Was it the butler in the pantry with the pipe wrench? Come find out at the Crane Estate! You've been invited to Miss Florence Crane's birthday party in 1928. Everyone is having a good time until someone dies. Can you figure out who did it, in what room, and with which weapon?
Skip the pasta machine and get ready to use your hands to create orecchiette (little ears), cavatelli (dimpled pasta) and more with Chef Emily! This simple pasta dough has just three ingredients, and is easily shaped by both big and little hands. Parents and kids will work together to mix and knead their dough, shape the noodles, then share a delicious meal using local produce and meats from Appleton Farms. Chef Emily will use the finished pasta to demo an easy seasonal recipe and everyone will have time at the end to eat.
After School STEM in Nature is a weekly after school drop-off program on early release Thursdays for elementary-aged children (grades 1-5). Drop-off for the program is between 2:15-2:30 and pick-up between 4:15-4:30 at Castle Hill (290 Argilla Road).
The Crane Estate isn’t just the home of the ultimate summer adventure (SummerQuest), it’s also home to exciting spring and winter adventures! Join us during school break for a special half-day drop-off program for children ages 7-14, full of outdoor adventure, hands-on STEM activities, games, and crafts! Come for one day or all week!
Join The Trustees of Reservations for a snowy exploration of Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts on snowshoes. We'll loop through the pastures and woodlands and return to the farmstead to warm ourselves by the fire with hot cocoa and s'mores. All ages and abilities are welcome. No experience is necessary. If there isn't enough snow, we'll take a hike!
It’s not the holidays without gingerbread cookies! Join us in the kitchen for a gingerbread cookie decorating workshop for kids. First we’ll learn how to make the dough from scratch – measure ingredients, learn about the science behind baking, work the dough, and cut out the shapes. Then we’ll provide gingerbread cookies, and icing and candies for decorating. Each child will take home five (5) decorated cookies. After our creations are complete, we’ll move into the dining room to enjoy treats, hot cocoa, and a gingerbread man story.
Celebrating the winter solstice goes back 5,000 years. Join us as we light up the night with a Solstice stroll and celebration at Ward Reservation. Participants will meet in the parking lot for a guided candlelit walk through the woods that will include presented passages from the story "The Shortest Day" by Wendy Pfeffer.
Make memories with your child or grandchild at our Children's Christmas Party. Set in the magnificent Great House lavishly decorated for the holidays, you'll enjoy holiday songs with children's entertainer Jennie Mack, a craft, refreshments, and of course, a special visit with Santa who will have a gift for every child. Reservations strongly recommended. Your name will be on a reservation list at the door rather than receiving tickets.
Join us Every Sunday at 4PM to see our Jersey heard being milked. See the cows bring brought in from pasture, get a look at the milking up close and ask our dairy farmer a few questions! Perfect for kids and adults alike. While you are here take a peek in the cheese kitchen viewing room, visit with our other barnyard animals or have a picnic in the stone paddock!
Come hike at Ward Reservation with The Trustees. Families with school-aged children are invited to join The Trustees in the great outdoors on this 2 mile hike at Ward Reservation. This guided hike on the property's Yellow and Blue Trails will offer scenic vistas of Boston and the unusual solstice stones arrangement at the top of Holt Hill, as well as a bog habitat and carnivorous plants!
