Tweens

Join The Trustees of Reservations and Essex River Basin Adventures (ERBA) for a guided kayak paddle of Crane Wildlife Refuge in Essex Bay. This introductory paddle teaches participants the basics of sea kayaking before setting out to explore what Yankee Magazine called "the best place to kayak in New England."

Celebrate Father's Day by spending a night under the stars camping with the whole family. Many cultures and people from the past depended on reading the forests for their survival. Join IRWS on this fun overnight and learn some new skills. Have an early dinner at home, and then come with your family, your tent, and a dessert to share. We will explore nature through games and hands-on activities, set up our tents near the Barn before sundown, and tell stories after the sun sets.

This week's movie FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE NIGHT at Manchester Athletic Club will feature Animals United (). Drop off the kids (ages 3 - 13 years old) for a night at the movies with pizza and juice served for dinner. Go enjoy some free time while the kids have a blast together, and pick them up tired and ready for a good night's sleep!

For one weekend every June, the barns at the Cox Reservation are transformed with color and form as paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolor, monoprints, ceramics and pottery, and sculpture in wood and iron adorn the walls, window sills, tables, stairs and every nook and cranny of our rustic barns. Artists generously donate 50% of their sales to support the land conservation mission of Essex County Greenbelt Association.

The Essex Youth Triathlon is a chance for kids to explore their physical limits in a safe, monitored environment and have a great time! Join the Essex Board of Health in furthering their mission to encourage healthy habits that North Shore youth can carry into adulthood.  The Essex Youth Triathlon is the perfect opportunity to encourage and to instill the joy of health, the excitement of physical activity and pride of participation.  “Just Tri” this tri-sporting event! 

Join Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats Education Center in a family ecology cruise aboard Newburyport Harbor Tours Inc.'s Yankee Clipper this Father's Day! Teacher Naturalist, Lisa Hutchings will provide her expert pair of eyes to help your family find all the exciting sights and sounds of Newburyport and Plum Island as you cruise along the Merrimack River.

Explore the Ipswich River at dusk. Bring your family and join us for an evening paddle in a canoe as we learn more about the river and some of its inhabitants. Celebrate the coming of summer with the solstice just around the corner. As we paddle along, we'll look for plants and animals that are equally excited about the approaching season.

Fireflys, also called lightning bugs, appear for only a few weeks in the early summer to delight us with their luminous nighttime dance and light show. During this fun evening family adventure at Maudslay, learn about the life of a firefly and take a firefly walk led by the park interpreter. Bring a net or jar to catch fireflies, and learn how you can help with firefly monitoring. Comfortable walking shoes and bug spray are recommended.  Meet at the park headquarters on 74 Curzon Mill Road.