April Vacation Week at CAM: Reading Through the Museum

April Vacation Week Programs at Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester Massachusetts

Celebrate the return of spring with a visit to the Cape Ann Museum during April School Vacation Week! The Museum will be free for school-age children, 18 and under, and their guardians from Tuesday, April 18 – Friday, April 21. Explore the galleries with a scavenger hunt and family-friendly activities then head to the CAM Studio for an art project. 

Read through the Galleries 
Daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  

Explore the galleries! Turn your visit into a scavenger hunt for the whole family with the new Spring Cassie the Friendly Sea Serpent Scavenger Hunt Guide. See who can find all the artworks first, use the prompts to learn about the works of art, and find children’s books along the way to sit and read.  

Kids Learn How to Make a Children’s Book 
Tuesday, April 18 and Thursday, April 20 from 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. 
CAM Studio 
Free for school-age children, 18 and under, and their guardians   

Meet Alice Gardner who will be reading her new book Exploring Gloucester Massachusetts that showcases beloved Gloucester landmarks in the form of an ABC book. Activities include story reading, art making and an ABC scavenger hunt around the Museum. 

CAM Studio Morning Activity: Cassie Accordion Books 
Wednesday, April 19 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 
Free for school-age children, 18 and under, and their guardians   

Have you ever spotted a Sea Serpent? Over 100 people from Cape Ann claimed to witness a slithery sea serpent off the waters of Cape Ann -- the mystery continues to intrigue people today! 

Join us for a reading of The Serpent Came to Gloucester, by M.T. Anderson, and then paint, draw and collage it your very own Sea Serpent accordion book that opens up, down, out and across. Invent your own notes, theories and pictures!  

Meet Me in the Galleries 
Friday, April 21 at 10:00 am, 11:00 am and 12:00 p.m. 
Meets in the Central Gallery 
Free for school-age children, 18 and under, and their guardians   

Take a Kids Guided Tour. Children and their parents are invited to come on a tour of the Museum given by a CAM Educator designed for young artists and art lovers. Every tour takes you through the galleries to find 3 artworks to visit with lots of group discussion, games for looking at art and sketching. Tours are offered at 10:00 am, 11:00 am and 12:00 p.m. and last 30 minutes each. Families may stay for any length of the tour. No registration required. Space is limited to 5 children on a first come first serve basis.

When: 
Tuesday-Friday, April 18 -21, 2023 10am-5pm
Location: 
Phone: 
978.283.0455

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

Saturday, February 7

Music and Movement at North Shore Children's Museum

North Shore, North Shore Childrens Museum in Peabody MA
Music and Movement with Marybeth Maes is an engaging music and movement class for young children at the North Shore Children's Museum. Marybeth brings her guitar and instruments for the children to use while they sing, dance, and play.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

Children's Maple in the Barnyard at Appleton Farms

Visit Appleton Farms' sugaring operation and learn about making maple sugar syrup!
Maple Season is here! This special program for ages 3-11 & their families will focus on the magic of maple from start to finish. We will discover this tradition by observing trees, tasting sap, learning the tools involved, and finally, tasting the sweet product. We will make sure to have time...
10:45 am to 3:00 pm

Bald Eagles in the Wild for Teens

Teens are invited to Joppa Flats Education Center in Newburyport Massachusetts to learn about eagles and their behaviors. Photo: Bill O'Connor
Head to the most popular spots to search for Bald Eagles. Learn how to spot an eagle in flight, observe their behaviors, and learn how to identify Bald Eagles at different stages of life. Use binoculars, field scopes, and bird guides. Stay active and warm with group challenges about wingspan and...
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Sunday, February 8

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

Salem's So Sweet Festival

Salem Massachusetts' retailers have some sweet surprises in store during the Salem's So Sweet Weekend Festival
Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce invite you to come enjoy the annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival – a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, and Valentine’s Day shopping! Now in its 24th year, Salem’s So Sweet has become...
9:00 am to 10:00 pm

Watching the Coastal Edge at Halibut Point

Tour the WWII era observation tower at Halibut Point State Park in Rockport Massachusetts.
Meet at the Halibut Point State Park visitors center to learn about the role Halibut Point has played in America’s military history. One day after the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, U.S.
11:00 am to 12:30 pm

Amesbury Winter Market

Amesbury Winter Market Daze at Barewolf Brewing January 11-February 8, 2026
Amesbury Market Daze is your friendly local community marketplace. We take pride in curating a marketplace that showcases local art and food from talented local artisans, chefs, farmers, creators and curators of surrounding Amesbury, Massachusetts. Join us throughout the year to curate and foster a...
12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

CraneOutdoors: Family Winter Wildlife Walk

Come explore the dunes on Castle Neck and Crane Beach in Ipswich Massachusetts to learn about winter wildlife.
A CraneOutdoors Family Winter Wildlife Walk will take you on a stroll through the Crane Beach dunes while learning about the plants and animals that call this special place home. You may be familiar with Crane Beach, but have you ever visited the dune trails? The dunes of Castle Neck are a much...
1:00 pm to 3:30 pm

Sunday STEAM Club at North Shore Children's Museum

Visit Peabody MA, NorthShore, North Shore Children's Museum
Join in on Sundays at 2:30 for STEAM Club for ages 5-11. Each week participants will explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math with our NSCM staff! Every STEAM club session will see your kids participating in hands-on activities while exploring a new topic. Space is limited, please...
2:30 pm to 4:00 pm

Monday, February 9

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