Athletes will play games like Ultimate Football, Flag Football, Capture the Flag and Dodgeball. Mon. 4/19 – Fri. 4/23, 9am-12pm. $225/week for members and $275/week for nonmembers. Register at danversindoorsports.com/vacation-camps. Email [email protected] for more information.

Drop-In Play at Room to Bloom, 81 Bridge Street, Beverly – As of 3/1, Room to Bloom is back open at 50% capacity. This fun indoor playground is a perfect way for little ones to stretch their legs and explore several themed rooms. Drop-In Play requires an advance registration and is available daily, from 9-10:15 am, 10:30-11:45am and 3:30-4:45pm. $12 for first child (or twins); $6 for siblings (crawlers & older); $6 for non-walker without sibling; free for infants (non-crawler) with paid sibling. Punchpass discounts also available. Register here.

Drop-In Play at The Children’s Piazza, 83 Pine Street, Unit F, Peabody – This fun play space for kids features indoor and outdoor areas and a coffee shop. Open daily for two morning sessions and an afternoon session, some times vary by day. Advance booking required. Register here. $12 for children older than 1 year; $8 for less than 1 year; $8 for additional siblings older than 1 year; and free for siblings less than 1 year.  Twins 2 for price of 1 and an adult admission is included with child admission. Additional adults are $8.

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. Students who have previously participated in the program will be able to expand on their filmmaking 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 (for middle school students) takes place on Tues. 4/20 – Fri. 4/23 from 9am-12pm and Session 2 (for high school students) 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.

Fire Pit Picnic at Appleton Farms, 219 County Road, Hamilton & Ipswich – Enjoy the sights and sounds of spring on the farm as you make s’mores and memories around a fire pit at Appleton. Your ticket, good for up to 6 people, gets you two hours at a fire pit, complete with benches for seating, wood for burning and a kit with supplies for making s’mores. Food is also available to purchase from the Appleton Farms Kitchen. Fri. 4/16 – Sun. 4/18 & Fri. 4/23 – Sun. 4/25, times vary by day. $60 member family; $75 nonmember family. Visit thetrustees.org to register.

Garden Golf at Cafe Sarina, 269A Central St, Georgetown – Take the family for lunch at Cafe Sarina or ice cream at Kallie’s Kones and a visit to their Garden Golf course. They are located on the gorgeous grounds of Nunan Florist & Greenhouse, so you can also scoop up some supplies for your spring gardening needs. Garden Golf is open Tues.-Sun. from 7am-3pm.

Golf Country, Next to Richardson’s Farm at 160 South Main Street, Middleton – Spend an afternoon on the driving range, two mini golf courses, or at the batting cages and then finish with Richardson’s Ice Cream! Open daily from 7am-9pm. Prices vary by activity.

Hike & Seek: Sprouts of Spring, Stevens Coolidge House & Gardens at 153 Chickering Road, North Andover – Curious children and their caregivers are invited to discover 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. Daily from Sat. 4/17 to Sun. 5/16, 9am-5pm. Trustee member family: $4; nonmember family: $8. Registration Link. 

Kids Craft Camp, Create & Escape Creative Studios & Workshops at 71 Main Street, Peabody – Craft camp includes music, games, fun & CRAFTS! Projects include Paint Pour, Gem-Shaped Soap, Baby Yoda Slime, 3D Wooden Sports Signs, Earth Day, Sand Art Terrariums, and Sea Glass Sun-Catchers. This is a drop off event, perfect for kids ages 5 and older. Mon. 4/19 – Fri. 4/23, 2-4pm. $35/day. (Sibling discount also available. Save 10% at checkout with code SIBLING10.)  Register at createandescapediy.com or email [email protected] with questions.

Knights and Ladies: The History of Heraldry, Hammond Castle at 80 Hesperus Avenue, Gloucester – Bring your little Knights and Ladies to the Hammond Castle Museum for an educational and hands-on introduction to the history of heraldry on Knights and Ladies Day. This hour long program, on Tues. 4/20, is geared towards 5-8 year olds, and will be held in the Great Hall of the Museum. Two sessions available, at 11 am and 1pm. $20/adult and $10/child. Due to COVID restrictions, only one adult may accompany each child. Register at hammondcastle.org/event/knightsladies.

Open Paint & DIY Craft Kit Grab & Go, Hammer & Stain North Shore at 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 $8 and are great for kids and adults! Learn more at hammerandstainnorthshore.com. Available Tues. 4/20 & Fri. 4/23, from 11am-3pm.

Paradise Family Golf, 25 Lonergan Road, Middleton –  Take the kids to play mini golf at this tropical-themed golf course with green turf, lots of trees, one feisty parrot and koi pond. After your game enjoy a scoop of Treadwells ice cream or Richie’s Slush. Open daily from 8am-10pm. Driving range and indoor golf simulators also located here.

