Looking for things to do in NJ this weekend with your kids? Head to Montclair to a DIY Mini Valentines Wreath Workshop with your little love, or get ready for spring with games, activities and a campfire at the Watershed Institute’s Groundhog Day Celebration in Pennington. If you want to wow the kids, take them to UCPAC in Rahway for Champions of Magic, where five illusionists will dazzle your family with elaborate tricks. And there’s no shortage of maple sugaring activities around the state, from Tenafly Nature Center to Echo Hill playground.
If you want to stay inside, take a look at our favorite indoor activities. To experience the great outdoors, we found some awesome activities the kids will love. Got a bunch of younger kids to entertain? We’ve got activities that cater just to them, plus free events for the whole fam. Check out our calendar for events near you, or browse things to do in NJ this weekend by county below.
ALL WEEKEND
17th Annual Antique Toy Train Show
Deptford
Stop by the Museum of American History for the last weekend of this annual show. These trains hail from the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s and will race across two different platforms between Vintage Plasticville buildings from the ’50s and other displays.
$4/adults, $3/kids
Free Museum Days
Multiple locations
It’s the first weekend of the month, which means Bank of America cardholders can get one free admission to museums across the US. For NJ, that includes Garden State Discovery Museum, Liberty Science Center, Morris Museum, Montclair Art Museum, Wheaton Arts & Cultural Center and Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art.
Free
The Wiz of Oz
South Orange
Take your kids down the Yellow Brick Road at South Orange Middle School and listen to Dorothy’s tales from Kansas and back.
$15-25
FRIDAY (JANUARY 31)
Friday Night with Hamilton
Union
Your tweens and teens don’t want to throw away their shot to celebrate their favorite musical—and the man behind it all—at Liberty Hall Museum. Ages 11-15 can learn about Alexander Hamilton, work on colonial crafts, play tavern games and have an epic showdown similar to “Cabinet Battle #1” from the Broadway show.
$25
SATURDAY (FEBRUARY 1)
Viva MOMIX
Morristown
Head to MPAC for a performance that weaves dance, outrageous costumes, props and music to create a multimedia experience that feels like a fantasy world. Designed to astonish and enchant, this show combines lighting, imagery and choreography to keep you at the edge of your seat.
$26-59
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Branchburg
Ages 6-12 can learn the history behind the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” which slaves used to sing while traveling on foot from Alabama to Canada to freedom. Kids will discover the Big Dipper and follow a family trying to escape oppression.
$10
DIY Mini Valentines Wreath Workshop
Montclair
Hit the Eclectic Chic Boutique with your 6-and-uppers to make two wreaths using ribbons, lace, pearls, twine, wooden hearts, fabric and more. Registration required.
$30
Behind the Scenes Tour
Point Pleasant Beach
Take a tour of Jenkinson’s Aquarium and learn what happens behind closed doors—and in tanks—from the keepers themselves. Registration required.
$20/adults, $14/kids
Radical Rocketeers
Hackettstown
Bring your family to the Warren County Library to learn about and build rockets. Supplies will be provided. Registration required.
Free
The Color Purple
New Brunswick
Grab a babysitter and head to the State Theatre for a stage performance of the classic novel and film, which follows a young woman living in the American South accompanied by a score of jazz, gospel, ragtime and the blues.
$40-98
Groundhog Day Celebration
Pennington
Head to the Watershed Institute to hang with Watershed Wally the Woodchuck and celebrate the impending spring. The kids will learn about groundhogs, hike to a groundhog hole, play a hibernation game and try to chuck wood using a catapult or trebuchet. Before you leave, warm up by the campfire and dig into some treats.
$5/person
SUNDAY (FEBRUARY 2)
Maple Sugaring
Tenafly
Learn how to identify a maple tree and the history behind syrup at Tenafly Nature Center. Then, check out tapped trees and boil sap to make fresh syrup for tasting.
$10/non-member, $30/non-member family; $5/member, $15/member family
Champions of Magic
Rahway
If your kids love being amazed, this show at UCPAC is for them. Five illusionists will perform incredible feats, like escaping from Houdini’s impossible torture cell, levitating above the stage and making incredible predictions.
$22+
Maple Sap Collection
Flemington
Bundle up and head to Echo Hill Playground with your family to find a sugar bush, then watch the whole maple syrup process from removing sap to cooking it on the stove.
$3
ONGOING
Angry Birds Universe Exhibit
Jersey City
Take your little ones to shoot at life-size Angry Birds with massive slingshots. Ends April 19.
$30-35
Mega Model Trains
Morristown
Through February 29, head to the Morris Museum where you and the kids can learn the importance of railroads through hands-on activities.
Included with admission
Aerosol: Graffiti
Morristown
Through March 15, view an exhibition at the Morris Museum centered around graffiti and street art from 12 established artists whose works are displayed directly on the museum walls.
Free/members, $7-10/non-members
FIND MORE THINGS TO DO IN NJ THIS WEEKEND
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