Do you like the Pineland Farms trails in New Gloucester? Libby Hill Trails in Gray? Or Twin Brook trails in Cumberland? If so, you will love the trails at Skyline Farm in North Yarmouth, Maine. Why? They were all designed by John Morton of Vermont, a 7-time Winter Olympic biathlon participant (athlete, coach, and team leader)!
The public trails at Skyline Farms have been some trails that I have wanted to check out since learning this fun fact and boy, they did not disappoint!
Read through the blog for an in depth summary of the trails at Skyline Farm and IMPORTANT BATHROOM details or….. head straight to the summary at the bottom for quick information.
Trails are very kid-friendly!
General Information:
The trails at Skyline Farm are located at 95 The Lane, North Yarmouth with another trailhead located just off of Sweetser Road. No need to worry about parking, there are ample spots available at both trailhead locations!
Some of the trails were first established in the 1950s & 1960s as bridle paths when a riding school was held at the farm and the current network of about 2 miles of trails was designed by John Morton. Skyline Farm and their trails are also protected through a conservation easement held by the Royal River Conservation Trust. Over 40 acres are being protected for future generations to enjoy this beautiful and historic land!
Most of these trails are gravel with some off-shoot trails having more natural surfaces and one section of a trail being on cut grass on a perimeter of a meadow. Jogging strollers should have no issues with gravel or cut grass.
It should be noted that legal trapping is allowed on the private property adjacent to the farm from October 1st-December 31st and as such, Skyline Farm encourages pets and children to stay on the trails.
Also, try to visit on a Sunday afternoon! The historic carriage museum is open from 1-4pm on Sundays.
One of bridges that passes over Toddy Brook.
Our Experience:
We had a wonderful time walking along these trails. We parked at the Sweetser Road trailhead and walked what I would consider the outer loop of the trail system. Our walk included the Stage Line trail to Breakneck Hill to Wiffletree trail. It was roughly a 1.25 mile loop with some small inclines. These are definitely kid-friendly trails!
I love trails that give you a sense of meandering through the forest and the trails at Skyline Farm definitely give off this vibe. If you complete the outer loop of this network of trails, you will crisscross over Toddy Brook a couple of times and views of Bradbury Mountain in Pownal come into view when you are on the highest portion of the hill.
Trails are marked but there are definitely some intersections that could use some additional signage. Be sure to snap a picture of the trail map before you head off!
This bridge was part of an Eagle Scout project.
Bathroom Rating: D
There are NO bathrooms located at Skyline Farms. The closest bathrooms most likely will be at the gas station or Toots Ice Cream in the village of North Yarmouth, just up the road from the trailheads.
If risking whether the bathrooms are open at the gas station or ice cream shop isn’t your jam, I highly recommend the Oxo Tot Travel Potty and liners.
A portion of the trails takes you on the edge of the meadow.
Local Food Options:
You will not be short of options for food around Skyline Farms. Here are a couple of my recommendations that are all about a 10 minute drive from the trailheads.
Cumberland Food Stop offers a variety of sandwiches, pizza and more with an online ordering option and picnic tables out front. Closed on Sundays.
Dara’s Bistro is a great morning spot to grab one of their fabulous breakfast sandwiches and some caffeine. My personal favorite is a hot maple latte with oatmilk here!
Pineland Market Market is one of my favorite spots to grab a sandwich or gluten free bagel. I also love picking up some Pineland Farms meat and other groceries when I’m there!
Additional Adventures:
Looking to add on to your adventure to Skyline Farms? Here are a couple of options you add to your day that are nearby:
Bradbury Mountain State Park: Looking to add in some more miles? Considering exploring more trails at one of the first state parks in Maine!
Pineland Farms: Even though the cows are gone, the education barns are still a fun place to visit! Looking for learning opportunities? Check out the Malaga Island Memorial or walk the Malaga Island Historical Walk to learn more about those who were forcibly taken from Malaga Island.
Burchard Dunn School: Located just across from Pineland Farms, this is one of my favorite playground spots when in this area! Be sure to check out their nature playground tucked in the woods just adjacent to the playground equipment.
Heading up a hill for views of Bradbury Mountain.
Summary:
Skyline Farms is a fabulous network of trails in North Yarmouth, Maine. With about 2 miles of mostly gravel trails that crisscross Toddy Brook and give you views of Bradbury Mountain on the highest point of the hill, this is a fabulous spot to explore with children! Jogging strollers should have no issues on the gravel trails.
The trails at Skyline Farms are accessible at two different trailheads; one at 95 The Lane and other on Sweetser Road. The outermost loop of the network of trails will give you about 1.25 miles of trails and are perfect for those with young ones in tow!
Trail signage could use some improvement so be sure to snap a picture of the trail map before you head off.
There are NO bathrooms on site. The gas station and ice cream shop in the village of North Yarmouth, just up the road from the trailheads will be your closest options for a bathroom. Consider packing Oxo Tot Travel Potty and liners.
And, as always, be sure to do a tick check after you finish on the trails!
Happy Adventuring!
~Natalie
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First trip of the 2026 season with our new-to-us camper: a 2024 Airstream Flying Cloud 27FBT
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General Information:
Durham Leisure Campground is a family-owned campground located in Durham, Maine and is about 25 minutes north of Greater Portland and next door to Freeport, Maine.
Every year we like to stay to do some 2-night/weekend camping and staying local is a great choice when looking to maximize our camping time. We love that this campground is only 35 minutes from our house!
This is a 36-site RV ONLY (no tenters, sorry!) campground. There are a combination of back-in and pull-through sites. All the sites are full hook-up and offer plenty of shade. They also have some cabins available for rent. Durham Leisure Campground appears to have some expansion plans in the works as noted with the campsites marked ‘XX’ on the map. We have stayed here for the past couple of years and work to the expansion seems slow going but I’m excited to finally check out the new sites when they are done!
Upon arrival, you will check in at the front office; if the owners are not there, you are directed to call them on the cell phone number provided. For our stay this year, we had to call and had no issues with check in! From there, the owners will lead you to your site and offer a recommendation for where to park on the site and then leave you to settle in on your site.
Reservations are made through a reservation request form online or you can call the campground. We have now stayed at Durham Leisure Campground twice and both times I have called to book our reservation. Honestly, I think calling campgrounds to book reservations is always the way to go. You can ask for site recommendations and get the nitty-gritty details about the site you book that you wouldn’t see when booking online.
Quiet hours are 10pm-8am. Again, another VERY quiet campground for us! There are a host of seasonal sites at this campground and I happen to know they welcome and cater to the traveling nurses and contracted Bath Iron Works employees. Therefore, it was ALWAYS quiet, day or night, with many campers away from their sites for the day.
