Five Things You Need to Know Today: Feb. 23

1. It's Winter Vacation Kids’ Week at Pilgrim Hall Museum. The museum offers free programs for children under 18 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Draw a map with a quill pen, make a book, design a compass rose, make a dreamcatcher, draw your portrait, and create a bead necklace. Craft activities are available from 10-1; Treasure Hunts are available all day. This week, all children under 18 are admitted free to the museum, but must be accompanied by an adult. Plymouth residents visit for free year round.

2. Plimoth Plantation is offering activities throughout February Vacation. The Visitor Center is open and brimming with hands-on family activities. Every day features drop-in activities like writing with quill pens, trying on Pilgrim clothes, making Wampanoag-style clay pots and playing Wampanoag games. Little ones can exercise their imaginations in our Discovery Station while their bigger brothers and sisters stage a kids’ version of a Shakespeare play. Each day also features an interactive Wampanoag or Colonial music program. Cost is $8 per person and $6 for members. Contact programservices@plimoth.org for more information.

3. Other things to do: Go for a walk. It's freakishly nice outside.

4. Get your children outside having fun while still learning about the natural  environment. The Soule Homestead Education Center is now enrolling children ages  5-10, for the environmental-based outdoor February vacation week program.  Children will learn to use binoculars and magnifying glasses to explore the  fields of the 120-acre organic farm, looking for signs of winter animals and  bugs. Adventures unfold as children hike Soule’s three-fourth mile nature trail.  Inside activities include hands-on activities like constructing a bird feeder,  creating animal track stamps, and assembling a silly surreal animal booklet. A  short theme-related story is read at snack time and an interactive game is  played before the program wraps up for the day.

The vacation program runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Feb. 21, to  Friday, Feb. 24. Sign your child up for a day or multiple days. You do not have  to be a member to participate. Per day price: $13 member, $15 non-member.  Four-day week price: $45 member, $53 non-member. Preregistration is recommended  by calling the Children’s Educator, Laurie Amberman, at 508-947-6744. Soule  Homestead is an educational nonprofit specializing in farm based education  located at 46 Soule St., Middleborough. For details see www.soulehomestead.org  or facebook.com/soulehomestead.

5. The New Boston Duo, a Gypsy swing ensemble tapping jazz, rock and flamenco roots, will perform in concert on Saturday, February 25 at 8 pm at the Plymouth Center for the Arts, 11 North Street, Plymouth.