Recently we were at the New England Botanical Gardens and noticed that they had activity backpacks for kids and adults to increase the interaction with nature, creativity and community. We are in conversations with their education department to learn from their experiences and create our own bags based on our combined educational experiences, our love of the natural world and the creation of art.

Ipswich is well known for its dedication to providing Open Space land for the community. In addition, Ipswich can boast state and local forests, and many land preserves owned by The Trustees. We are surrounded by the natural world. We hope that these bags will be utilized by Ipswich residents; those that are familiar with being in these natural locations, or for those who may have never been on any of these properties.

We would like to create backpacks (for kids) and tote bags (for adults) to check out of our public library to bring on hikes.

Get Outside Bags contents:
laminated maps of Open Space in Ipswich
laminated ID sheets for local trees, plants, and animals
laminated tic check advice
blank notebook
crayons
watercolors
clipboard
Observation tools: magnifying lens and prism microscope
Seasonal Activity cards (kids)
How to watercolor paint instructional book (adults)