5 ideas for things to do in New Hampshire during Spring Break 2026

April is officially underway, bringing spring flowers, rain showers and soon, school vacation to New England.

Now that the weather is beginning to warm up, kids across New Hampshire are likely looking forward to an entire week away from school so they can enjoy the outdoors. Luckily, New Hampshire is offering plenty of family-friendly outdoor activities during spring break this year, including everything from specialty nature programs to annual spring festivals.

Looking for ideas? Here are five things to do outdoors with the kids over school vacation week in New Hampshire this spring.

See spring flowers

Step into the spring season by looking at Maple Hill Gardens, where spring flowers include magnolias, peonies, lilacs, irises, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, poppies, wisterias and many more across 13 themed gardens, including a shade garden, a Victorian garden and a fragrance garden.

Along with the gardens, this site has a play area, picnic areas and a wildflower trail. Maple Hill Gardens is free and open to the public every day from dawn to dusk.

Located at 117 Ridge Road in Hollis.

Go on a hike

Spring is the perfect time to enjoy a long walk through nature, and luckily, New Hampshire has plenty of walking and hiking trails all over the state. The official Visit New Hampshire website has a list of eight kid-friendly hikes, with destinations including Arethusa Falls in Crawford Notch State Park or Pack Monadnock in Peterborough.

Explore nature at Discover WILD New Hampshire Day

With over 100 educational and interactive exhibits, Discover WILD New Hampshire Day offers “a fun way for the whole family to explore New Hampshire‘s wildlife resources and outdoor traditions,” according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department website.

At this free event, guests can see live animals, create wild crafts, try archery and fly tying, talk with conservation officers and more. Plus, a variety of food trucks will be onsite throughout the day.

Discover WILD New Hampshire Day will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at the New Hampshire Dish and Game Department Headquarters, located at 11 Hazen Dr. in Concord.

Hit the slopes

Most skiing areas in New Hampshire may ahve already closed for the spring, but you can still hit the slopes one last time this season at Loon Mountain Resort, where 32 of the resort’s 73 trails are still open for skiing.

Daily lift tickets for Loon Mountain Resort are currently on sale for $59 for adults, $53 for children ages 6-18 or $56 for seniors age 65-79.

Loon Mountain Resort will remain open every day through April 19, with hours starting at 9 a.m. on weekdays or 8 a.m. on weekends. Be sure to check the website for daily mountain conditions, including when the three operational lifts close.

The ski resort is located at 60 Loon Mountain Road in Lincoln.

Go to a spring festival

Londonderry’s Carriage Shack Farm is hosting its Enchanted Farm Festival on April 18-19, offering the perfect activity for children who love magic and fairytales. Festival activities include a magical treasure scavenger hunt, a flower crown making station, a concession stand, a unicorn meet-and-greet and a petting farm with animals like llamas, horses, cows, turtles and more.

Tickets to the Enchanted Farm Festival, which can be bought online, cost $12.95 for adults, $10.95 for children under age 15 or $11.95 for seniors and military.

The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 at 5 Dan Hill Road in Londonderry.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald. Reporting by Catherine Messier.