It is almost time for February vacation. With the kids being home from Feb. 21 through Feb. 25 here are some activities that can help them keep busy. Whether they want to improve their culinary skills, learn a new hobby, or paint a masterpiece there is sure to be something for everyone.
Painting At Splash
772 Purchase St., New Bedford | https://www.facebook.com/Paintingatsplash
Join Painting At Splash for a class Feb. 21 through Feb. 25 For their 2 for 1 Feb Vacation Special. Ages 4+ recommended with a different painting each day including one day of ceramic painting.
February Vacation Archery Clinic
203 Bedford St., Lakeville | https://www.facebook.com/Dees-Archery-Events
This is a four-day archery clinic for children ages 7 yrs to 12 yrs old that will be held 10 a.m. to noon from Feb. 21 through Feb. 24. No experience is needed. Each day will focus on proper shooting form and building basic skills. It will challenge the archers with fun and exciting targets games that will help them to focus on aiming.
New Bedford Whaling Museum
18 Johnny Cake Hill, New Bedford | https://www.whalingmuseum.org/programs
Throughout February vacation week, the New Bedford Whaling Museum will explore themes of conservation. Visitors are encouraged to locate each of the five Conservation Stations by searching for the hidden whales that correspond to them between 9:30 a.m. and noon. In the afternoon, continue the scavenger hunt fun until the Museum closes. Return your completed scavenger hunt to the admissions desk for a special victory stamp.
The stations include:
- station 1: Search and Destroy, explore toothed whales and echolocation
- station 2: Sounds & Songs, discover how sound works through a number of different hands-on experiments
- station 3: Corals & Conservation, explore some of the smallest creatures in our ocean
- station 4: Through the Window, compare whale skeletons to human skeletons
- station 5: Insulated from the Cold, experiment with insulating properties of blubber
New Bedford Parks, Recreation & Beaches
181 Hillman St., New Bedford | https://www.facebook.com/NBParksRecreationBeaches
There are two great options with the New Bedford Parks, Recreation & Beaches for the February vacation.
- The Staycation Club at the Andrea McCoy Rec Center is $85 per child for the week, ages K through 5. This fun and safe program will keep kids physically active and socially engaged over the school break! Active games in the gym, along with steam projects, arts, board games, and more will be offered for a full day of fun. Lunch will be served daily.
- Free Staycation drop-in activities at Ricketson Nature Center that is geared towards whole family nature-based fun. The daily activities will include Including birds, upcycling, insects, owls, and trees.
Culinary Arts Vacation Camp
476 North Ave., Rochester | https://www.eventbrite.com/e/culinary-arts-vacation-camp
The Old Colony Reg. Voc-Tech High School is holding a Culinary Arts Vacation Camp offering pasta or sushi-making for ages 7 to 14. Each class costs $50 per person. There are two sessions for each class the first at 9 a.m. and the second at noon, each lasting 2.5 hours.
- Feb. 22: Fresh pasta making class where students will learn the history and technique of making fresh pasta along with homemade tomato sauce and Italian style Meatballs.
- Feb. 23: Sushi Making Class where students will be cooking sushi rice and rolling their own sushi rolls. California rolls and spicy tuna rolls will be demonstrated.
Highland Street Foundation Winter Camp
https://www.highlandstreet.org/programs/community-events/winter-camp
Highland Street Foundation is partnering with different organizations to provide free opportunities during February school vacation week. Some of these activities require advance registration on a first-come, first-served basis and have limited capacity. Visit individual websites to view COVID protocols.
- Feb. 22: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way, Worcester | www.ecotarium.org.
The EcoTarium offers indoor-outdoor experiences to visitors of all ages, including 3 floors of indoor interactive exhibits, live animal habitats, outdoor imaginative play, and much more. Tickets can be reserved online but are not mandatory. - Feb. 23: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Franklin Park Zoo, One Franklin Park Zoo Road, Boston | www.zoonewengland.org.
Franklin Park Zoo has the cure for cabin fever during long New England winters, so hold off on hibernating, because there are plenty of amazing animals that don’t! Advance registration is required at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904094eabae2ba6fa7-223. - Feb. 24: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Children’s Winter Festival, Boston Common, Parade Ground www.boston.gov/calendar/childrens-winter-festival-2022
Enjoy some outdoor fun, including a three-story high inflatable snow tube slide, a 45-foot long toboggan tunnel mountainous adventure, a trackless train, a photo booth, giant games, and more. - Feb. 25: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Buttonwood Park Zoo, 425 Hawthorn St., New Bedford | www.bpzoo.org
Buttonwood Park Zoo features over 240 species, most notably Asian elephants, red pandas, bison, cougars, black bears, eagles, seals, otters, South American primates, and numerous waterfowl species - Feb. 25: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Cape Cod Maritime Museum, 135 South St., Hyannis | www.capecodmaritimemuseum.org
Come learn about the rich maritime traditions and history for which Cape Cod is known for.If you need additional information or have questions, contact Brian McNulty ([email protected]).
February School Vacation at the Dartmouth Library
Southworth Library, 732 Dartmouth St., Dartmouth | North Branch, 211 Cross Road, Dartmouth https://www.town.dartmouth.ma.us/library/blog/february-school-vacation-programs-children-feb-22-26-2022
- Feb. 22: Dinosaur Fun – 2 p.m. at the Southworth Library. Join Miss Christie for a dinosaur story, dinosaur crafts, and activities. It’s going to be a roaring good time. Registration required.
- Feb. 23: Circle Shaped Animal Craft – 10:30 a.m. at the North Branch Library or 2 p.m. at Southworth Library. Bring your imagination and join Miss Christie as we explore what animals can be made from different sizes and colors of circles. Registration required.
- Feb. 24: Vinny’s Shadow Puppet Show -10:30 a.m. at the North Branch Library or 2 p.m. at Southworth Library. Using an old-school overhead projector and his homemade shadow puppets, kids play “What’s that Shadow” and help tell stories like “The 12 Lil’ Pigs and the Big Bad Pineapple”. The show is 45 minutes long and best for kids ages 3 and up. Registration is required.
- Feb. 26: Escape Room – 2 p.m. at the North Branch Library. Kids ages 9 and up interested in learning about secret codes, can embark on an escape room-style time travel adventure. Solve puzzles, crack cryptic messages, and learn about some of the most famous secret codes, while traveling through history. This activity is perfect for small teams of two to four people. Grown-ups can help too (if they let you.) Must register for the event.
Masks are strongly recommended for all participants.
Middleborough Public Library
102 N Main St., Middleboro | https://www.facebook.com/middleborolib/
Feb. 24: From 1 to 2 p.m. join Saria Sweeney, an educator with Old Colony History Museum, for a hands-on history program about powder horns. Get creative with this Revolution-inspired craft. You’ll learn about the history of powder horns and then hold and make one of your very own to customize at home. We will be working with paper-mâché, so dress for a mess.
This craft is for children ages 8 to 12 and registration is required as space is limited. Call the library at 508-946-2470.
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