As you know by now, I like to get out and walk in the morning. There is a trail (not marked) on the property that you can venture down. I didn’t explore the trail but did get a good workout going up and down the entrance hill to the campground. A loop up-and-down the hill was about .4 miles… so I did that a couple of times to get around 2.0 miles done before breakfast.
The salt water pool is by far our favorite campground pool to date! Mostly because we were usually the only family using the pool. They have a HUGE shallow area that would be perfect for those younger kiddos to sit and splash around it. They have some rules around floaties and noodles but you can find a bin of pool toys for kids….think of a random collection of “sinkies”. A hot tub is also within the pool compound.
My daughter LOVES this pool!
A playground is available behind the camp office and is really geared for the 5 and under crew and in the camp office, you will find a great play area for kids, a wonderfully stocked children’s and adult libraries and a good selection of DVDs you can check out during your stay.
Playground located right behind the camp office and next to the pool
Now for the Google Reviews…I normally do not include or address reviews because to each their own on how much they weigh these reviews in their decision to stay at a campground or not.
BUT…I need to address two things I noticed about those 1-star reviews you will see if you do a search of their Google reviews.
1.) Many of these 1-star reviews are over 3 years old. Personally, I think Google reviews should be no older than 2 years old. Because a lot can happen within those two years.. ownership changes, management changes, expansion, etc.
2.) There were a couple of mentions regarding the owners’ religious viewpoints. From the religious books noted on the shelves, I could deduce their religious preferences. However, did the owners EVER push their views and opinions on us? ABSOLUTELY NOT. And frankly, I have had more pushy sales people knock on my door trying to sell me on solar farms than anything we ever encountered at Durham Leisure Campground.
So with that, I encourage you to check out Durham Leisure Campground for yourself! I promise you will not be disappointed!
Cleanliness of Site/Site Details:
With mature tree growth, every site has a good portion of shade for the day. The sites are very clean with a mostly gravel site. Sites vary with the amount of grass they have on them.
Sites can accommodate some pretty big rigs as we observed during check in that a 45 foot, triple axle RV was calling the campground home. We did not feel like we were right on top of our neighbors but close enough that we were mindful of our noise in the morning before quiet hours were over.
Clotheslines are allowed…which I love when there is a pool onsite!
There really isn’t a bad site at Durham Leisure Campground. We have stayed in the pull-through sites #26 and #27 and they were fantastic. The sites were very clean and relatively level. #26 has a very cool fire pit created with some boulders and rocks while site #27 has a great ball-like metal fire pit.
Our site, #27, had this nice fire pit for us to use
The only site I would probably stay away from due to have to back in around some pretty big trees is site #29. However, it appears that it’s being used as a seasonal site but…doesn’t hurt to ask to not be put in that site.
Picnic tables vary in length at this campground so come prepared with a variety of covers. And always, always, use a cover! I have seen people sit their sewer hoses on picnic tables on the day of their departure. It’s so gross!
I love our picnic table covers, especially because they come in a variety of sizes! And if you don’t like getting a variety of sizes in picnic table covers, opt for a large one and use picnic table cover clips.
Site Costs:
We stayed at a pull-through (20/30/50 AMP) site for $65/night + taxes. Durham Leisure Campground is one of the least expensive nightly rates of our summer of camping! In looking at their website, rates range from $60-75/night.
Site #26 from last year.
They do require a 2-night minimum and 3-night minimum on holiday weekends.
Additionally, a couple years ago we had booked for a 3-night weekend trip but due to some rain storms and schedule glitches, we had to rearrange our camping schedule a bit and could only come for 2 nights. The owners were great to work with and gave us a 1 night credit to use this year or next year. I really love when campgrounds can work with campers like this!
Amenities:
Playground
Outdoor Salt Water Pool
Hot Tub
Hiking Trail
FREE Wireless Internet
Coin-Op Laundry ($4.00 for washer/$2.00 dryer)
Children & Adult Libraries
Free DVD rentals
Indoor Play Area
Dedicated Bathrooms and Free Showers within the Campground (more on that later)
Great indoor place space.
Bathroom Low Down:
There are 2 all-gender bathrooms located in the camp office building. One is accessible within the camp office building and the other, accessible through a door on the exterior of the building. You will find a toilet and urinal in each of the bathrooms along with air blades to dry your hands to reduce on paper trash.
Clean bathrooms. Urinal is located directly opposite of toilet.
There are also two shower rooms accessible on the exterior of the building. There are benches and places to hang your towels as well as shower caddies in the stalls to place your toiletries. Again, VERY clean rooms!
Individual shower stalls.
The bathrooms and laundry are housed in one building with sex-separated bathrooms. Showers are attached in the same building as the bathrooms and laundry. They are accessible from outside the building.
Bathroom Rating: A+
The bathrooms and shower rooms are very clean and very new! You can still smell that “new-build” smell when you walk in, which I love!
Overview of our Experience:
We have been to Durham Leisure Campground 3 times since we have started camping. We love this campground for shake out runs at the beginning of the season! We can work out the kinks and not stress if we forgot an essential item at home because we live so close to it.
For 2026, I made a reservation over the phone and really enjoyed talking to Qwenn. She then always texts to make sure that we have her contact information with us, should we ever need it! I think that is a great customer service touch before we even set foot into the campground!
Checking in is always a breeze! I feel like Qwenn always has our paperwork ready and waiting when we arrive. She thens leads us to our campsite and makes sure we are all set.
Camp office area which is adjacent to the play area.
My daughter’s priority is to get to the pool as fast as we can! Once we are unhitched and jacks are down, she knows she can quickly change into her bathing suit and head with me down to the pool…which is exactly what we done each trip!
The pool is partly covered by these cloth sails so you have lots of shade if you need it.
TBH, I love getting us away from the campsite so that my hubby can get everything hooked up and into place with a little peace and quiet…and then he will come down and tag me out and I will go set up the inside of the camper along with our outdoor living space.
#teamworkmakesthedreamwork
After a little swim session, we cooked some dinner over the grill and had our first campfire of the season!
#summerunplugged
On Saturday, we headed into Freeport as my daughter had some birthday $$ to spend at Sherman’s bookstore and we picked up a classic game to add to our camper…Yahtzee! From there, we grabbed lunch at a food cart and headed to the Desert of Maine for some mini golf.
Everyone loves a good mini golf photo op, right?!
We returned to the campground for another quiet night of campfires and games.
We love adding a Raclette grill dinner to our camping meals!
On Sunday, we adventured to Bradbury Mountain State Park. We love hiking this little mountain with our daughter! I love that it’s a bit more than a walk in the woods but not a tough hike for little legs by any means. And we grabbed some custard at Mainely Custard before the rain started!
