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Best Free and Fun Things To Do in Connecticut with Kids March 2023

St. Patrick's Day festivities will provide Connecticut families with plenty of free and fun things to do in March 2023! Photo courtesy of the Mulcahy Academy of Irish Dance in Glastonbury
St. Patrick's Day festivities will provide Connecticut families with plenty of free and fun things to do in March 2023! Photo courtesy of the Mulcahy Academy of Irish Dance in Glastonbury
2/26/23 - By Jennifer Coe

Free and fun things to do in Connecticut are everywhere this month. The sweet sap is flowing in March, and families are getting ready to celebrate one of the holidays of Winter: St. Patrick’s Day! Things are going to get green as we celebrate all things Irish and welcome spring 2023.

March has plenty of creative opportunities for kids to express themselves. Connecticut kids can explore so much, from arts and crafts to clay in towns like New Canaan, West Hartford, and East Windsor. Learn about Women’s History Month at Paving the Way. And start getting outside again to get some sweet maple syrup! There are events going on all over state where you can find demonstrations, pancake breakfasts, and a even a fair! And of course, St. Patty’s Day is around the corner with Hartford’s annual parade attended by thousands. There's also a grown-ups only gala at Stepping Stones to raise money for the museum.

We're adding things to our family activity calendar every day, so don't forget to sign up for our newsletters for regularly updated events!

 

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Take to the streets for St. Patrick's Day 2023! Photo courtesy of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Hartford Facebook page
Take to the streets for St. Patrick's Day 2023! Photo courtesy of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Hartford Facebook page

Top Free Things To Do in Connecticut with Kids this March

St. Patrick's Day Parade in Hartford

Hartford - March 11, 2023
Dress warmly and arrive early to get a good seat. A great family event! The Central Connecticut Celtic Cultural Committee will be hosting the 2023 Greater Hartford St. Patrick's day parade on March 11th to celebrate the 51st Anniversary of this great event!  The parade will take place on Saturday 3/11/2023, stepping off from the Capitol building at 11AM. READ MORE

Family Program: Paving the Way

Hartford - March 4, 2023
Celebrate Women’s History Month at the CHS! Families will play their way through our exhibit The Bicycle Game, learn how the bicycle craze of the 1890s paved the way for women’s empowerment, and complete a related craft. This program is FREE and great for children ages 5 and up. READ MORE

Special Olympics Winter Games

Middlefield - March 4-5, 2023
Powder Ridge is proud to host Special Olympics Connecticut 2023 Winter Games. Come cheer on the athletes of all abilities from across the state. Events are free and open to the public. Spectators are encouraged to attend. READ MORE

Old Fashioned Maple Syrup Boiling

Westport - Saturdays, March 4 and 11, 2023
Maple Syrup season is here! Join the Wakeman Farm Team team, Farmers Ryan Brunelle and Sharon Stone, while they boil Maple Sap into pure maple syrup from trees that were tapped on the Farm. This outdoor experience will offer visitors an opportunity to talk to farmers about the process of tapping and producing maple syrup, ask any questions they may have about tapping their own trees at home and check out The Beast, our homestead-sized evaporator.  READ MORE

Razzle Dazzle Dance Party

Avon - March 8, 2023
We will read, dance, play instruments, stretch, and sign in this busy, movement-based group. Hear favorite classic songs, fun from Laurie Berkner, and even some popular radio and movie tunes. Please pre-register. READ MORE

Annual Hebron Maple Festival

Hebron - March 18-19, 2023
Food, live music, face painting, free sugar house tours and demonstrations, a quilt show, and so much more will fill your weekend with fun, laughter and all things maple. Don't miss out on the tractor parade! READ MORE

Essex Goes Daffy with “Daffodil Days”

Essex - Daily starting March 25, 2023
The 43,000+ daffodils waiting to blossom across Essex, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton villages invite you to celebrate Spring. Make Essex your “daffodil destination!” with a day trip or weekend to enjoy this natural event, as well as our villages, shops, restaurants, galleries, architecture, and waterfront. Celebrate with our merchants along “Daffodil Way.” READ MORE

Wednesday Crafternoons at the New Canaan Nature Center

New Canaan - Saturdays in March
Drop in the New Canaan Nature Center's Visitor Center every Wednesday for a little Crafternoon. Enjoy making a self-guided nature-based craft. READ MORE
Bluey takes the stage in Connecticut this March 2023. Bluey's Big Play photo courtesy of the Oakdale Theater
Bluey takes the stage in Connecticut this March 2023. Bluey's Big Play photo courtesy of the Oakdale Theater

Top Fun Things To Do in Connecticut with Kids this March

Kids' Arts and Crafts Saturdays @ CT Trolley Museum

East Windsor - Saturdays in March 2023
The Trolley Museum is open on Saturdays this winter! Got cabin fever? Stop by for a trolley ride and enjoy special themed kids' arts and crafts activities. February 4th: Dragons and Unicorns February 11th: Valentine's Day February 18th: Connecticut Dinosaurs February 25th: Spring Flowers March 4th: Caterpillars and Butterflies March 11th: Leprechauns and Fairies March 18th: Frogs and Toads March 25th: Connecticut Monsters READ MORE

