Evergreene Golf, Belchertown, MA

Located on Rt. 9 in Belchertown, Evergreene Golf offers regular and mini golf. The grooming of the course is great. This is a family business, so it is managed with care. The air conditioned building has restrooms, the rental counter, souvenirs and ice cream!! This is always an idea for slightly older kids on summmer evenings.
One caveat : there is no shade (really, none). My first visit there with an infant in a stroller had me fearing heatstroke. We have visited several times and find this is a nice option.

Mud Spun Arts Center, Belchertown, MA

The studio at the Mud Spun Arts Center, settled with pink dust, decorated with works in progress, is a wonderful place to spend time with your children. It is a well- appointed workspace, with several wheels, open shelving for projects, canvas covered tables, and bright windows that open up the room. A blue kiln stands in the corner, a generous sink stands at the rear. It is a space that is prepared, a space where creativity has room to grow.

The space put me in mind of Reggio Emilia, a theme that seems to crop up continually in my exploration of truly great places for my children. This educational philosophy values playing with clay very highly and posits that clay itself, not play dough or silly putty, is an important aspect of kids' art experiences.

The proprietor and resident artist at Mud Spun is Becky Laliberte. Her gallery and studio here are labors of love that have expanded gradually over the past few years. With experience in both art and education, Becky is well suited to the task she's set for herself. From her website: Mud Spun strives to offer experiences in art that encourage exploration, discovery, and creativity.

On our visit there my children were offered clay, a wide variety of tools, and introductions to techniques like creating patterns, rolling out, and wetting the clay. On the potter's wheel the kids watched Becky center the clay and begin to form a vessel. They were able to touch the clay as the wheel spun, poke it with a tool, splash water on it. It was a thorough and much appreciated introduction to the medium.
Becky is an open teacher who interacted so well and so calmly with my guys, who can be revved up easily. She offers courses at the studio ranging from adult classes to summer camps, as well as birthday parties/get togethers. In the fall, look for a Mommy & Me class also - I will be!
Mud Spun

Intro to Clay for Kids

Stone Soup Farm, Belchertown, MA

On Jackson St. in Belchertown, across from the DPW, lies the Stone Soup Farm and the Belchertown Community Gardens. Inside the barn are the fresh vegetables picked that day, which you can purchase for great prices. Last summer our kids discovered how refreshing it can be to bite into a juicy cucumber and eat it whole, when you are walking miles and miles through hot summer evenings, in a fruitless effort to jiggle a sibling out of your mother.
There are some chickens running around, and plenty of cattle to view from afar, but there weren't any other animals there at that time. We enjoyed walking along the edge of the community gardens, looking at what individual farmers had done with their plots.

CISA

Austin Brothers Valley Farm, Belchertown, MA

Austin Farm is a working farm, so it is not open to the public on a regular basis. However, this fall they plan to have a pumpkin patch, so you can get your pumpkin right here in Belchertown, if that happens to be where you live! They also had an Easter Egg Hunt this year - you can see pictures on the farm blog.

The Farm has been in the Austin Family for generations, and they are truly a farming family. On the day of my visit I watched Mama Farmer corral and feed the ponies, pushing Baby Farmer in her stroller; with a lead or a bucket in her other hand. Girl Farmer explained to my sons that her chore was to clean the fresh eggs and put them in containers. Girl and my boys happily romped all over the mulch pile, scenic road, playground equipment, chicken coops, and open fields.

All of the animals here were well cared for. A working farm is not particularly scenic up close, but having visited a few, it is clear to see when the land is loved. This land is loved.

Austin Farm has a shop that is open year round where you can purchase grass fed meats, including beef and pork. You can also find their booth at the Belchertown Farmer's Market (Thursdays from 2PM-7PM on the Belchertown Common).

Austin Brothers Valley Farm

Belchertown Family Center, Belchertown, MA

This is a beautiful family center. At one time this building was a school, so the center is equipped with three large rooms for various activities, a snack area, bathrooms, and a fenced in yard. The playground equipment here is more appropriate for toddlers than older children, but the older ones can find plenty to do with the cars (there is a long grassy hill), the sandbox, or swings. The family center hours are limited, but it's really a wonderful place, especially if your kid is gearing up for school and wants peers to play with.

Lynn Paul is the director of the center; she does a great job with programming, but also with being a warm host and making introductions. There are many parents who give their time and skills to improve the Center.

Snacks are provided, or donated by patrons. There is a $4 donation, but it really is a donation.

The family center has a yahoo! group that you can join to receive updates: belchertownfamilycenter@yahoogroups.com

Belchertown Family Center

Clapp Memorial Library, Belchertown, MA

This is my local library. The building is charming, if controversial. The space is small, but the kids' area features a lego table, and my middle son knows exactly where the dinosaur aisle is. The librarians (ANNE, NANCY, GAIL AND MARY - THANK YOU!!!) at this library are the best ever, but again, it's my local library! Jennifer Whitehead, the children's librarian, creates and hosts wonderful programs for kids all year long. Storytimes from infant to school age children, music programs, science programs, and more. In coming years this quaint library may expand, which we are looking forward to. For now, the staff of the Clapp make this small space efficient, friendly, and one of the anchors of Belchertown's downtown and community.
We are obviously fans!

Clapp Memorial Library
Friends of the Clapp Memorial Library

Fish Hatchery, Belchertown, MA

For 25 cents you can buy your kids a handful of fish food. I usually give them an empty Dunkin' Donuts bag that I have hanging around in the car, but of course that will not work for you unless you are also a slob. It's helpful for them to have a container, is my point.
Rainbow Trout swarm to the surface at each nugget of food. It's fun. Often you will see Herons, Eagles, and plenty of hawks and gulls. During part of the year the holding tanks are covered with nets to keep the birds out, but you can still see and feed the fish.
This is a relatively quick activity - don't plan to spend the day! We are usually in and out in under one hour. Sometimes we go in the really cold weather and spend 15 minutes. It is only a quarter, after all.
Biggest surprise about this place: It does NOT smell. Seriously. A faint odor sometimes, but not fishy.
Parking is free.
There are no restrooms.
Sunderland Hatchery (my post)
Massachusetts Fish Hatcheries