Maple sugaring season is here! March is that magical window when the days warm up, the nights stay chilly... and maple sap starts flowing. If your kids have ever wondered how maple syrup actually gets made before it makes its way onto their Sunday pancakes, this is one of the coolest hands-on experiences you can give them. Seeing maple syrup tapping in real time really helps children understand there's something happening inside the trees, and that they're living beings... plus, the maple syrup tasting is always a delicious bonus! 

If you or your kids have ever been curious about what those tin containers are in the woods.. now is your time to find out. 

Here’s where you can learn, taste, and even try tapping a maple tree this month.

🍁 Stokes State Forest 

While Stokes does not typically host naturalist-led maple events for families, you can still visit to see forests that include maple trees. Bring an easy-to-make DIY maple ID kit with you to help your children identify buds and bark of different maple trees.

🍁 Lusscroft Farm

Best for: educational families, younger kids, nature lovers
Lusscroft hosts seasonal maple sugaring events where kids can watch sap boil down into syrup, learn how tapping works, and walk through the sugar bush. They usually set up kid-friendly demos, show the traditional tools, and talk about the science behind sap flow. It’s one of the most accessible maple experiences in the county.

What parents love: it's not crowded, very relaxed, and hands-on.
Next Event: Lusscroft Farm invites you to the annual Maple Sugaring Open House on Saturday, March 21, 2026, from 10 am to 3 pm, at 50 Neilson Road, Wantage. Proceeds from the syrup sales, the Barn Sale, the Christmas Cottage and $5 Manor House tours go to ongoing restoration efforts at historic Lusscroft.

Go Maple Sugaring here

Tips for Taking Kids Maple Sugaring

• Dress warm: Sugar bushes are shady and colder than open fields.
• Wear boots: With changing weather and melting snow, there is going to be mud.
• Go early: Warm afternoons means that there is going to be better sap flow.
• Ask if samples are available: Some spots offer sap-tasting or syrup drizzle.
• Use it as a STEM lesson: Love getting your child into science, or homeschooling? Kids love hearing how temperature affects sap flow. Bring some extra fun facts to really get

Maple sugaring is a great experience for families, and your children are sure to remember it for years to come. Enjoy walking through these sugar bushes and tapping maple trees!