November 8 is National STEM Day, which means there are plenty of opportunities for the kids to get up-close-and-personal with their science, tech, engineering and math interests.
Thursday-Friday, November 7-8
Where: New generation Learning Center, East Hanover
Price: $80/day, $150/both days
Deets: Learn all things science and tech at this mini camp. On the 7th, it’s all about environmental science (think solar water heaters and sustainability). On the 8th, go for lessons in industrial robotics covering hydraulics and mass production.
Where: Morris Museum, Morristown
Price: Free with admission
Deets: For two days, they can craft, check out the galleries and explore exhibitions. Don’t miss Steampunk Fashion, an exhibit that covers the historical context and construction of six ensembles.
Friday, November 8
National STEAM Day: Spin, Pop, Boom
Where: The Monmouth Museum, Lincroft
Price: $20/members; $25 non-members
Deets: Who’s ready to experiment? Take your kid ages 5-12 to see all sorts of wow-inducing chemical reactions. Also on the 8th is the Twinkletots Planetarium Show for your littlest astronauts, and a Daily Demo in the Guinness Mechanical Musical Instruments & Automata, an exhibit covering the history and functionality of mechanical music makers.
Where: Code Ninjas, Old Bridge
Price: $79
Deets: Kids ages 7-14 will have a blast on their day off for Teachers Convention at this mini camp. Learn coding, game building and robotics. Extended hours available upon request. Star Wars STEM Camp also running tomorrow at the Hillsborough location ($75/each).
The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket
Where: RVCC Planetarium, Branchburg
Price: $10
Deets: Ages 6-12 can travel through the solar system and visit the sun, moon and planets with the help of a talking astronomy book.
Where: Game-U, Flemington
Price: $28
Deets: Let your gamer (ages 10 and up) show off their skills at this Super Smash Bros. competition. Come for pickup tournaments, pizza and drinks.
Saturday-Sunday, November 9-10
Where: Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey, Teterboro​
Price: $12/adults, $9/kids
Deets: Mini pilots can sit in a M*A*S*H Bell helicopter, Walter Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Truck and more. They can pretend they’re flying these beauties, plus take a seat in the world’s only surviving Martin 202 cockpit. Stick around for the special Veterans Day salute. All past and active military get in free.
Ongoing
Where: Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
Price: Free with admission
Deets: Ages 2-8 can climb aboard the Dinosaur Train and head back to the Mesozoic period, where your tot can check out steam engines, excavate fossils, learn about dino diets and chill in a dinosaur nest. Through Jan. 20.
How are you and the kids celebrating National STEM Day? Tell us in the comments.
