Summertime Fun!

Summer is in full swing and parents everywhere are on the lookout for engaging activities to keep their kids entertained and create lasting memories. Luckily, I’ve got you covered!

I asked a bunch of you what you love and you came through! Grab your favorite beverage, find a comfy spot and take a look at this treasure trove of ideas from other real parents and caregivers just like you!

Coming right up — and in my own town:

  • Art Grows Here: “Art Grows Here is a FREE, map-guided tour of outdoor art made by people in Hamilton and Wenham. It’s a wonderful way to get to know your community and your neighbors while being inspired by some amazing and creative public art.” Opens 7/28, and runs through 8/7. For more info: https://www.wenhammuseum.org


Ice Cream Sandos - A collaboration between Treat Bakery and Down River Ice Cream. Available at the Crane Beach Snack Shack. Photo: Tracey Westgate Photography.

Ice cream came in STRONG with you all… and I love it! Here are your favorite shops:


Strawberry Hill, Ipwsich. Photo: Tracey Westgate Photography.

Parks/Nature: The North Shore is just bursting with beauty and has such a variety of ways to explore it. Here are a few ideas!

Mass Audubon Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield. Some short easy trails, river walk, birds will eat right out your hands. There’s picnic benches and a cute little playground. With a membership you also have access to canoes, paddles, and life vests which you can take out on the river.
— Elizabeth D.

Pools:


Libraries:

  • Check out your local library for reading programs, incentives and fun kid activities!


Appleton Farms, Ipswich. Photo: Tracey Westgate Photography.

Farms:


Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester. Photo: Tracey Westgate Photography.

Beaches:

  • Pavilion Beach, Ipswich. A major bonus is the adjacent “pirate playground.”

  • Gull Pond/trails behind Gordon College, Wenham. Park behind Frost Hall to walk out to Gull Pond and the small beach.

  • Dane Street Beach, Beverly. A bonus, it has an adjacent playground.

  • Lynch Park, Beverly. Two beaches as well as a splash pad, playground, snack shack and Rose Garden. One reader suggested crab hunting there!

  • Long Beach, Rockport

  • Front Beach, Rockport - A small beach with rocks to climb. My kids loved this beach when they were little because the waves were almost non-existent!

  • Stage Fort Park, Gloucester. Playground and Half Moon Beach

  • Constitution Beach, East Boston. Playground is across from the runway at Logan, so you can watch the planes. No waves, so easy to watch littles.

  • Good Harbor Beach, Gloucester. Great for a short walk out to the island at low tide.

  • Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester. Great for climbing on rocks and finding tide pools.

  • Singing Beach, Manchester.

*Unfortunately some beaches have been closed to swimming this year due to bacteria, so be sure to do a quick google search before heading out! Many beaches require advanced reservations now (Crane, Gloucester Beaches, and possibly more).


Splash Pads:


Playgrounds: So many great playgrounds, but here on the ones you mentioned!

  • Dane Street Playground, Beverly.

  • Patton Park, Hamilton. Also has Sunday Night concerts in the summer.

  • Sony Myers Playground, Revere. Big and fully enclosed.

  • Another great resource for playground news: Park Hoppah Facebook Group - caregivers report on various playgrounds and parks. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1842131829442563


Mini Golf:


Indoor activities: For when that heat gets too much, or that rain is too hard, here are some fun indoor activities:


Candy! Fun fact: I worked in a candy store for 5 years and absolutely loved it! Here’s your picks for candy on the North Shore:


Other Goodies:


Day trips:

Coastal Maine Botanical Garden to see Guardians of the Seeds. They have these huge wooden trolls through out the gardens to find. They are amazing! They also have a cute splash pad for the kids to cool off and an entire area that’s for kids. It’s a drive but totally worth it. We stop in this cute little restaurant not far from the botanical garden to have dinner. We go at least twice a summer and the kids love it.
— Dee A.

Other places to find what you need:


Hanging with Grandpa! Photo: Tracey Westgate Photography.

And… winning the internet, Erin F. says “Their grandparents’ house!” 

I hope you learned something new today that helps you create some family memories!

As Thomas Jefferson says in the Broadway Musical Hamilton….

Tracey Westgate headshot by Shirley Anne Photography

About the Author

Tracey Westgate is a family photographer on the North Shore of Boston. Serving families of the North Shore:  Amesbury, Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Lynn, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Revere, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, and Swampscott, Wenham and beyond. Tracey loves telling your authentic story, just as you are.