Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in newark, NJ

Local Conservation and Nature Programs

by Vanessa Druckman

April 21, 2009

Now that Spring is here, I'm eager to get my kids out there to enjoy and learn about the great outdoors. Luckily there is no shortage of great programs in the area that cater to preschoolers during the week and during the weekend. 

• Abma's Farm in Wyckoff has wonderful programs for children aged 3-5, 5-7, and 8-15 where children learn how to change their eating into healthier patterns by being exposed to life on the farm. 
• The Weis Ecology Center in Ringwood offers nature hikes for preschoolers on Thursday mornings once a month from 10-11. Various Saturdays and Sundays, families can attend basics of birding hikes as well.
• On May 31, hunt for reptiles at the Ramapo Reservoir under the guidance of experienced Audubon nature guides. This is a must attend for all your Diego explorer fans.
• The Lorrimer Sanctuary in Franklin Lakes offers afterschool programs for children aged 7 to 11 on Wednesday afternoons.
• The Wyckoff Environmental Center offers a variety of programs for groups of preschoolers including: critter corner, sensing nature, nature's neighborhood, dinomite dinos, busy bees, grouping nature, water world, feathered friends, plant power, mammal mania, lives of the lenape, buggy business, wildly rare, trekking the trails, maple sugaring, and apple cidering. The website has the registration form.

Not 10, not 20, but 100 Things You Should do with your Kids Before They Grow Up in New Jersey

by Vanessa Druckman

March 02, 2009

In October, when I started writing for Savvy Source, I posted about 25 things you should do with your kids before they grow up in New Jersey. I've gotten some great feedback on this post, and comment love is very motivational, I'm now back with 75 more ideas for a grand total of 100 Things You Should Do with your Kids in New Jersey Before They Grow up! If you have any that are not on this list, please comment, let's keep it growing!

But whatever you do, never complain that you don't know what to do this weekend again! 

1. Do arts and crafts at the Crayola Factory
2. Tour the Statue of Liberty
3. Visit the Liberty Science Center
4. Get Slimed at Nickelodeon Studios
5. Splash Around at Sesame Place
6. Run in the family fun race down the shore at the NJ Marathon in early May.
7. Take the kids carolling through the neighborhood.
8. Pick apples and pumpkins at Demarest Farms in the fall.
9. Go Tubing at Campgaw Mountain
10. Ice Skate at the Duck Pond
11. Have a Food Fight
12. See the Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center
13. Sit on Santa's Lap
14. Get Messy at the Children's Art Museum in Soho
15. Catch tadpoles and watch them transform into frogs
16. Pet the goats at Abma's Farm.
17. Have Breakfast for Dinner
18. Visit the South Street Seaport
19. Take the Circle Line around Manhattan
20. See the Elvis House at Christmas
21. Ice Skate at Rockefeller Center
22. Eat Zeppoli at the San Gennaro Festival
23. Go to Disney World
24. Eat Popcorn and Hot Dogs at a Yankee game
25. Go to a summer concert with fireworks in Central Park
26. Visit the Land of Make Believe
27. Go on a Safari at Great Adventure
28. Eat frozen custard on the boardwalk of the Jersey Shore
29. Take the ferry from Hoboken
30. Practice your batting at the batting cages.
31. Go ice skating at Bear Mountain State Park
32. Get some culture at the Newark Museum
33. Count all the exits of the New Jersey Turnpike
34. RIde a bicycle through the beautiful Cape May Victorians
35. Go fishing for blue fish on a party boat
36. See Ringling Brothers at the Newark Prudential Center
37. See the birds singing at dawn at the Celery Farm
38. Ride the fire engine at the Children's Museum of New Jersey
39. Ghost your neighbors at Halloween time with a bag of candy
40. Go on a scavenger hunt through the decorated houses of your neighborhood at Christmas time.
41. Cheer on the Newark Bears.
42. Sing louder than the instructor at a Music Together class.
43. Splash the summer heat away at the Mountain Creek water park.
44. Take NJ Transit to Manhattan and shake the conductor's hand.
45. Visit your local firehouse.
46. See a magic show at Unbelieva-bill's.
47. Dare your child to pick the craziest mix-ins at Maggie Moos.
48. Go on a tour of the NJ State Capitol
49. Take a helicopter ride above the Delaware Water Gap.
50. Take a helicopter ride above New York City.
51. Coach your child's t-Ball team.
52. Play laser tag.
53. Bake chocolate chip cookies
54. Sell girl scout cookies
55. Dig for dinosaurs at Dinosaur Falls.
56. Ski the magic carpet at Mountain Creek.
57. Have dinner at Newark airport and then watch the planes taking off and landing.
58. Ride a bicyle car on the boardwalk.
59. Walk the nature loop at the James McFaul Environmental Center.
60. Show your kids that veggies can be good at the Health Barn.
61. See the Wild West Live in NJ.
62. Spend the day rock climbing indoors.
63. See amazing family shows at the Saddle River Cultural Center.
64. Collect leaves of gorgeous color at the Ramapo Reservoir.
65. Ride the rapids on the Delaware in New Jersey.
66. Spot the whales in Cape May.
67. See NJ from the sky in a hot air balloon.
68. Test your survival skills by going camping.
69. Make S'Mores.
70. Build a tent in the backyard and spend a night under the stars with a toilet nearby.
71. Head to the Funtown Pier in Seaside Heights.
72. Soon you'll enjoy tons of indoor fun at the Xanadu Meadowlands indoor facility.
73. Ride the ferris wheel in Atlantic City.
74. Read a story to your child's class.
75. Play mini golf and splash by the sea in LBI.
76. See the fish at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden.
77. Catch a rodeo in Pilesgrove.
78. Explore the natural world at the Camden Children's Garden.
79. Enjoy wild rides at Storybook Land.
80. Design your own necklaces at Montclair Beadworks.
81. Build a Bear - need we say more?
82. Enjoy great entertainment with your sundae at the Surflight Theater down the shore.
83. See where milk comes from at the Bobolink Dairy.
84. Visit the big bad wolf at the Lakota Wolf Preserve.
85. Learn all you could imagine about insects at Insectropolis.
86. Board a pirate ship, and live to tell the tale!
87. See the largest indoor model railroad in New Jersey.
88. Climb aboard for fun at Funtime Junction!
89. Head down to Hershey Park for fun and relaxation for the entire family.
90. Rent a kayak or a canoe.
91. See the Holiday Lights Exhibit at the Bronx Zoo
92. Take a Halloween Train Ride at Van Saun Park
93. Stay in your Pajamas all Day Long - when you're not sick
94. Play Hookie from School
95. Cheer on the runners of the NJ Marathon
96. Grow your own tomatoes.
97. See a play, in a castle at the Pax Amicus Castle Theater.
98. See a movie on the really big screen at the IMAX Theater.
99. Participate in the Ridgewood Memorial Day Family Fun Run.
100. March in your town's Fourth of July parade.