(Age under 6)
Editors’ And Readers' Choice
A Mom's Village, Peabody
A Mom’s Village was designed to meet the needs of both mothers and their children. While mom works out or just relaxes, kids enjoy enrichment classes created by trained child development professionals to build confidence and enhance social and emotional development. Children sing and dance, explore new instruments, make art, and listen to stories. Small class sizes ensure each child gets individualized attention. 637 Lowell St., Peabody, 978-278-5688, amomsvillage.com
(Age 6+)
Editors’ Choice
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem
One of the most impressive parts of the formidable Peabody Essex Museum is its ability to be both a serious destination for learning about art, history, and culture and a really great place for kids. In the Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center, children can unpack activity kits, investigate natural specimens with a microscope, and build their own fantastical creatures. The adjacent Create Space offers rotating arts activities. And many of the exhibitions offer playful, sensory, or hands-on elements that keep kids learning—and smiling. 161 Essex St., Salem, 978-745-9500, pem.org
Readers’ Choice
A Broadway Kids Company, Middleton
If you have a child who’s itching to get on stage, check A Broadway Kids Company’s classes and workshops. Saturday sessions teach students songs and choreography, improv classes nurture creativity and confidence, and private lessons let your children develop their voice, songwriting, or instrumental skills. 4D Lookout Ln., Middleton, 508-843-1589, abroadwaykidscompany.com
(Seasonal)
Editors’ And Readers' Choice
Coastal Discoveries, Newburyport
The weeklong summer programs run by Coastal Discoveries aim to instill in children a sense of the important and delicate ecosystems that connect humans and the ocean. Oh, and also to have a lot of fun. Participants spend most of their time cruising aboard the 48-foot Island Time, hauling lobster traps, swimming, exploring islands, and perhaps even spotting a seal during a kayaking expedition. In operation for 34 years, the program has served more than 7,000 children, a record that speaks for itself.Newburyport, 978-462-2017, coastaldiscoveries.com