Monday was pack up day. And…we always have this weird “luck” of doing it in the rain. For the past 2 seasons, our travel day home feels like it’s always in the rain. Here’s to hoping this rainy day was just a one-off in this year’s camping season and not something that is a trend! 🙂
If you are local to Southern Maine or are looking to do some camping near Portland or Brunswick, you have to check out Durham Leisure Campground! This campground is centrally located to both cities with many opportunities to check out hiking trails and two state parks.
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The Maine Wildlife Park is located 25 minutes from Portland in Gray, Maine.
The Maine Wildlife Park is home to over 30 species of Maine wildlife that cannot be returned to their natural habitats. Animals arrive at the park because they are injured or orphans, and others because they are human dependent-raised, sometimes illegally, in captivity. You can expect to see moose, deer, bears, bobcats, cougars, coyotes, foxes, and many smaller animals as well as an active fish hatchery.
*The cougars unfortunately do not have a current breeding population in Maine but did so in the late 1800s.
My daughter’s favorite activity when we visit is to head to the fish hatchery and feed the fish! You can insert 25¢ in an old school gumball machine and a small portion of fish food will be dispensed.
Feeding the fish at the fish hatchery
Here is a great tip…bring a cup or baggie to use to collect the fish food. I promise you there is nothing more disappointing than those little hands losing those precious pieces of fish food!
Park staff are very personable and knowledgeable. When we have had questions about why an animal is at the Park which is my daughter’s favorite question, they are friendly and share information that she would understand for her age. I really enjoy this aspect of the Park because I can see her brain making connections about what she has learned from the Park staff to the larger world.
The park is VERY stroller and wagon friendly! I would suggest bringing one of these for smaller children as you can easily log 2 or more miles walking around the park.
Getting an up close and personal look at a moose
Another nice feature of the park is the wonderful picnic area that is close to the bathrooms. There are plenty of picnic tables with charcoal grills and plenty of SHADE! Several shelters are available and one large shelter is reservable for large parties.
Shady picnic area/Credit: Maine Wildlife Park
There is also a Game Warden museum and Nature Store on the premises. While we have not checked out the museum, my daughter has saved up her allowance to purchase a stuffed animal at the Nature Store more than once. Season pass holders get a 10% discount there!
The Park is open 7 days a week including holidays. Gates open at 9:30am and close at 4:30pm during the summer (guests can stay until 6pm) and 3:30pm all other times of the year (guests can stay until 5pm).
During the summer months, the Park offers Food Truck Fridays with a food truck on the premises. Each Friday is usually a different food truck and the times differ as well so it is best to reference the Park’s Facebook page for accurate times.
Speaking of food, there is a Snack Shack in the Park that offers snacks, drinks, and ice cream treats. They also have an array of refrigerated sandwiches made by a local vendor. My recommendation would be to bring your lunch and get a sweet treat for dessert at the Snack Shack.
Admission Costs:
*Prices for the 2026 Season*
Adult (11-64 years old): $10
Adult (65+ years old): $12.00
Children (ages 2-10): $10.00
Children (under the age of 2): FREE
Veteran/Military Personnel: $10.00
The Park offers different levels of season passes. Their most common common one, the Moose Pass, is $175. If you are a family of 4 and plan to go there more than 4 times during a year, this is probably your best option!
For this year, instead of a season’s pass, we will be utilizing some passes from our local library to help reduce the costs of our summer times adventures here and you should do the same! Prior to heading to the Park, check out your local library for some reduced rate tickets. Many libraries offer a reduced rate of $5 per person.
Check out my library blog series to see if your library participates in this discount program.
Suggested Park Routes:
Check out their map for reference for my suggested route through the park.
My suggestion for visiting the park this summer would be to explore the following features in this order:
Start with the visitor center and reptiles, nocturnal creatures, and outdoor turtle enclosures. Move onto the large cat exhibits (lynx, bobcat, and cougars) and fox exhibits.
Check out the bears next. There is a great bench and shade at the bear exhibit (and a bathroom) so it’s a good stopping point for a snack.
From there, check out the moose exhibit.
If the nature trails are OPEN (they are currently closed due to the damage from the recent storms), take those and check out the deer enclosure deer and small animals like the raccoon, possum, porcupine, etc. and then return to the picnic area for a little shaded water break.
After a break, check out the various bird exhibits, and the open-air turtle enclosure, and then head down to the fish hatchery.
If the nature trails are CLOSED, I would recommend checking out the various bird exhibits, the open-air turtle enclosure, and then heading down to the fish hatchery.
Head back to the picnic area after the fish hatchery for a little water/snack break and then finish by viewing the deer enclosure and small mammal exhibits.
I have found visiting the animals in this order to be the easiest for those with little legs and feet and I routinely put about 1.5 to 2 miles on my watch with either of these routes.
NOTE HERE: The fish hatchery is a bit of a walk so I would recommend skipping it with little ones if you do not have a stroller or ability to carry children.
We spend lots of time (and quarters) at the fish hatchery
The Bathroom Low Down:
At the Wildlife Park, there are three bathroom locations.
Location #1: Sex separated bathrooms are located near the picnic grove and snack shack. These bathrooms have a Koala-Care-like infant changing station in the handicap accessible stall.
Location #2: A single user bathroom is located near the bear and coyote exhibits. It is a privy with no changing table or sink (does have hand sanitizer).
Location #3: A single user bathroom is located near the turtle and bird exhibits. It is a privy with no changing table or sink (does have hand sanitizer).
What’s in my car or backpack for this visit?
I’m definitely packing my Wet Wipes for this trip! The fish food can be a little oily and leave a bit of residue on hands and a good cleaning before snacking with these wipes does the trick. Just remember that these shouldn’t be flushed and put into the privy!
I also put some Hand Sanitizer in my bag for this trip! I love the Mrs. Meyer’s brand and this 4 pack stocks me up for the season. Think car, backpack, beach bag and lunch box.
Additional Adventures:
We manage to complete the park in about 1.5-2 hours depending on how interested my daughter is at looking at the animals. If looking to add on to your adventure in that area, here are a couple of suggestions:
Outlet Beach: It is just a short drive from the Park to Outlet Beach in New Gloucester. It is run by the owners of the former Bresca and The Honeybee.
Outlet Beach has a little something for everyone. A great sandy spot, picnic tables in the shade, and some grassy spots. There are slides geared for younger children and larger slides a bit farther out for older children and adults You can rent beach tubes and life jackets as well as paddle boats, kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards.
The beach is open from 9am-5pm, weather permitting. It is best to call them if the weather is iffy as they do not frequently post on Facebook or Instagram. If not doing the Wildlife Park, this is a great place for early risers! The season generally runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
And the reason this is one of my favorite places is…the…ICE CREAM! It is AMAZING! If you have been to the Purple House in Yarmouth then you are in for a really special treat. Ice cream shack opens around 11am and stays open until sold out.
Sometimes parking can be tricky so if combining this with the Wildlife Park, hitting up Outlet Beach after 2pm is probably a safe bet.