Project Y – Teens Volunteer Day, 254 Essex St Beverly – Teens can volunteer on a variety of community service projects including: supporting our veterans; developing our community gardens and farms; outdoor clean-up of private and public properties and beaches, random acts of kindness throughout our community; supporting our local food pantries; building with Habitat for Humanity (ages 16 and up); and helping our elderly. Find more information and register at northshoreymca.org/projecty. Registration deadline is April 9.

Secret Ingredient 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 April 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 Butternut Squash Ravioli to Panzanella and Chocolate Babka. This camp is drop-off and you can register for the day or the entire week. Ages 4-8 from 9am-12pm and ages 9+ from 1-4 pm; cost $75/day or $350/week. Register for Camp in North Andover or register for camp in Beverly.

Skillz Check Soccer Academy, Danvers Indoor Sports, 150 Andover Street, Danvers – Offering their popular, weeklong April Skillz Camp from 4/19-4/23, 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 day (9am-12pm; $200) and full day (9am-3pm; $300) 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.

SkyZone Trampoline Park, Liberty Tree Mall at 100 Independence Way, Danvers – Offering extended daily hours for April Vacation from 11am-9pm. Plus a Glow Session on Fri. 4/23 from 7-9pm, where lasers, music and blacklight transform the whole park into a crazy jumping dance club. Buy tickets to Glow or reserve your Open Jump time here. $20/60 minutes, $25/90 minutes, $30/120 minutes and $25 for Glow Session.

Spring BloomFest, Stevens Coolidge House & Gardens at 153 Chickering Road, North Andover – Celebrate all things flowers and sunshine at the Stevens-Coolidge House & Gardens BloomFest! Stroll through seven manicured gardens, meadows and orchards planted with 165,000 tulip, daffodil and minor bulbs. This year’s festival will be complimented by an Event Schedule featuring horticultural tours, floral workshops, afternoon teas and fun activities for kids. Begins Thurs. 4/22 and runs through May, 10am-5pm. Trustee members: $9 adult/$3 child; nonmember: $15 adult/$5 child. Registration Link. 

Spring Egg Hunt Trail, (Long Hill) 572 Essex Street, Beverly – In this fun, family event, you can explore the secretive egg trail and scavenger hunt at Long Hill as you follow clues around the woodland trails and apple orchard in search for the golden egg that rabbits have hidden. Finish by claiming your delicious chocolaty surprise! This springtime celebration engages families with the wonders of spring blooms, photo opportunities, and nature. Fri. 4/16 – Mon. 4/19, 12-2pm. Trustee Members: Free for Adults/$9 child; Nonmembers: Free for Adults/$15 child. Register at thetrustees.org.

The History of the Medieval Arms & Armor: The Knight, Hammond Castle at 80 Hesperus Avenue, Gloucester – Middle schoolers can join this fun and educational program on the History of Medieval Arms and Armor.  Hosted by Hammond Castle enthusiastic experts-in-residence Scott Cordiner, former Museum curator, and John Leysath, curatorial director, adventurous kids can learn about how arms and armor were used and see real-life examples. Program is available in two sessions on Wed. 4/21 at 11am and 1 pm. $20/adults and $10/children (kid four and under do not need a ticket as long as they remain on a parent or guardian’s lap.) Register at hammondcastle.org/event/theknight.

Trustees Trekker Family Hike at Appleton, 219 County Road, Hamilton & Ipswich – This is an easy, family-friendly hike along the trails and paths that cross the idyllic landscape of Appleton Farms. Sat. 4/24, 4-5pm. Members: $12 Adult/$6 Child; Nonmembers: $20 Adult/$10 Child. Visit thetrustees.org to register.

Virtual Vacation Week Camp – Online with Mass Audubon – Topics include Mammals; Trees; Birds of Spring; Climate Kids and Reptiles, Amphibians, and Fish. Suitable for children 5-8 years. Mon. 4/19 – Fri. 4/23, 9am-12pm. Members: $45/daily session; Non-members: $54/daily session. Register at massaudubon.org.

ZOOcation week at Zoo New England – Online – Get close to some amazing ambassador animals, right from the comfort of your own couch! Join Zoo New England virtually for a wild week of animal encounters and educator-led crafts and activities, live from both Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo! Mon. 4/19 – Fri. 4/23, 10-11:30am. Daily topics include: Slimy & Scaly, Tropical Tuesday, Zoo Detectives, Conservation ZOOper Heroes, Enrichment Extravaganza. Best for a
ages 7-10, but siblings and family members are welcome to join on the same device. Members: $40/daily session; Non-members: $45/daily session. Register at zoonewengland.org/engage/zoocation-week.