What’s better than a day on the farm? How about a hands-on, educational program that engages your kids and allows them to connect with nature and with other kids — all while developing unique skills they may not learn anywhere else! Whether you’re looking for a class for your toddler, an outdoor “school” for your preschooler, a summer camp for your elementary child, or an after-school program for your big kid, these Boston-area farms have what you need!
Waltham Fields Community Farm
240 Beaver Street, Waltham
Waltham Fields Community Farm offers several programs throughout the year that aim to deliver age-appropriate lessons and experiences on the farm. WCWF Little Sprouts is a “caregiver and me” program for toddlers and their families to explore the farmland. For the older kids, there is the teen corps program, which is an agriculture-based leadership program, and an after-school program for 1st through 8th graders. During the summer they also offer “summer on the farm” camps on a full-week or mini-week basis for rising 1st through 8th graders.
Chip-in Farm
201 Hartwell Road, Bedford
Chip-in Farm’s “farmer’s helpers” program has so many options year-round — from toddler farm play and “goats and giggles” through preschool goat yoga and pony power hour, plus K-5 school vacation week classes, summer programs, and horse courses.
Drumlin Farm
208 S. Great Road, Lincoln
Drumlin Farm offers a wonderful part-time nature preschool for ages 3-5 and allows children to learn through hands-on experiences in nature. For older kids and teens, the farm offers several weekend programs that build friendships and teach new skills. Their summer camp, for children ages 4-17, fosters community, interdependence, and stewardship while exploring the farm and nature.
Land’s Sake Farm
90 Wellesley Street, Weston
Land’s Sake Farm offers year-round programs for pre-K and toddlers, including family farm chores, reading stories, digging in the garden, meeting farm animals, exploring bugs, and trying fresh produce. The after-school and vacation week programs for kids in grades K-12 bring children together in community and teaches farm and forestry skills. Summer programs for grades 1-8 allow for one-week or one-day sessions and cover farm and forest activities, food immersion, gardening, and arts and crafts. For youth, high school internships give hands-on leadership experience working on the farm!
Wright-Locke Farm
82 Ridge Street, Winchester
Wright-Locke Farm’s part-time preschool program, Forest Friends, runs year round and is fully outdoors in a designated space that includes play areas and a diversity of natural spaces. The farm’s youth programs include summertime storywalks, school-year homeschoolers at the farm, fall time meet the chickens, and goat walks.
Sweet Meadow Farm
111 Coolidge Street, Sherborn
For those with a pension for horses, ponies, and riding, Sweet Meadow Farm offers several after-school programs during the school year for ages 4-12, including the saddle club and pets and ponies. Also available are school-year camps for ages 4-13 and summer camps.
Cider Hill Farm
45 Fern Avenue, Amesbury
Cider Hill Farm offers several regular educational programs for kids — like a weekly “lettuce grow” class focused on planting, caring for, and harvesting vegetables. There is also a music class on the farm, “farm tots,” and even cooking classes.
The Natick Community Organic Farm
117 Eliot Street, Natick
The Natick Community Organic Farm offers a variety of programs for many ages. Their year-round teen programs focus on farm work to encourage independent problem solving. The Forest Gnomes Waldkindergarten (forest preschool) for ages 3-5 is a classroom without walls that changes with the seasons. They also offer different school programs and field trips for grades K-12, as well as Boy and Girl Scout programs for all ages. For those interested in an ongoing weekend program, the NCOF 4-H Club (open to ages 8-18) offers hands-on learning on the farm — feeding animals and caring for them every Saturday.
Mass Audubon summer and school vacation week camps
Vacation week camps and programs are offered at many Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries throughout Massachusetts for both summertime and February and April school breaks! Explore the Blue Hills in Milton, Oak Knoll in Attleboro, or Broad Meadow Brook in Worcester!
Trustees outdoor learning for kids
You can find many educational events for kids at different Trustees properties across Massachusetts. From barnyard story hour at Appleton Farms to story time in the Worcester Garden to open barnyard at Weir River Farm, there are programs aplenty!