THIS IS A CASH ONLY PLACE.
Sunbathing at Outlet Beach
Range Pond State Park: Another short drive up to the Poland Springs area for this state park. This park offers a great swimming spot, playground, along with some hiking trails. And of course, see if your library participates in the State Park Pass program by checking out my blog on discounted passes.
Also, while not a summer review of the park, Rubys on the Road does a great winter review of the park that you should definitely check out.
Pineland Farms: A quick 20 minute drive away from the Maine Wildlife Park. I reviewed Pineland Farms last year, and it’s still one of our favorite spots to see farm animals, explore trails, and grab a great bite to eat.
Summary:
Quick Summary: The Maine Wildlife Park is a 25 minute drive from Portland. You could easily spend 2 hours here exploring the exhibits and eating lunch in the shaded Picnic Grove. Strollers or wagons are recommended for smaller children and remember that it is a bit of a walk to the fish hatchery. There are several discounts available and many local libraries offer very affordable tickets.
Outlet Beach, Range Pond State Park, and Pineland Farms offer some additional activities if you want to make it a full day in this area.
Bathroom locations are GREAT at the park and you won’t need to walk far to get to one. However, the two single user bathrooms have privy situations that can be a little scary for younger kiddos and can get a little dirty by the end of the day.
I would highly recommend bringing the Oxo-Tot travel potty as you head out and explore as the privy situation can look a bit scary for little ones.
Have you been to the Maine Wildlife Park? What has been your experience? Please share in the comment section of this blog!
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Pinehaven is another one of our favorite outdoor adventure spots and is absolutely gorgeous to visit in the Fall.
Pinehaven Overview:
Pinehaven is a trail on the land of the Maine Lake Science Center that is part of the Lakes Education Association located in Bridgton, Maine. It is about a 40 minute drive from Portland. This trail and land abuts a more well known neighbor: Pondicherry Park. These are often confused for one another or thought of as the same thing but they are actually two different land preserves. My guess is if you were to describe this trail and location to those familiar with it, they would often reference it as the low ropes course trail at Pondicherry Park (like I would).
My daughter loves these balance elements on the trail
And to make matters a bit more confusing..you can see trail maps of both preserves on each other’s websites! For today, I will reference it only as the Pinehaven Trail.
To access the Pinehaven Trail, you should use the entrance on Willett Road in Bridgton. There is room for 8 cars. A Hannaford is located a 1/10th of a mile from the park entrance and you could easily park and make the short walk on Willett Road to the park entrance. Parking on the road is PROHIBITED.
You will park your car before the entrance gate and find the Pinehaven Trail just up on the left. While accessing the park is FREE, there is a donation canister at the entrance. Please donate if you can.
The Pinehaven Trail has low ropes elements all through the trail system and this is a great trail for kiddos to explore. The low ropes elements are definitely geared for those 5 years and older. However, we explored this trail for the first time when our daughter was 3 years old. She was able to manage most of the elements with a little bit of adult help.
Our 3 year old, in 2021, getting a little assist from Dad.
They also have interpretative signs along the trail to help kiddos learn about the different types of trees, plants, and animals that grow and live in the forest.
Trail markers for this trail on these tree shapes blocks
While the trail map does not list the trail length and I haven’t been able to locate it on All Trails, I would say this trail is about 1 mile in length. The trail is very easy to traverse with little ones. In the fall, your biggest concern will be pine needles and leaves covering uneven terrain and/or rocks.
My daughter’s favorite station on the trail.
Kiddos should definitely be wearing good solid shoes. We love LL Bean Hiking Sneakers or Keen Kootenay Boots for these types of adventures! Hot tip: You can DEFINITELY score theses at consignment shops and, because kiddos grow so fast, you can find them in excellent condition! I have only bought one pair of each brand new. Both of these shoes come in little and big kid sizes, are waterproof, and have excellent soles for gripping terrain (and ropes course elements!)
On my recent girls weekend, we found an AMAZING consignment store (more to come on this in another blog) in Bethel and I scored brand-new LL Bean Hiking Sneakers that she will be ready to fit in next Spring for $30 (brand new, the cost would be $60).
LL Bean Sneakers (like these) or Keen Kootenay Boots are MUST for us when we hike.
This is NOT a stroller friendly trail. Be sure to check out my Instagram stories for an hilarious story of when we really put our Bob stroller to the test here! It’s not something I would recommend!
Costs to visit:
FREE to ALL
There is a donation canister at the entrance of the Pinehaven Trail. If you can donate, please do so. You can also join the Lakes Education Association as a member!
Budget Friendly Option:
Many of the reasons why we love exploring land trusts and preserves is because they are often FREE or with a suggested donation!
After checking out the Pinehaven Trail, consider adding on additional trails by using the Pondicherry Park connector. About half way through the Pinehaven Trail, you could connect to the Pondicherry Park trail system and add another short loop on that trail system to make your adventure a little longer, if desired. Accessing the Pondicherry Park trails is free.
Look for this bridge over a rock wall to connect with the Pondicherry Park trail system.
Another great budget friendly option is to check out the Bridgton Public Library. On Fridays @ 10am, they offer a story, craft, and snack for little ones and on Saturdays from 10-2pm they offer a craft activity for bigger kids. Check out their calendar for what the craft will be each week!
Unfortunately, the Bridgton Public Library does not participate in the Maine Reciprocal Borrowing Program, so you will need to be a Bridgton resident to check out any books here.
The Splurge Option:
The one add-on to your trip up to Bridgton would be to check out the Magic Lantern Movie Theater and reserve tickets to see a movie!
They are part of some amazing history and are now owned by The Maine 4-H Association. The 4-H Association runs the theater and has added an amazing center to it that is home to engineering, media arts, theater and film, marketing, and culinary arts programs along with programs for youth.
The Bathroom Low Down:
There is one porta potty situation on the Pinehaven Trail and you will come to this option when the trail crosses the parking lot of the Lakes Education Association’s Science Center. It comes at about the halfway mark of the trail.
The Bridgton Hannaford is just down the road along with some other nearby fast food restaurants, so if you need to really go and a porta potty isn’t your thing, you will have some better options with these places.
What’s in my car or backpack for this visit?
The vest is a little bit of a splurge but I like having accessible pockets!
Key Takeaways:
Pinehaven is located in Bridgton, Maine is about a 40 minute drive from Portland. This trail offers great low ropes elements throughout the 1 mile loop. Add ons could include making your hike a little longer by connecting up with the Pondicherry Park system about halfway through the trail or by checking out the Bridgton Public Library and Magic Lantern Movie Theater. Both are conveniently located in downtown Bridgton.
Dogs are allowed on the trail. While their rules do not stay whether or not dogs should be on leashes, be considerate that this is a trail designed for children and leash up the dog!
