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

Little Hard Hats DVDs Giveaway

by Vanessa Druckman

May 11, 2009

I've recently discovered a new series of DVDs that are a cross between reality TV and documentaries, but geared at the under-seven set. The Little Hardhats Series features in-depth coverage of the stuff that fascinates little boys: construction, airplanes, trucks, and trains. The narrator, always a very male sounding expert in the field, narrates the action on the screen and providesa great overview of how things work. Each lasts a little over thirty minutes and costs $19.95 in a plastic case or $17.95 in a recycled paper sleeve.

Our personal favorite here is "Cleared for Take-off". We're big travelers and the video answered a lot of questions for my 5 year old son. He just couldn't get enough of the behind the scenes footage: what happens to the luggage and the air control tower. 

These movies were entirely filmed and produced by Fred Levine with the help of his family. Fred was inspired to create the series when he witnessed how curious his four kids were about big machines. He then leveraged his background in video production to create a series that educates kids about the world around them.

There are eight titles in the series. I'm giving one away here at Savvy Source. You can choose the one you think your child would most enjoy and leave a comment on this post with the title you would like and your email. I'll select the winner at random next Monday, May 18. Here is the list of the Little Hard Hat videos:

• Road Construction Ahead
• Road Construction Ahead 2
• Fire & Rescue
• Cleared for Take-Off
• House Construction Ahead
• Where the Garbage Goes
• Farm Country Ahead
• Big Boats and Busy Harbors

What is the New Hannah Montana Movie Really Suggesting?

by Vanessa Druckman

April 13, 2009

We took all three kids to see the Hannah Montana movie this weekend. I know it doesn't seem like a good choice for a two year old girl or a five year old boy but because of their big sister, they're all big fans of Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. And I actually have to admit that I have her songs on my IPod and often use them to get me pumped for my runs. What can I say? The girl has a great set of pipes.

Although we really enjoyed the movie, I walked away disturbed by the message it was sending. It seemed to be telling kids that lying is okay. The movie starts out with Miley pulling a number of bratty stunts and being a bad friend. She even gets into a cat fight with Beyonce over a pair of striped stiletto shoes.

Miley's publicist, Vanessa Williams, eggs her down this bad path by taking her on swag shopping sprees and encouraging her to miss her grandmother's birthday to star in the MTV music awards. Thankfully, Miley's father, Billy Ray Cyrus, has enough common sense for both of them. He grounds her to spend two weeks with family in Tennessee so that she can get back in touch with her roots.

I won't spill any more details so as to not ruin the movie for you. But in case you were worried, I will say that there is a boy, a cowboy to be exact, and that their romance is long on musical montages and thankfully short on kissing (there is only one kiss).

Because the entire Hannah Montana franchise is based on the dual identity, Best of Both Worlds theme, I should have suspected that the movie would not end with the retirement of Hannah Montana. Otherwise, how could there be a movie sequel? But the Hannah Montana movie really focused on the ethics of Hannah Montana's fake identity, questioning whether she should be lying to the entire world about who she is, in a different way than the TV show does.  The pressures of her double life were making her into a spoiled girl with terrible values. So at the end, when Miley accepts her fans' request to put her wig back on and to go back to keeping her secret, I couldn't help but be disappointed. The moral of the movie was essentially, lying is okay if you're a big star and you make people happy with your singing.

I hope my kids were paying more attention to the music than the message!

Something for Everyone at the Ridgewood Movie Theater This Saturday

by Vanessa Druckman

March 19, 2009

Going to the movies is one of my favorite things to do. Long before I had kids, my husband and I would dedicate a night a weekend to sitting in a darkened theater together in front of the big screen. We were eager to share our love with our kids, so much so that we jumped the gun a few times with some disastrous results. Learn from my mistakes: IMAX is a terrifying experience for small children, no matter how cool the science film seems.

This weekend, the Ridgewod Cinemas is having a really cool event which is perfect for all families. They're featuring two classic movies at the same time, each geared towards a different age group. It's a great opportunity to experience a movie you saw on the silver screen with your children. Doors open at 9:30 and the movies will begin at 10AM.

Older kids will enjoy seeing the original Star Wars movie (Star Wars IV: A New Hope) as it was meant to be seen. No matter how big your home entertainment center is, you can't get the full effect of Darth Vader unless he's towering over you with his freaky voice. For little ones and those that are not into Jedis and light sabers, Ridgewood Cinemas will be featuring the original 101 Dalmatians Disney movie - the animated version, not the Glenn Close version.

The tickets are $5 per person and proceeds are being donated to the Nurturing Place, a homeless shelter for women and children in Jersey City. If you bring a package of diapers or a box of wipes, you will receive a free small popcorn and a drink.

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.

Adam Sandler Goes the Family Way with Bedtime Stories

by Vanessa Druckman

January 10, 2009

I'm a huge fan of Adam Sandler but I wasn't sure how appropriate Bedtime Stories would be for the kids. For one thing, it's rated PG and we generally only do G movies. But the trailers seemed pretty innocuous so we decided to give it a try. I have no idea why Bedtime Stories was rated PG - the note says mild language, crude humor and some thematic elements, but it was completely fine for my  Read more...

New DVD Rentals for Kids for the Holidays

by Vanessa Druckman

December 21, 2008

We've been having a great time playing in the snow in the last few days, but once we're cold it's time to go in. As a result, we've been spending more time inside than usual, and definitely more time in front of the TV. In addition to all the great holiday classics like Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, there are some great new movies to rent at Netflix or buy this December.  Read more...

Some Family Films to Avoid this Month

by Vanessa Druckman

December 12, 2008

We'll go through months with no G movies or appropriate PG movies, and suddenly it's a deluge. Right now the theaters are filled with movies that are being marketed as family friendly. I reviewed Madagascar 2 recently which was good, although not as good as the first one, but since then, we haven't had as much luck at the theaters. We just saw Bolt last weekend, and we're still recovering. The  Read more...

Madagascar 2 Movie Review

by Vanessa Druckman

November 23, 2008

It's hard to type as I am so busy patting myself on the back right now. Today was the first day since I've had three children that we've had a successful outing to the movies. The first time that I've been able to view the entire movie without interruption, tears, bathroom trips, and long waits outside for my husband and the kids. The movie behind our success was Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa .  Read more...

Kids at the Movies - Flops and Blockbusters

by Vanessa Druckman

November 08, 2008

This weekend, AMC entertainmen t is screening a sensory friendly version of Madagascar 2 at 10AM across the nation. The lights will remain on at a dim level, the sound will be lowered, and no previews or ads will be shown. In addition, viewers can bring in their own gluten-free or casein-free snacks. Unfortunately, they're not hosting a screening in New Jersey (the closest one is in Brooklyn),  Read more...