Libraries to the Rescue

If you're looking for a free indoor escape, look to your local library! They've upped the programming over break to entertain kids of all ages. See if you can Snap Circuits at Brownell Library in Essex on April 19 or join their Roblox Rivals Tournament on April 23. Teens can build Mason Bee Houses at South Burlington Public Library on April 21. Middle schoolers must solve the puzzle to to break out of the escape room at the Burham Memorial Library in Colchester on April 23. 

On Thursday, April 24, check out Mr. Paul’s Variety Show Storytime at Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Montpelier or indoor mini golf at Pierson Library in Shelburne.

Rube Goldberg Week @ ECHO

ECHO wraps up it's Rube Goldberg Week on Saturday April 19 with chain reaction fun! Zach Umperovitch is building a unique machine right in front of our eyes and launches it Saturday. Zach will incorporate everyday objects from ECHO’s storage in this one-of-a-kind machine to span the length of ECHO’s upstairs alcove. 

ECHO is also hosting Rube Goldberg Build Workshops on Saturday for kids that want to create their own machines. These dynamic, interactive 1-hr sessions combine learning with hands-on fun as visitors explore the principles of Rube Goldberg Machines and apply them to create their own unique designs.

Earth & Space-tacular Festival @ ECHO

Dont' miss the weeklong Earth & Space-tacular Festival at ECHO spanning most of break. Take a trip through our solar system to learn about Earth, our Moon, and all the planets in the Milky Way with daily out-of-this-world activities and demonstrations. Celebrate what makes our home planet special with the return of the beloved Mud Fling! Join the mud parade and throw mud balls from the upper deck! See the daily schedule for Mud Fling times.

Thank You for Waiting with NECCA

The New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) presents the annual Circus Springboard show, featuring soon-to-be graduates of NECCA’s 3-year professional training program - America’s next generation of circus artists. Circus Springboard tours New England theaters over break from Brattleboro, on April 19 & 20, Greensboro, April 24, and Rutland on May 1.

Thank You for Waiting is a modern circus tale of seven strangers stuck together in a perpetual waiting room. Through unique aerial feats, inventive acrobatic expression, and comedy, the show takes the audience on a journey from the mundane waiting room of yesterday to a larger-than-life, circus world of magical realism.

Vermont Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Expo

Discover a world of fantasy at the 6th Annual Vermont Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Expo, April 26 and 27 indoors at the Champlain Valley Exposition.

A family friendly event for all ages – delight in whimsical workshops, ghostbusting demos and role-playing games. Visit over 100 vendors, cosplayers, authors, artists and game designers.

Interact with fan organizations, live demos, panels and workshops. Dress like your favorite sci-fi or fantasy character, costumes are always welcome but never required!

Have a Family Movie Day

Make it a movie day with a Sunday matinee. Check out our list of local movie theatres for times and shows. Some of the family-friendly movies playing this week include A Minecraft Movie (also in 3-D at some locations), Disney's Snow White and Dog Man.

Or catch a movie at the library! Milton Public Library will have a teen movie night (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) on April 21, and kids movie night. (The Wild Robot) on April 24. Fletcher Free Library in Burlington will be showing My Octopus Teacher on April 24 at 3pm. 

Family Farming Time @ New Village Farm

Check out Family Farming Time at New Village Farm in Shelburne. In this program, adults will join their children as they work together to take care of our bunnies, chickens, and goats.  After 10:30 am, there is free play time, during which families are welcome to stick around, and engage with the animals and other families as they choose.

Kids Corner @ Red Wagon Plants

Uncovering the magic of playing in the soil and potting up seasonal plants at Kids Corner on Mondays at Red Wagon Plants. Your kiddo will decorate a pot and fill it with a variety of starts to take home. Meanwhile we’ll be learning about the life cycle of plants, the importance of pollinators, how to care for your new green friend, and more! 

Recommended Ages: 3-8 years. Registration is recommended, if space allows, walk-ups will be invited as well.

Annual Owl Festival @ VINS

Join VINS in Quechee for a day of all things owl at the annual Owl Festival! Meet live owls that range from Vermont’s forests to habitats all over the world and discover their life stories. Join in a craft inspired by owls, and play games to test your own owl skills. Learn all about the amazing world of owls and how you can help the ones in your backyard.

Baby Farm Animal Celebration @ Billings Farm and Museum

It’s time to celebrate spring and the joy of new life at Baby Farm Animal Celebration at Billings Farm and Museum. This fun-filled weekend offers a unique opportunity to get up close with adorable baby farm animals, meet farmers, and experience the wonders of farm life firsthand. Guests can interact with the farm’s Jersey calves, piglets, and turkey poults, along with special guest animals, including lambs, goat kids, bunnies, and chicks. 

Engaging hands-on activities including an obstacle course, animal-themed sensory station, and story time with a farm friend will make this an unforgettable experience for all ages.

Annual Kids Fest @ the YMCA

Head down the Burlington YCMA for the third Annual Kids Fest: Celebrating Health + Safety, a family party that combines New American Safety Day and YMCA Healthy Kids Day. You will find tons of fun for kids, health and safety info for parents/caregivers, crafts, face painting, games, and a bounce house. Pick up free bicycle helmets and t-shirts while supplies last. See Champ, Monty the Moose, and Rally Cat and get down to music with DJ Melo Grant.