Coming on rainy days or in the winter may make the using the ropes course a bit difficult. Water and snow can make a lot of the elements very slippery.
Always check for ticks!
Packing Essentials for me:
Water
Snacks
Extra clothes in case of wetness
Solid, waterproof shoes
Bathroom Situation Rating: D
With only one porta potty situation, you take a risk of it being very dirty and/or closed.
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What you just read above was what I wrote 2 weeks after I finished radiation treatment. I couldn’t complete this blog until today, which is on the eve of my 4 month anniversary of finishing treatment.
In this passage of time, I have reflected on that bell-ringing moment plenty of times. And I think why it was sooooooo anticlimactic was because I was at LOWEST; physically and emotionally at my lowest, utterly exhausted with nothing much left to give. Hence an absence of writing about my cancer treatment until today.
The bell ringing wasn’t so much a celebration as it signaled the start of the hardest and longest (and probably best) chapters of this journey.
One I like to call: The Climbing Out of Hell Chapter.
Here’s a funny little paradox about cancer treatment: The treatment of the cancer, while making you better, often makes you feel worse, a lot worse.
The treatments put so much physical strain on my body; with back-to-back surgeries and one of the most grueling radiation courses out there, it felt like I was strapped into a terrifying rollercoaster ride and all I could do was hang on until the ride finished.
Imagine this: You get to the end of the most terrifying rollercoaster in the world, everyone around you is cheering, clapping, and giving you hugs. There is bell you get to ring to signal you survived “The World’s Most Terrifying Rollercoaster”. But the reality is, you are trying to maintain a sense of equilibrium, while ringing this damn bell you couldn’t wait to ring at the beginning but could care less about now. And afterwards, you use the nearest fence to keep yourself upright and hobble off to find a quiet, private space to throw up.
That’s pretty much what that bell ringing moment felt like, minus the puking.
I read an article, recently, by Dr. Peter Harvey, a clinical psychologist, and his framework is that the recovery progress from cancer treatment happens in three stages: recuperation, convalescence, & rehabilitation.
And it really makes sense. Think about it:
Recuperation = to recharge & recover
Convalescence = to grow strong
Rehabilitation = to regain and rebuild your strength
I couldn’t agree more about the recovery process; especially the convalescence period. There were moments in my recovery where I said to friends that all that was missing in my recovery was a convalescence home by the sea; that period of time where I truly felt like I was growing strong again. And not until recently, like just-in-the-last-two-weeks recently, did I feel like I entered into the next stage, rehabilitation.
It feels good to climb out of the depths of hell and catch my breath. I can feel my soul is recharged and my body is strong again.
Speaking of my body, surveillance scans of my body continue to show no evidence of disease and I have been approved for once/month for 6 months laser treatment on my interior arm scar. This scar is pretty hypertrophic, and just overall gnarly, and my Boston team is optimistic this treatment will help soften the scar to allow for increased arm mobility.
There is a chance this treatment does not work. Which puts us out of options, so-to-speak (surgery isn’t an option due to the complex nature of my arm); which I’m OK with. The only hard part is the frequency of trips to Boston that will now need to be made again this Spring and Summer for this treatment.
So…send along your recommendations for podcasts! I love good murder mystery ones! 🙂
Thank you for all the continued well wishes and support!
With over 15 groomed trails ranging from beginner to advanced, you will be sure to find a trail that meets your cross-country ski and/or snowshoe ability at Five Fields Farm. Five Fields Farm also maintains groomed trails on the Bald Pate Mountain Preserve with snowshoe accessibility to the summit of Bald Pate Mountain.
Trail passes can be purchased at Five Fields Farm’s heated lodge (720 S Bridgton Rd, Bridgton, Maine). They also have cross country ski and snowshoe rentals for adults and children available.
Speaking of the lodge, you will be able to leave your gear in the wood stove heated lodge. You will also find flush toilet bathrooms available in a small building just outside the lodge.
With ever-changing winter conditions, always check the trail conditions before heading out to see what trails are open!
WinterKids Ambassador Tip: Cell service can be spotty here and really drained my phone’s battery. Be sure to bring a car charger with you or power down your phone when you can.
Five Fields Farm offers plenty of cross country ski and snowshoe rentals!
Our Adventure:
We headed out to Five Fields Farm on a early Thursday morning and were rewarded with PERFECT skiing conditions! Blue skies, warm temps, and perfect snow conditions!
We checked in at the lodge with Five Fields Farm employee, Nathan, who gave us a rundown of recommended trails and helped us with my daughter’s cross-country ski rentals. He was so lovely to work with!
And after bringing in our gear to get suited up for our day, I made the lovely (not really) realization that I had forgotten my daughter’s ski pants at home (!!!). Not having a waterproof bottom layer was going to be problematic.
After trying to rig something together with a pair of gaiters that Nathan found, I decided that a 15 minute drive to the Reny’s in Bridgton was probably our best option. So off we went.
Reny’s proved somewhat successful. They had just turned over their seasonal gear and our only option was a pair of size small women’s rainpants. So…we cinched them as much as a could around the waist, rolled them up three times, and headed back to Five Fields Farm.
WinterKids Ambassador Tip: Forgetting things happens to the best of us. To minimize forgetting things, before an adventure, create a list of items you will need to take with you. Double check this list before you head out.
When we returned to Five Fields Farm, another WinterKids person had checked in at the lodge and left my daughter a WinterKids hat. It was a fun gift that we wouldn’t have received, if we hadn’t had our ski pants debacle.
And while we were never able to find this person on the trail, I’ll say it here: THANK YOU. My daughter really appreciated being able to match me with her hat!
A perfect day for cross country skiing!
I initially picked an easy 2 mile loop on a trail called the Graveyard Loop (trail #4 on the map) but my daughter isn’t a fan of downhill sections on her cross-country skis so we ended up staying on the top part of the trail and going back-and-forth where there was a gentle grade and she could practice getting a little more speed.
While I would have loved to complete the loop, it wasn’t worth the tears that came when I tried to push her outside of her comfort zone. And, if I’m being completely honest, it was way more fun having little races in the classic tracks at top of the orchard than dealing with tears just trying to do the loop I planned for us.
After our lunch and cocoa break in the sun on the chairs outside of the lodge, we switched over to our snowshoes for a short hike through a different section of their orchard.
WinterKids Ambassador Tip: If looking for easier trails at Five Fields Farm, the top of the orchard and the groomed trails on the shared land with Loon Echo Land Trust are a bit gentler.
Perfect day to soak up the sun during our lunch break.
Trail Recommendations:
Five Fields Farm Trail Map
For cross country skiing: I recommend Graveyard Loop (trail #4). There is a little downhill section on the southeastern side of the trail but otherwise, it is pretty flat.
