Looking for free things to do in February? It might be cold outside, but there’s plenty of indoor and outdoor activities to keep the kids entertained (and off their screens!).
Want more fun stuff? Check out can’t miss events for your preschoolers, venture outdoors to these local hiking trails or stay inside at these indoor spots.
Saturday, February 1
Radical Rocketeers
Hackettstown
Bring your family to the Warren County Library to learn about—and actually build—a rocket! Supplies will be provided. Registration required.
Saturday-Sunday, February 1-2
Cider Making Demonstrations
Oldwick
Head to Melick’s Town Farm for free cider making demonstrations at the large apple orchard in NJ.
Sunday, February 2
Storytime
Hoboken
Ages 2-5 can sing songs and listen to stories about city life at the Fire Department Museum, read by museum staff and librarians from the Hoboken Public Library.
Wednesday, February 5
The Historic Trilogy
Jersey City
Hit the Liberty State Park CRRNJ Terminal to follow the immigrant experience, plus take a tour of the CCRNJ and check out views of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
Kids Cook
Rocky Hill
Visit the Mary Jacobs Library to make Valentines treats with your kiddos grades 3-5.
Thursday, February 6
Harry Potter Book Night
Short Hills
Hop on your Nimbus 2000 and soar over to Indigo Short Hills for Potter-themed activities inspired by the Triwizard Tournament.
Saturday, February 8
Valentines for Your Tweet-Heart
Trenton
Get crafty at the New Jersey State Museum—think handmade valentines with a bird theme. In the middle ages, people thought birds mated in mid-February and they’ve been associated with the holiday ever since.
Lunar New Year Celebration
Princeton
Hit the Princeton University Art Museum to celebrate the year of the rat with activities, dance, music and traditional Chinese dishes.
Sunday, February 9
Migrating Birds and Chocolate! What’s the Connection?
Harding Twp.
Naturalist Dorothy Smullen will explain where birds spend the winter, plus the importance of keeping refuges for migration. There’ll also be chocolate—and an interesting connection.
Monday, February 10
Makerspace
Hoboken
Spend some time with your lil’ ones at the Hoboken Library’s MakerSpace, where they can test out tools like the Makerbot 3-D printer, 3-D modeling software, Circuit Maker kit, Rainbow Loom and more.
Wednesday, February 12
Valentine’s Day Craft & Celebration
Monroe Twp.
Ages 6-8 can hang out at the Monroe Twp. Library for bingo, a Valentine’s Day craft and snack.
Friday-Saturday, February 14-15
Small Explorers Series
Trenton
Drop by the New Jersey State Museum with your lil’ ones 6 months to age 5 for stories, crafts and playtime. This month’s theme is Freedom Rings. Registration required.
Saturday, February 22
STEM Academy
Allentown
Head to Kiddie Academy for a free exploration of science, technology, engineering and math. Ages 2-6 can work on age-appropriate activities, no skills required. Registration required.
Free Kids Expo
Westfield
Stop by the Westfield YMCA for inflatables, carnival games, arts and crafts, sports class stations, a dance academy and more.
Art for Families: Play Ball
Princeton
Hit the Princeton University Art Museum with the kids to learn about one of the world’s first teams and find inspiration from the ancient Mayans while creating your own headdress.
Sunday, February 23
Bejewel & Style Hair Workshop
Montclair
Bring your 5-and-uppers to the Eclectic Chic Boutique to learn techniques for styling and bejeweling hair, for both special events and everyday looks. Hair accessories will be made by local artists and refreshments will be served.
Tuesday, February 25
IHOP National Pancake Day
Multiple locations
Stop by your local IHOP for a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes. Diners are asked to leave a donation for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital and other local charities in exchange.
Saturday, February 29
Discover Family Engineering Day
Phillipsburg
Celebrate National Engineers Week by building a Rube Goldberg machine, notorious for its ability for making simple tasks more complex. Registration required.
Dr. Seuss’ Birthday at Target
Multiple locations
Target stores around the Garden State will celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday with giveaways, activities and a read-along of Happy Birthday to You! every 30 minutes from 10-11:30 am.
Leap Day Craft
Toms River
Kids can spend some time in Spark’s Lab at the Toms River Branch Library to make a frog craft in honor of this year’s extra day.
Ongoing
Children’s Nature Hour
Barnegat
Hit Cloverdale Farm on select Saturdays with kiddos ages 5-12 for indoor programs designed to introduce your kiddos to the natural world. Each week has a different theme, from groundhogs (Feb. 1) to winter birds (Feb. 8) and hibernation (Feb. 22) to leap into nature (Feb. 29).
Live Animal Talks
Beachwood
Head to the Nature Center at Jakes Branch County Park every Sunday for an up close and personal peek at the park’s inhabitants, then learn about each of the park’s species.
Looking for more free things to do in February? Check out our calendar.
# free things to do in February