Easter Celebrations

Hop into Spring with arts & crafts, seasonal celebrations, and other great events that continue from early April into first weekend of break, April 19-20. 

Find egg hunts in Stowe, Colchester, Essex Junction, and South Burlington, plus several in Burlington. The Easter Bunny will be hopping along Church Street on April 19. Plus find mountain top services, and brunches near you! 

Find them all on our dedicated Easter page. 

Earth Day Celebration & Open House @ The Nature Museum

Join the annual Earth Day Celebration & Open House at The Nature Museum on April 19! There will be day-long opportunities for nature-themed exploration, play, and creativity for everyone to enjoy.  Meet live raptors with friends from the Vermont Museum of Natural History and have a chance to view the daytime skies through a solar telescope with the Southern Vermont Astronomy Group (conditions dependent). All day activities include a bioblitz, seed ball making, scavenger hunts, and nature-inspired craft making.

Earth Day Festival @ The Montshire Museum

This Montshire Museum's Earth Day Festival is going to be wild! Meet a tree and measure how much carbon it can store in its lifetime. Tour the Montshire’s Compost Plaza, then watch composting critters turn food waste into rich compost at our Compost Critters Petting Zoo.

Reconnect with the outdoors with nature-based mindfulness activities. Engage your senses in a guided forest walk experience, and create mandalas with natural materials. You’ll have the chance to upcycle some common household materials, start some seeds for spring and so much more!

Help Our Pollinators @ Pierson Library

Celebrate Earth Day at Pierson Library in Shelburne and Help Our Pollinators! Join the library in planting seeds for Earth Day. They will talk about the importance of pollinators and how we can help them. Then, each child will get their own biodegradable seedling starter tray and will plant an array of flower seeds to support local pollinators.

Family Art Saturday @ BCA

Celebrate Earth Day by making art together at Family Art Saturday! Join BCA outside on Church Street for a drop-in activity inspired by the landscape paintings of Bunny Harvey currently featured in Worlds within Worlds. Create a 3D collage that explores sound, memory, and perspective. Participants will use a mixture of natural and craft materials to express the shapes, colors, and patterns that come to mind when you imagine a favorite place you enjoy outdoors.

Earth Day on the Marketplace

Earth Day on the Church Street Marketplace is a celebration of the community’s work to help protect our planet. Enjoy interactive activities, educational games, food, and music as you connect with local organizations and learn about their environmental work.

Spectacular Nature Day 

Join Burlington Wildways at the Intervale for a nature-filled day of exploration, community, and environmental stewardship! Get ready to celebrate the beauty and importance of our wild places and participate in hands-on activities for all ages. Whether you're planting a fern, learning from local organizations, or discovering the wonders of foraged food, there’s something for everyone. Parents and kids can enjoy exciting outdoor activities, while music fills the air from our open-mic.

Celebrate St. Johnsbury's history as the "Maple Center of the World" with the Kingdom Maple Festival on April 19 with a full day of events. The festival will showcase local maple history and producers, along with delicious treats and fun activities for the whole family. Don't miss the pancake breakfast!

The Vermont Maple Festival will kick off at 12:00 Noon on April 25 and runs through the weekend with sweet treats from sugar-on-snow to maple donuts, kids activities, face painting, music, a parade with floats and carnival rides all weekend long. 

Temps des Sucres @ Jay Peak Resort

Enjoy the final Temps des Sucres Weekend at Jay Peak Resort, April 19-20, which celebrates the rich tradition of maple sugaring in Northern Vermont and honors the shared cultural heritage with our Canadian neighbors. 

On Saturday enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides and sugar-on-snow from noon to 6pm, and a fireworks display at 7:45pm. Sunday morning enjoy a maple-themed brunch at Alice's Table.

Green Mountain Training Center

Drop in for some action at Green Mountain Training Center to get the wiggles out! Tiny Tumblers Sessions for kids 6 and under and Fridays at 9am, and Sunday at 11am, for just $15.

The Trampoline, Parkour, Gym drop in session for kids 7 and up is open Wednesdays at 6:30pm, Thursdays at 6:45pm, and Sundays 3-5pm. Cost is $20 per person.

Regal Gymnastics

At Regal Gymnastics kids have free reign to enjoy the tumble track, trampolines, ninja house and more at open gym. Midweek, Monday through Friday, drop in from 11am - noon for kids 6 and under. 

On Sundays, kids 6 and under can attend noon - 1:30pm, 7-12, 1:45 - 3:15pm, and teens take the floor at 3:30pm through 5pm. It's $13 per child. Children 18 months and younger are free.

Looking for childcare for the vacation week? Some locations still have open spaces. Davis Studio on Shelburne Road has availability for their Wild & Wacky Animals Camp which runs from 9am - 3pm. Burlington Parks & Recreation has space in their ice skating and adventure camps. Find daily half day adventures or enroll in a weeklong program. ONE Arts Center also has a few spots left for the April Vacation camp called Fantasy Week. You can sign up for the full week or choose a few drop in days.

Check for April break camp openings near you on our full list of School Vacation Week Camps.