For snowshoeing: I recommend Back to the Barn (trail #7) and a small loop that includes some of Graveyard Loop (#4) to Bitter End (#9) to Ashfield Field (#10)
In the cross country ski world, lodges are hard to come by. Five Field Farms’ lodge was just PERFECT!
Cost:
Important things to note about the cost breakdown below:
The WinterKids Passport program costs $40/family. We are planning on doing ten outings this winter, so I divided the cost of the passport by our intended number of outings (*$4/outing). This is how I incorporated the cost of the passport below.
I will be using the government mileage rate to determine the cost of each trip.
Also, in full transparency, as a WinterKids Ambassador, I was gifted the Passport so while this “fee” isn’t a true cost to my family, I wanted to represent the truest depiction of an outing cost as possible.
Colored rice is one of my favorite things to make for sensory play. It is very easy to make and there are a bunch of activities that you can do with it! When making colored rice, I like to make a BUNCH of it. Usually 8 cups of colored rice will last a whole year!!
While my February Break Guide encourages families to adventure out of the house, I also recognize that it’s not always possible for us to leave the house with our kids.
I’ve been there with an illness arriving into our house just in time for vacation! And while I’m a teacher so my time off matches my daughter, I also recognize that many parents must work during this week.
So…whatever your reason may be for needing to stay home this week, I have a fun budget-friendly play dough activity that, with a little prep work, offers up endless hours of play right in the home!
And…a huge bonus here is that, with proper care, this play dough and bonus activity will last for many months, or in our house years! My daughter still loves when I put together a fun play dough activity for her!
Homemade Play Dough:
I can take NO CREDIT for the recipe below. I received this recipe as part of a children’s event put on by Birth Roots many years ago and…it’s a FANTASTIC recipe! I like to triple the recipe so I can make enough for a couple batches of different colored dough. And, if you buy the ingredients listed here, you will have PLENTY of it to make play dough in the future.
All the ingredients you need for home-made play dough.This recipe is THE BEST!
Food Coloring (you are going to want to make blue, green, and brown (or natural) play doughs for the bonus activity below)
Salt (you will need two of these if doing more than 3 batches)
When dough is completely cool, I like to wrap it in plastic wrap and then seal it in a plastic baggie until ready for use.
3 batches = 16 minutes to make!
Now, if making homemade play dough is not your jam, need not worry. If you are a local Mainer, hit up your local Reny’s for some good deals on the Play-Doh brand.
Winter Woodland Themed Sensory Playscape:
If you want to elevate your homemade play dough and try your knack at creating a sensory playscape, here is one that my daughter LOVED!
For this activity, you will need the playdough you made earlier and the following items:
You can absolutely substitute any of the above items with things you have around your household and….anything you can find around the house is going to reduce the cost of this activity!
One of the things I do with the supplies to help keep the costs down for me is to keep these supplies out of the regular play bins. This helps me turn a “winter playscape” into a “spring social” or “summertime soiree” theme.
Below is a “recipe” of sorts for how to put this activity together.
On the cookie sheet, create a landscape that includes creating a stream with the blue playdough, some grassy areas with the green playdough and some dirt/hill with the brown/natural playdough. Also, leave a little playdough on the side so your kiddo can add what they want to the playscape.
Add the animal figurines. Grab them from your kiddo’s bins, or if you need a themed set or a refresh of animals, I love these ones.
Add some fencing (kids love fences!) in the dirt/natural areas and some trees. If you want to add shelter, I love using party hats and creating an opening for creatures to move in and out of.
The last step here is KEY: KEEP IT SIMPLE. The more simple this playscape is, the more imagination play can happen. As much as it is tempting to add all the animals, ice cubes or cotton snow balls to the playscape, a less is more approach encourages creativity and problem solving. And, if I’m being honest, it encourages them to play with the sensory activity longer than if the creativity was supplied for them.
To use this playscape over multiple days, be sure to add/take away things each day to give it a refresh. *Be sure, if you are leaving your playdough on a cookie sheet, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
Cost Breakdown:
Homemade Play Dough: $20
Sensory Playscape: $55 (for everything linked) You will likely have many of these things around the house and the more you can use from home, the more budget-friendly this activity will be.
Homemade play dough is a very budget-friendly and fun way to bring some sensory play into your home! Add in a playscape with as many materials sourced from inside your home as you can, and you will find an activity that fosters imaginative play, creativity, and interest that can last for hours.
Stay tuned for more indoor activities to drop all week long!
Over the past couple of years, we have had the privilege of being able to check out the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, Maine. This is a great option for families who want to take in some great lessons on the maritime heritage and culture of this region!
Maine Maritime Museum Overview:
The Maine Maritime Museum is located in Bath, Maine and is about a 40 minute drive from Portland or about a 45 minute drive from the Augusta area. It is located on about 20 acres of land just past Bath Iron Works and you can visit 15 different structures on the property that are full of permanent and rotating exhibits.
Note: Most of the structures on the property close for the winter. If coming in the winter, plan to explore the main building and one outbuilding. These seasonal closures do not impact any of the children exhibits located the main building.
The Museum is open daily from 9:30am to 5pm except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Google Map directions are accurate and once you are in the town of Bath, there is excellent signage directing you to the Museum’s location. There is general parking as well as parking further down the property for larger vehicles or perfect if you are towing an RV.
Service animals are welcome on the premises but pets and supports animals are restricted to the South End of the campus and not permitted in any of the buildings. Dogs must be leashed, and please clean up after your pet.
Prior to even heading into the Museum’s primary building, there is a wonderful exhibit on the sidewalk that shows how vast and far the Kennebec River travels through the state of Maine. My daughter and I had a great conversation about fresh water and she enjoyed following the river from Moosehead Lake to the Sea and back to the Lake!
Once inside, there are several exhibits that we found to be very child-friendly. They include:
Into the Lantern; A Lighthouse Experience: This exhibit is able to recreate Portland Headlight using a makeshift lighthouse and visual technology. My daughter was fascinated by how real the exhibit felt.
The Tugboat exhibit: This exhibit is where children can pretend they are the captain of the boat. This exhibit gives off a more quiet pretend play v. children’s museum vibe.
She loves to hang out in the Tug Boat exhibit.
The Chris Van Dusen exhibit: If you are looking to step into any book that Chris Van Dusen has authored, than this exhibit is for you! With artifacts from his early illustrations to a “Circus Ship” itself, there is a bunch of areas for your child to explore here.
Maybe we have a budding illustrator on our hands!
And our personal favorite is the rotating exhibit wing. In years past it has been:
The SeaChange: Darkness and Light in the Gulf of Maine. A very interesting and neat eco-arts exhibit with a crafting space.
Upta Camp: A history in the rise of Maine’s sporting history and leisure camp traditions complete with a “cabin” in the exhibit for children to let their imaginations run wild.