Circophony’s Cirque du Schooleil: Operation Snakeout

Middlefield - March 2-4, 2023
Circophony Teen Circus presents Cirque du Schooleil: Operation Snakeout March 2 - 4 in Middletown. The latest original Circus-Theater piece by Circophony Teen Circus tells the tale of Nero, a ball python who is also a high school mascot, and the unlikely group of friends who set out on a mission to save him from life in a cage. Directed by Allison McDermott, Cirque du Schooleil: Operation Snakeout runs March 2 -4  at Oddfellows Playhouse in Middletown. Performances are at 7 pm on March 2, 3 and 4, and there is also a 2 pm matinee performance on Saturday, March 4. The... READ MORE

Mermaids at Mystic

Mystic - March 2-12, 2023
Mermaids are coming to Mystic Aquarium! Experience an aquatic adventure like never before when you come face-to-face with real mermaids. The mermaids will dazzle with their interactive underwater performances, inspiring imagination in guests of all ages. READ MORE

Maple Sugar Days

Greenwich - Saturday, March 4, 2023
Join the Greenwich Land Trust for Maple Sugar Day. Join the GLT at the Mueller Preserve to learn about how sap is collected and turned into tasty, sweet syrup.  Learning stations will be set up as well as a food truck. READ MORE

Maple Sugaring for Families

Ansonia - Saturday, March 4, 2023
A very long time ago, the native people of the northeastern part of our country shared their sweet tree know-how with the newcomers from Europe. Ranger Dawn presents an introduction to making maple syrup the old-fashioned way, and help us to choose just the right tree for tapping into this sweet treat! Registration is required by emailing to ansnaturectr@ansoniact.org.  READ MORE

Maple Sugaring Pancake Palace at Lyman Orchards

Middlefield - Saturday, March 4, 2023
Tap that Tree! There's a Maple Syrup Sugar Shack demonstration at the Apple Barrel Farm Market. Try your hand at tapping a “tree” before or after you indulge in a delicious 'Pancake Palace' menu outside on the patio. Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut's traveling sugarhouse will be on site for families to learn about the tradition of maple sugaring. READ MORE

St. Patrick's Day Charcuterie Class for Kids

Wallingford - Sunday, March 5, 2023
Bamboo rainbow plates will provide the perfect canvas for your little ones to create colorful and delicious St. Patrick's Day themed charcuterie boards. These lucky little spreads will include a variety of both sweet and savory treats! Our classes offer a very hands on and interactive experience. Your child will be guided through instruction on cutting, preparing, and designing their snack boards. Class fee also includes complimentary refreshments for adults. Wear green! READ MORE

Kids Art Class: Clay Handbuilding

West Hartford - Wednesdays, March 8, 15, 22, 2023
This class is an all-ages Intro to Handbuilding/Play with Clay session for anyone interested in sculpting, experimenting, and creating with clay. This is a beginner-friendly session where kids can make whatever they would like. READ MORE

Jurassic Quest

Hartford - March 10, 2023
Jurassic Quest is the world’s largest, most popular Dino event with the unique and exciting experiences for the whole family. Observe our herd of life size animatronic dinosaurs including Apatosaurus, Spinosaurus, T-Rex and an incredible 50-ft long Megalodon. READ MORE

New Canaan Nature Center's Syrup Saturday: A Pancakes & PJs Party!

New Canaan - March 11, 2023
Bring the whole family and join us for the annual syrup season celebration – you won’t want to miss our famously delicious Pancakes & PJs party, complete with TONS of fun syrup-related activities! We’ll be serving up flapjacks, syrup, and an array of tasty toppings. The day will also include tree tapping demos, a real maple sap “boil down,” sweet maple-inspired crafts, campfire with marshmallows, and a real v. fake syrup taste test. READ MORE

Mommy & Me Leprechaun Tea

Essex - March 11, 18, 2023
Follow the rainbow, wear your Irish green, and hop aboard the Essex Steam Train with your wee ones for a festive Leprechaun Tea! Moms, dads and kids of all ages will have a memorable experience riding through the picturesque Connecticut River Valley aboard this celebratory St Patrick’s excursion. READ MORE

Cardboard Box Race

Middlefield - March 18, 2023
Challenge friends, family and neighbors to a cardboard sled race for fun and prizes. Sleds must be made only of cardboard, duct tape, and any adhesive including wax. Then paint it as garishly as possible.  READ MORE

Maple Sugar Madness

Glastonbury - March 19, 2023
Visit our 1755 River Mansion and watch demonstrators tap the maple trees on the property and demonstrate syrup making in the outdoor fire pit. Tour the house and barns. Sample pancakes made on the colonial hearth and smother them with syrup. READ MORE

Game On! Celebration Gala

Norwalk - March 24, 2023
Don’t miss out on the Madness this March during the Game On! celebration at Stepping Stones Museum for Children. The museum’s spectacular spaces serve as an amazing backdrop for this inclusive Wine, Beer and Food Tasting party while the Sweet 16 games play on our immersive, 33'x12'-foot Multimedia Gallery screen. READ MORE

Bluey's Big Play at the Oakdale Theater

Oakdale - March 25, 2023
Bluey’s Big Play is a brand-new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® award-winning children’s television series, with an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, and new music by Bluey composer, Joff Bush. Join the Heelers in their first live theatre show made just for you, featuring brilliantly created puppets. This is Bluey as you’ve never seen it before, brought to real life. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Ansonia Nature & Recreation Center