Things to do this summer in NJ

Festival of ballooning
Visit shore and boardwalks
Visit Cape May and see old architecture
Visit Atlantic City
See a show at PAC
Go see Northlands
See a show at the State Theater
Visit a PYO farm
Go to a local lake
Go to a town fair or festival
See a movie
Visit lots of parks
Go to a baseball game
Visit a winery
Go to a local pool or waterpark
Visit an amusement park
Go to the races
Do a library show
Visit a state park
Buy things at a farmers market
make smores on a camp fire

did I miss any of your favorites?

XO

Turtle back Zoo!

We love museums but my younger son really loves animals.  So off we went to the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, NJ recently with friends.

It is fun filled wild afternoon in Essex county, NJ.

Attractions include a giant python, animal theme play area, walk thru prairie dog exhibits, farm petting area, pony rides and mini train ride.

You can rent strollers or bring your own or just walk around, it isn't too big for older toddlers.

There is a picnic area for BYO food, or buy something in the cafe.

They have educational worksheets for readers and activity sheets for all ages.

It is mostly open 10-4 but hours vary depending on the season or day of the week.  Also they have a discount afternoon when some services are limited but great for walking around.

Note: the kids slide in the play area is almost always mobbed with kids of different ages so beware with younger kids.

Parking is ample and free!

XOXO

Review & comparison of craft kits for a rainy day

We love and use lots of craft kits but we are not craft gurus so we love the easier types of kits.  There are lots to choose from and a couple were in my house so we decided to do them one rainy day.  I thought I would share our experiences for all those other parents wondering what to do with the kids on a rainy day.

CrazArt Funtastix. 

 

The box looks bright and fun.  Inside you will find baggies of wax sticks in different colors.  The box we had didn't have instructions on how to make those shapes do there was lots of trial and error and some pictures on the back of the box.  However a step by step sheets would have made all the difference.  Below are some of the shapes we did together.  So a fun kit but not one for just kids alone. Maybe good for older creative kids.

 Alex Window stickers.

 This is more our style, a color and cut type of activity. However not too neat as the paint takes a long time to dry and painting is not a neat activity anyway.  The plastic is a colorform type and once dry, clings on to windows.  Below is a sample shape made at home that my 8yr old made, it was too fiddly for my 4yr old to finish alone so we are still working on his.

 Make your own wooden vehicles.

 Not really make your own as the vehicles are supplied but you paint and stick on to personalize your own vehicles.  Boys love this activity, and paint again is fun but never too neat.  But you can set the area up with newspaper, smocks and let them at it.  Not as fiddly as coloring plastic with the kit above.  And my 4 & 8 yr olds both made a vehicle easily enough.

We got these kits ourselves and wrote this post for the blog.  All comments and experiences are my own for the purpose of sharing experiences.

XOXO

Trailside

NJ is taken for granted and likes to poke fun at itself (see any TV show on NJ).  However we have some great local and free or low cost activities and centers nearby.  We should consider ourselves lucky!

We have so many great parks and wildlife centers.  I particularly like Trailside Nature and Science center.  My boys love that place and I love to take them there.  

However take a GPS at I often get lost driving around Watchung reserve.

Also make sure you check the hours, I think it is open every day after noon ie 12 midday.  We love to check it out once a quarter on a rainy afternoon.  Or if it is a nice day check out the park or trails in the morning and do a picnic lunch.  There are tables everywhere for picnics.

The boys first stop is usually the animal displays but they love the teepee hut and the theatre show.

It is such a hands on place that encourages kids to look closely and open/shut things, check out every corner, do puzzles and more.

I love the recycling hints and the native wild plant displays and love to pic up a polished rock from the gift store as a memento from our trip there.

Downstairs is an aquarium and bird watching area along with more hands on activities, such as excavating (ie Sandpit) and I particularly love the geology displays (in particular the fluorescent minerals).

Upstairs is my favorite center, the library with kids books on nature and adult gardening and other books.  However we are usually worn out at this point and never take enough advantage of the library to sit and read.  Perhaps when the kids are older.

Outside they were working on the playground when I was there but I heard that the playground was finished very shortly after my trip.  So we will definitely be there again very soon.

xo

Trailside Nature and Science center

Local children's museums

Our family motto is try most things once.  So we sign up for lots of different activities and events and some of them we love.  Below are some that we have tried locally and recommend.

Morris museum 

We love this small and sufficient museum, it has lots to do from toddlers up to adults.  The toddlers come first with the music room filled with things to interact with for kids (and adults) of all ages. Its other collections include costumes and textiles, fine art, decorative art, dolls and toys, natural science, geology and paleontology, and anthropology.  They have programs and events running at various times in the year and various times of the day.  Their summer camps are very popular and affordable.  They also have a donation night where for the cost of a donation you can enter for free.  

I've also heard great things about the Zimmerli museum but for one reason or another haven't tried it yet.

Imagine that Museum, Florham park. Not really a historical museum but a hands on activity center. It is specializes in pre-school age and young school children.  Kids love playing here.

We've also heard about the Princeton Art museum family Saturdays but distance has prevented us from experiencing this program. Let me know if you've tried this museum.

The Children's Museum in Bridgewater.  The Children's Museum has educational exhibits and programs and this museum may travel from location to location.  Young kids love this and it is stress free and suggested donation so very economical.  I'd say kids from 3-10 might like this museum.

xo

Photos, Macs & Woodloch

One new thing I've done this year is convert our old Mac into a slideshow of our digital photos (we turn it on in the morning and off at night).  It looks good and we love to see what photo will pop up.  Who prints photos anymore anyway?  The kids love it and my youngest child is home a lot more than my eldest so he gets to see lots of old photos.  In particular, photos of the eldest having fun in lots of different pictures.  'No, that isn't you in the photos, it is your brother on vacation/at the amusement park/with friends/out/doing things etc' :(

We've been stressed lately with day to day life (can you tell we live in the NE?) that we've made an effort to take more breaks this year.  Especially since my youngest child is now no longer a baby (and doesn't need baby paraphernalia).  Also we promise to take him to as many activities as (the pictures prove) his brother went to.

So Woodloch was the perfect starting point.  It is a great all inclusive family resort.  We loved it the first time we went with my oldest child.  It has loads of activities to keep kids busy and the parents hence get a break and might enjoy it too.  Also mom doesn't need to stress out about meals, they are included and the options are good.  'Junior doesn't want the sandwich he ordered?  No problem, would he like a fruit salad, yogurt, ice cream etc? ' Also costume characters would appear during the meal so that the parents might get some time to enjoy their meal while the kids were amused. And the meals were very good, home cooked food.  Lots of courses too, in case you are hungry: salad, soup, main meal, bread, sides, dessert.

Popular activities this time around were the go carts, bumper cars, ride on jeeps, art & craft room, storytime, did I mention pool!  They added a splash area since we were there last time and the kids had a blast, I got to sit in the hot tub (no kids under 14 ;) ) till I wrinkled.  Life guards on duty but parents should be nearby (thanks hubby) to watch younger kids.  Snow tubing (great snow tube run right by our room), indoor playgym, games room, and more.

You can use the resort any time you get to the resort (even if your room isn't ready) and you can also use it the last day of your trip till late. So with that said and with occasional discounts and off season rates it is an affordable nearby trip!

Of course we took lots of pictures to add to our digital images on the Mac, but somehow it didn't seem as many pictures as the first time around ;(

xo