And currently, it is an exhibit called “Re/Sounding” that explores re-measuring our institutional understandings of our maritime history with Indigenous and Black perspectives. The interactive part of this exhibit is geared more for adults than the 10 and under crowd. My daughter’s feedback is that this is not as “fun” as the previous ones.
Old school rotary phone is just FUN.
There are PLENTY of maritime heritage and culture items to look at and read about in the main building of the Museum. However, we didn’t check everything out because… even 7 year olds have their limit on listening and looking at artifacts! If you love looking at artifacts and reading about the history, in order to take in all that the museum has to offer, I would suggest bringing an extra adult for easier tag teaming; or come back solo as your admission ticket is good for another visit back (as long it’s within 7 days of initial purchase)!
In the summer, once outside, there are an additional 14 structures to visit! Be sure to grab a campus map so you can make sure you don’t miss any sites on the property!
Sample Itinerary:
Here is how we traversed the property:
Part One:
After visiting the main building, we went outside for some more exploring. The first thing my daughter was interested in was the Ship Launching Demonstration down by the river. Afterwards, we hung out at the Pirate Ship Playground and checked out the Lobstering and the Maine Coast building and exhibits. There are also convenient bathrooms near the playground as well.
Part Two:
One Hour River Cruise with a BYO lunch.
*Read about the River Cruise under the splurge options down below!
If you choose to forego the River Cruise but would like to eat lunch on the campus. They have plenty of beautiful picnic tables under some amazing trees that provide excellent cover from the sun. They do offer some seasonal food on site provided by Flight Deck Brewing.
Once off the River Cruise boat, we finished up by visiting the caulker’s shed, mould loft, blacksmith shop, paint shop, mill and joinery, the Donnell House, the boat shop, and small craft exhibits.
In all, we spent 4 hours at the Museum with 1 hour being on the River Cruise. I will definitely say that this adventure works for those kiddos that are a bit older, 5 years and up, or those who are very young and content to sleep through it all in a Baby Bjorn. 🙂
If you were to ask my daughter about her favorite things from our visit here, she would say: boat ride, ship launching demonstration, and the Chris Van Dusen exhibit.
Boat Launching Demonstration with this AMAZING volunteer who had a knack with kids!
Inside the Pirate Ship Playground
Lobstering and the Maine Coast Exhibit
Accessibility and Accommodations:
It is very obvious that they want to make the museum available for ALL. While I will do my best to highlight my favorite features, I strongly suggest checking out their website for more information!
The campus has a mix of paved and gravel sidewalks along with large grassy portions. Any kind of stroller will have no problem traversing the campus. While you will not have any issues in the main building of the Museum with your stroller, some of the historic buildings on the campus will be slightly harder to navigate given the uneven floors and stairs to upper level features.
Golf cart services can be arranged at Guest Services should you need that too.
The Museum also offers Sensory Friendly Hours about once a month where they modify the lighting and volume levels as well as provide additional signage throughout the high-level audio-visual areas to create a more inclusive and accessible experience.
They also offer sensory bags for both adults and children with headphones, fidgets, and additional items. They are FREE and available at the front desk at any time.
Note: The sensory bags are part of the Museum’s ongoing certification work with Kulture City. Kulture City works with businesses and organizations to train staff on sensory inclusion, sensory bags, and app integration.
Costs for Museum:
Adults: $20 (off-season, $14)
Seniors: $18 (off-season, $12)
Children 17 years and younger: FREE
Members: FREE (if you plan to visit more than 3 times, it might be worth looking into a membership).
Budget Friendly Options:
Check to see if you and your family could benefit from any of the below options:
Blue Star Museums: FREE admission for active military and their families.
Museums for All: FREE admissions for up to four adults for those receiving SNAP benefits.
New Hampshire Public Radio MemberCard Holders: 2 for 1 admission, one time per year.
Counsel of American Maritime Museum Member: FREE admission
North American Reciprocal Museum Association Member: FREE admission
And be sure to check out your LOCAL LIBRARY. Many libraries offered free admission to the Maine Maritime Museum.
The Splurge Option:
The splurge option here is taking advantage of one of the numerous boat cruises they have! The cruise will take you by Bath Irons Works and to banks of the City of Ships (Bath) and then down the river to the two most popular lighthouses on the Kennebec river: Doubling Point Light and the Kennebec Range Lights. They offer 1-hour and 3-hour cruises and with little ones in tow, a 1-hour is perfection!
This cruise was definitely a hit with my daughter. She still talks about this cruise and we did this almost 3 years ago! We are planning to go again this summer!
Patiently wait for the Cruise Boat to the leave the dock.
While I was interested to learn about the history of this part of the river, my daughter was enjoying seeing the eagles, osprey, and jumping fish. By the end of the cruise, my daughter snuggled up in my arms and was lulled into a relaxing state that only a slow boat cruise can do!
The cost for a ticket on a 1 hour cruise will be:
Adults: $20
Children 6-17 years old: $21
Children under 6: $6
*If you use any of the discounts above, you will just pay for the boat ticket. You must purchase admission to the museum to buy a boat ticket.*
Eagles were everywhere!
Accessibility Note: If choosing a boat cruise, the floating docks can be reached via the accessible ramp. Strollers will be limited to the main cabin, and on-board restrooms are not wheelchair accessible.
Also, the stairs to the top deck are very steep and while not as challenging to get up, I would advise waiting to be the last ones down to alleviate any stress of holding up the line to help a little one down. 🙂
The Bathroom Low Down:
There are three convenient inside bathroom locations during your visit to the Maine Maritime Museum
In the Main Campus Building. These are sex separated bathrooms. In the bathrooms you will find infant changing situations.
By the Playground: There are two all gender/single user bathrooms in a building just up from the playground. There are stairs heading up to the bathrooms so taking a stroller to these bathrooms may be problematic. Both bathrooms are very large and have infant changing stations in them as well.
You will see showers in both bathrooms. At first I couldn’t make sense of why but if you are coming to the Museum by boat and are docking overnight, you have access to these facilities for showering and laundry services.
On the Cruising Boat: There is one all gender/single user bathroom aboard this boat. It is NOT handicap accessible and while it works, it’s a tight squeeze.
Bathroom Situation Rating: A-
With 3 separate indoor bathroom locations, you will be sure to be close to one if you need it!
In Summary:
The Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, Maine offers an engaging experience focused on the region’s maritime heritage, ideal for families.
Spanning 20 acres, the museum features 15 structures with diverse exhibits, including child-friendly attractions like a lighthouse and a tugboat exhibits as well as an entire exhibit highlighting Maine author and illustrator, Chris Van Dusen.
Seasonal closures limit access in winter, but the main building remains open year-round. In the summer months, visitors can enjoy scenic river cruises (which was THE highlight for my daughter).
