Ice hockey lessons, sailing lessons, bowling, building with clay, crafting with wood, or the simple joy of creating the perfect pinecone bird feeder are all on the table for you and your family on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. These kid friendly activities & places to go include age specific programs for kids ages 4-7, ages 6-7, and ages 8-17. There is plenty of fun for the whole family too. This is a great place to live and play!
Family Recreation & Youth Sports
Ice Skating and Ice Hockey Lessons: Talbot County Department of Parks & Recreation has an excellent indoor ice skating facility. There are open ice skating sessions, skating sessions for little ones (for skaters under 10 years old with an accompanying adult), learn to skate programs, and learn to skate programs focusing on ice hockey skills. The ice season is currently on hold. Necessary repairs are being made to the ice rink, but they will post updates to their schedule in 2023. A Mother Son Valentine Ice Skate and a Daddy Daughter Valentine Ice Skate are scheduled at the beginning of February 2023.
Talbot County Department of Parks & Recreation: In addition to ice hockey, the parks and recreation department offers a wide variety of youth sports including field hockey, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and dance. They also host special events at the community center and bus trips (there is an upcoming Christmas in NYC trip at the beginning of December 2022).
Miles River Yacht Club: Registration for the 2023 Junior Sail Program begins on January 1st, 2023. Don’t delay as classes are likely to fill up quickly. The MRYC hosted 60 kids a week all summer long in 2022. It is a popular program. You don’t have to be a member of the yacht club for your children to participate (though members do save money on the classes). The yacht club has a water safety program for students ages 6-7. There is a progression of sailing courses for students ages 8-17 beginning with learning to sail, moving to advanced sailing, and then to racing.
The MRYC also has a competitive swim team for swimmers ages 5-18 who meet the minimum swimming requirements (and you don’t have to be a member of the yacht club to be on the team).
Idlewild Park: This Easton, MD park features a play structure on a rubberized base with swings, slides, and forts. There are also tennis courts, baseball/softball fields, a basketball court, ¼ mile track, and flower gardens. This is an excellent park for your little ones to stretch out their legs and expend excess energy for a good night’s sleep or a family basketball game.
Easton Bowl: The bowling alley in Easton offers a Family Bowl session for $65. The 2 hour session is for up to 6 people and includes shoes. There is also a Bottomless Bowl available on Sunday from 12:00pm-2:00pm. The session is $27 for up to 6 people and ends promptly at 2:00pm. If everything lines up just right one of your kids could bowl a turkey (three strikes in a row) and another kid could bowl a chicken (three spares in a row) and you can tell a silly Thanksgiving joke: “Why did the farmer separate the turkey and the chicken? He sensed fowl play”.
Arts & Crafts
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: The CBMM hosts several student programs, adult programs, and summer camps. They maintain a comprehensive calendar of events with new postings throughout the year. They are holding a “Rising Tide Holiday Gift Making Workshop” for students grades 6-9 in late November and early December 2022. Students can choose projects that require beginner or intermediate skills. There are three sessions to choose from, and each is multi-day. Students need to attend each day of their chosen session to complete the holiday project.
Kiln Born Creations: This paint your own pottery studio, located in Easton, also features hand-building with clay, wheel throwing, and glass blowing. Check their site for summer camp opportunities in 2023. Camp themes should be posted in the spring. The summer 2022 camps included “Making a Mess: paint pouring, resin crafting, working with a pottery wheel and tie-dye” and “Mermaids & Sharks”.
Pickering Creek Audubon Center: There are programs for the whole family at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center in Easton, MD. There are nature walks, and winter bird walks for beginners. There are also craft programs. There is a Nature Wreaths & Ornaments program on Friday, December 9th, 2022. A pine cone craft program designed for younger family members ages 4-7 is scheduled for late January 2023. Pine cone craft choices will include a pinecone bird feeder, pinecone owl, or a pine cone door decoration.
Books & Toys
Crackerjacks: Stock up on reading material and toys at this quaint and charming independent toy store at 7 South Washington Street in Easton. The shop opened in 1979 and has a lot of wonderful toys, puzzles, and books for children of all ages.
I look forward to helping you and your family find the perfect home on the Eastern Shore. Contact Chuck Mangold today!
Chuck Mangold