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Before backpacks replace beach bags and homework replaces lazy afternoons, squeeze every last drop of fun out of summer! Whether you're looking for a quick afternoon adventure or planning one final family outing, the North Shore is filled with amazing places to explore.
How many can your family check off before school starts?
🏖️ Beach Adventures
☐ Spend one more day building sandcastles at Crane Beach in Ipswich. Crane Beach
☐ Watch the sunrise over Nahant Beach and take a family walk along the shoreline. Nahant Beach And Playground
☐ Visit Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester for swimming and tide pooling.
☐ Find sea glass on Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea.
☐ Watch boats sail into Gloucester Harbor.
🍦 Ice Cream Crawl
Try a different ice cream shop each week!
🍨 Cherry Farm Creamery – Danvers
🍦 Holy Cow Ice Cream Cafe – Peabody
🍧 Treadwell's Ice Cream – Peabody
🍨 Richardson's Ice Cream – Middleton
Vote for your family's favorite flavor!
🚶 Nature Adventures
☐ Hike through Lynn Woods Reservation.
☐ Explore Breakheart Reservation in Saugus.
☐ Walk the trails at Bradley Palmer State Park.
☐ Visit Appleton Farms.
☐ Take a sunset walk through Maudslay State Park.
North Shore families consistently rank the area's beaches, parks, and trails among the region's best outdoor experiences.
🌽 Visit a Farm
☐ Pick fresh produce.
☐ Meet farm animals.
☐ Grab homemade cider donuts.
Great stops include:
🍎 Russell Orchards – Ipswich
🌽 Utopia Farms – Manchester-by-the-Sea
🥕 Northern Lights Farm Stand – Ipswich
⛳ Friendly Competition
Challenge the family to:
🏌️ Mini golf
⚾ Batting cages
🏌️ Driving range
Try:
⛳ Paradise Family Golf – Middleton
⛳ Golf Country – Middleton
🏰 Castle Creek Adventure Land – Salem
🏰 Explore Your Favorite North Shore Town
Spend a day wandering through:
🌊 Newburyport
⚓ Gloucester
🎨 Rockport
🧙 Salem
🛍️ Beverly
Grab lunch, browse local shops, and enjoy an afternoon together.
🧺 Have a Picnic
Bring sandwiches, watermelon, and lawn games to:
🌳 Lynch Park – Beverly David S. Lynch Memorial Park
🌳 Stage Fort Park – Gloucester
🌳 Maudslay State Park – Newburyport
🎨 Get Creative
☐ Paint pottery
☐ Make friendship bracelets
☐ Draw with sidewalk chalk
☐ Create a family scrapbook of your summer adventures
🚂 Try Something New
☐ Ride the commuter rail somewhere you've never visited.
☐ Eat at a restaurant you've never tried.
☐ Visit a new playground.
☐ Attend an outdoor concert.
☐ Explore a museum.
🦖 Rainy Day Fun
Need an indoor adventure?
🧩 North Shore Children's Museum – Peabody
🏖️ Sandmagination – Peabody
These family attractions are great options when the weather doesn't cooperate.
📚 Visit Your Local Library
Before summer reading ends:
📖 Check out one more stack of books.
🎲 Attend a craft or LEGO program.
🎨 Join a family activity.
📚 Complete your summer reading challenge.
❤️ Give Back
☐ Donate books you've outgrown.
☐ Pick up litter at a local beach.
☐ Donate school supplies.
☐ Help a neighbor.
Kindness is always in season.
🌟 Finish Summer Strong
Summer isn't about checking every box—it's about making memories with the people you love. Whether you're enjoying one last beach day, sharing an ice cream cone, hiking a favorite trail, or discovering a new North Shore gem, these moments become the stories your family will remember long after the school year begins.
Here's to one more adventure, one more sunset, and one more scoop of ice cream before summer says goodbye. Happy exploring!