The museum is accessible and provides sensory-friendly hours and resources. Bathrooms are conveniently located and easy to navigate for those with young children.
Admission fees vary. PLEASE check to see if your local library offers FREE passes to the library. If not, check out the other programs above to see if you qualify for free/discounted passes. A visit with children typically lasts anywhere between 1-4 hours, depending on the season, and this museum is ideal for children ages five and up.
Have you been? Please share your experiences in the comments below.
And….If you want the latest episode of The Wandering Chickadee to land in your email, be sure to add your address below!
Get wait to get some more snowshoe adventures in during February Break!
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At the beginning of each year, I really like to see how budget-friendly I can make February break for us. And this year…you can do all 5 activities, depending on what you have for equipment, and if you can score some museum passes from your library, for as little as $40 for the whole week!
OK, let’s dive into 5 activities that you can do with kids if you are staying local during February vacation.
And…be sure to tag @thewanderingchickadee on Instagram in any of your adventures so we can see that budget-friendly adventure in action!
Ice Skating:
With skate rentals and aides, bathrooms, a heated indoor area, and good tunes, Thompson’t Point Ice Rink is a great outdoor skating option for the family! Thompson’s Point is also a WinterKids Passport location! Kids are able to skate for FREE (valid twice per child).
These skate aides at Thompson Point Ice Rink are AMAZING!
WinterKids Ambassador Tip: The WinterKids Passport Program offers 8 additional discounts to skating centers across the state (and one in New Hampshire!), so be sure to check them out!
For a comprehensive list of skating rinks in Maine, check out the Maine Tourism Association’s website. They include admission rates, if skate rentals are available, and open skate times!
Budget Costs for a family of 4: Varied ($0-$72) depending on the rink, if you need skate rentals, and/or are using the Winter Kids Passport Program.
Snowshoeing:
Snowshoeing is a very EASY way to get out there and enjoy the snow! Never tried? Be sure to check out my Beginner’s Guide for some tips.
If you need rentals, be sure to check out Maine Gear Share and consider renting snowshoes for the WHOLE week, which will cost around $45 for a children’s rental for the week….OR check out some places that offer rentals.
Many smaller centers also offer snowshoe rentals (sometimes FREE) and be sure to check in with your library to see if they offer rentals as well.
Looking for some FREE trails? My latest favorite is Libby Hill Trails in Gray! Thanks to a great tip from a local mama, I have fallen in love with these trails!
These trails have quiet moments of serene wilderness; trickling streams under snow and ice, deer meandering through the woods.
I went with a friend to Libby Hill and didn’t snap enough pics for an “official” Wandering Chickadee review but…I can say that these trails are well labeled, maps are available at every trail intersection and you can make a trail plan that includes short, medium, and longer loops should you want to extend or need to bail.
With ample parking, and a Hannaford close by if you need a bathroom, this is a great FREE option!
WinterKids Ambassador Tip: The WinterKids Passport Program offers 14 additional discounts to snowshoe and cross country ski centers across the state (and one in New Hampshire!). So again, be sure to check them out!
Budget Costs for a family of 4: Varied ($0-$158) depending on the center, if you need rentals, and/or are using the Winter Kids Passport Program.
The Library Switch Up
You all know how magical I think libraries are and…they are even more magical when you go to a new one! One of my favorite things to do is to visit a library nearby. There is just something fun and unique about exploring the new-to-us children’s book areas, play spaces, and reading nooks of libraries you don’t frequently attend. 🙂
With many of your neighboring libraries participating in not one, but TWO of the reciprocal use programs in our state, this means that if you have a valid library card from a library participating in the program, you can use your library card to borrow materials from other libraries on the list.
And when you are ready to return the books…just drop them off at your home library. It’s that simple!
Our favorite activity from February Break 2 years ago was visiting the Freeport Public Library and participating in this “real life” Candy Land game!
Libraries often run some special vacation programming and events too! So be sure to check out their website and social media accounts before heading out!
Budget Costs for a family of 4: FREE
Museums are fun!
Yes, children’s museums are great fun but….this year, I am talking about the “ADULT” museums!
The Chris Van Dusen exhibit @ the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, Maine
It has been well researched that museums provide memorable and immersive learning experiences, spark imagination, and introduce them to new worlds, perspectives, environments, and more for children. And in Maine, we have some excellent options!
Many of the following museums offer reduced admissions and/or participate in the Museums for All. And…please check your library on this list to see if they offer FREE/DISCOUNTED passes!
If you don’t see passes for the museum you want to visit, please call your local library. I will admit this list is due for some updating from me!
*=children specific activities, exhibits, and/or interactions.
The Upta Camp interactive children’s exhibit @ the Maine Maritime Museum is *chef’s kiss* perfection!
And don’t forget the COUNTLESS historical societies that you can visit as well! This is something we are looking forward to doing this February Break! We just moved to a new town and can’t wait to see the history behind our town.
Budget Costs for a family of 4: Varied ($0-28) based on the museum, discounts, and/or the use of library passes.
And so is swimming!
Swimming is a great opportunity to burn off some energy and a fun family event that is very affordable. Some pools are even offering fun aquatic obstacle courses for those with solid swimming skills (I’m looking at you, Bangor YMCA and the Richards Pool in Cape Elizabeth!)
We love the Davan Pool in Westbrook, Maine!
And..here is the best part! If you are not a resident of a town with a community pool, you can still access the facilities by paying just a slightly higher fee than their resident fee. Here is just a small list of community pools here in southern Maine:
Also, all YMCA locations in Maine offer day passes (and reciprocal use passes if you have any out of towners visiting who are members at their local YMCA).
Total Cost: Varied ($22-40) depending on the pool.
In addition to the week’s worth of budget-friendly activities, here are 3 quick tips to making this week even more affordable:
Bring your own hot cocoa! While it seems so silly, this is a cost that can really add up! Hot cocoa for a family of 4 can cost around $20 at most places while a canister of Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa only costs $8 and has over 31 servings. We love our OG Stanley thermos! It keeps the cocoa hot all day long!
Bring your own lunches! Nothing beats a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the money you’ll save by doing so! We also love to do some lunchtime charcuterie with: meats, cheeses, nuts, hardboiled eggs, hummus, carrots, and grapes. While not an exact match to our lunch containers, these containers are close
Make the carpool cool again! Headed somewhere a bit far for an adventure with friends? Maybe it’s just you and kids? Consider the carpool. It’s a great way to save a little bit of money, there is built-in entertainment with friends in the backseats, and you get some good adult conversation for the ride.
I hope this February Vacation Guide gives you some inspiration for activities you can do with your kiddos!
And… if you get out there and enjoy these activities, be sure to tag @thewanderingchickadee on Instagram! I would love to see you enjoying your adventures and give you a virtual high-five for saving some $$!
As always, thanks for following along and happy adventuring!
