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Walk-around Wednesdays
Looking for a mid-week activity with your family? Take the kids for a stroll along the Bristol coastline and hear captivating stories of the original Blithewold Mansion owners, Van Wickle/McKee family. The tour offers families the chance to see the mansion decorated with original furnishings, just as it was when the family lived here. The guided tour continues through the grounds, where trees and colorful gardens are back-dropped by sweeping views of the bay. Your experience concludes with a Q&A, complete with the perfect summer drink: iced tea served on Blithewold’s North West Porch. Admission: Regular admission plus $6 per person.
Investigations After Dark (for the older kids)
Slater Mill is reputed to be one of the most haunted places in America, having been the site of early industry and its related unfortunate mishaps. On the occasion of Samuel Slater’s birth, join renowned New England paranormal expert and Slater Mill interpreter, Carl L. Johnson, for a guided investigation of three historic buildings in the complex, after dark. Admission: $20 per person, ages 15 and up. Call 401.725.8638 x.100 to register, or visit brownpapertickets.com, search term “Slater Mill.”
Take a hike!
Kids are notoriously interested in the landscape, and at Casey Farm, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to bring your little ones together with a professional herbalist for a walk through the farms beautiful wooded trails. Learn about the farm’s wide variety of herbs and their benefits, with a dose of history on the side. Hike meets at the cow barn. Includes admission for a tour of the historic farmhouse. Admission: $5 Historic New England and Rhode Island Historical Society members; $10 North Kingstown residents; $15 nonmembers.
Get messy in the museum
The John Brown House Museum is offering a free “Family Fun Morning” once a month on Saturdays, May-August, from 9 to 10am. Perfect for your younger kids (ages 5-10), the kid-friendly program encourages kids to use their “green thumb” to cultivate “live results”. The program includes a story time and seed-planting activities, and kids can even take home the plantings to watch them grow! In addition, children will also be exposed to history, learning about 18-century families (like the Browns) and what they might have planted in their kitchen garden 200 years ago. Let your kids guess if you have the same plants in your home! Admission: Free with registration.
Scavenger hunt & crafts!
For this month’s “Morning at the Museum,” The John Brown House will be highlighting the unique architecture of the museum, considered the first mansion in Providence, and providing a host of children’s activities. Kids will start with a guided architectural scavenger hunt around the building, and then have the opportunity to use their hands to craft their own historic mansion. Enjoy what John Quincy Adams called “most magnificent and elegant private mansion” that he’s “ever seen on this continent” with your family during this special free program. Recommended for families with children ages 5-12. For questions, please contact Jen Davis at jdavis@rihs.org or call 401-331-8575 x362.
Make a day of it at the Market!
The Mount Hope Farmers Market is a year-round community market, happening every weekend in every season. During summer 2017, there are some great reasons to bring your whole family! Not only is the market a bounty of local goods and food-stuffs that families love, but Mount Hope Farm has nature trails and barnyard animals too! If you take Cove Road, it will lead you to amazing views of the ocean, so bring your walking shoes. After shopping, tour the historic Governor Bradford House or simply stroll over to the ever growing barnyard featuring all sorts of animal friends: goats, pheasants, chickens and sheep. Make a day of it!
Along with the goods listed below, you’ll also find local crafts, live music, demonstrations and tastings!
-Vegetables
-Herbs
-Fruits
-Meats
-Eggs
-Cheese
-Seafood
-Honey
-Coffee
-Bread/Pastries/Pies
-Prepared Foods
-Salsas/Sauces/Relishes
-Potted Plants & Seedlings
-Soaps & Lotions
-Cleaning Products
Bring the whole family, shop for local food, visit the sheep, goats & poultry, grab a trail map, and walk the beautiful grounds of the farm!
Saturday strolls in Bristol
Take a guided stroll through Blithewold and hear captivating stories of the original mansion owners while you take in the beautiful views of Narragansett Bay. The tours offers families the chance to see the mansion decorated with original furnishings, just as it was when the family lived there! As the tour continues, you’ll go through the grounds, where magnificent trees and a variety of colorful gardens are fun to explore, with sweeping views of the bay. Your experience concludes with a Q&A, complete with iced tea served on Blithewold’s North West Porch. Admission: Regular admission plus $6 per person.
Calling all explorers!
Take a trip to Woonoscket to for a walking tour of the historic Rhode Island city. Groups will be lead along the banks of the Blackstone River and Main Street, and learn about the river’s influence on birth of the Industrial Revolution and how, in turn, the mills environmentally impacted the river. Afterwards, take a trip to the museum! It will be free with a walking tour ticket. And then, after that, stroll around the Saturday Markets event held in Market Square, showcasing local vendors displaying craft goods, produce, and prepared food. The events will also feature games, youth activities, and live entertainment, from 12-4pm. Walking tour admission: $8 adults;$6 students and seniors; children under 10 are free with a paid adult admission. All participants will also receive complimentary admission to the Museum. Walking tour reservations can be made by calling the museum at (401) 769-9675.
Lighthouse, away!
Located on the southernmost tip of Jamestown, the Beavertail Lighthouse is the third-oldest light house in the U.S. and one of the most visited landmarks in Rhode Island. Bring your family to wander around the grounds, climb to the tip of the lighthouse, and visit the museum housing interesting elements of Narragansett Bay’s maritime science, technology, art, and culture. Just a reminder for climbers: In addition to the 49 steps of the spiral staircase, a 7 ft ladder requiring both hands must also be scaled to reach the observation catwalk. But it’s worth it! Admission: $5 suggested donation for each adult; children can climb for free but must be at least 4 ft tall. Openings are weather dependent; if uncertain, call 401.423.3270. Neither small children nor pets may be carried.
Windmills and garden tips
Do you have a garden? Or are you planting seedlings with your children? Whether you’re growing lettuce or lupines, it’s important to know who to turn to for advice – and the URI Master Gardeners are here to help! Bring your questions, your little ones, and even a soil sample from your garden for free analysis, to Prescott Farm in Middletown. Let the kids explore the grounds, see the ducks paddle around the pond, and marvel at the old Robert Sherman Windmill, built in 1812. It’s a perfect place for family photos too! For soil sample how-to’s, visit Newport Restoration Foundation’s website.