This Presidents’ Day weekend, plan some fun activities for the kids while they’re off from school. Eat some mac & cheese at a comfort food fest, pair Girl Scout cookies with milk (or beer, if you’re old enough) or count birds in your backyard.
WEEKEND
PAW Patrol CAMP
Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus
Thursday – Monday (closed Sunday)
To celebrate PAW Patrol kids can join their favorite animated K9 rescue team in different themed sections that include interactive games, activities and crafts based on the show. Final weekend!
Mountain Creek Resort
200 Rte. 94, Vernon
Thursday – Monday
This awesome ski resort is open daily for winter family fun. Weekend activities include skiing, snowboarding, SNO-Go biking and snowtubing. There are 167 acres of winter trails, four mountain peaks, eight lifts and three dedicated terrain parks.
Big SNOW American Dream
1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford
Thursday – Monday
If you prefer indoor winter fun, you’ll find on-snow experiences within a 180,000-square-foot, 16-story climate-controlled ski slope. It boasts 4 acres of snow-covered slopes, a 160-foot vertical drop, and 1,000 feet of length for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and skill levels.
Girl Scout Cookie Pairings
Iron Hill Brewery, Maple Shade and Voorhees Twp.
Friday – Sunday
The kids are welcome to pair three types of Girl Scouts cookies with regular milk or chocolate milk. If you’re over 21, you’ll be treated to seven pairings of cookies with beers produced at the brewery.
Wine & Chocolate Weekend
Terhune Orchards, Princeton
Saturday – Sunday
Continue to celebrate Valentine’s Day by tasting chocolate baked goods homemade from Terhune’s own bakery, along with their award-winning wines. With 16 varieties of wines, adults can enjoy a wide array of vino. There will also be chocolates from Pierre’s Chocolates of New Hope, PA.
FRIDAY
Teen Night: Valentine
The Newark Museum of Art, Newark
Teens will dance during a silent disco. During Teen Night, they also create art, listen to music, capture the moment in a photo booth, dance, win raffles, enjoy refreshments and meet new people.
Baby It’s Cold Outside Soup and Wine Pairing
Tomasello Winery, Hammonton
The best way to warm up during winter is to pair a hot bowl of soup with a nice glass of wine.
SATURDAY
Mac + Cheese Mayhem
Morristown Armory, Morristown
Indulge in everyone’s favorite comfort food by sampling various types of mac & cheese from different vendors. Vote for your favorite for the Mac Daddy Award. There will also be music, beer, margaritas and sangria available for purchase; vendors; kids activities; hatchet throwing; a petting zoo; face painting; and sand art.
STATEN ISLAND’S CHILDREN MUSEUM / Read to a Therapy Dog
Practice Reading with a Pooch
Staten Island’s Children’s Museum, Staten Island, NY
Therapy dogs provide a non-judgmental environment for kids to read. Bring your own book or choose one that’s there and tell a tale to a furry friend.
Black History Month Reading Event
McDonald’s, Neptune City
Bring your kids to hear books read by Black authors, teachers, police officers, principals and nurses. They will also be giving out 50 tote bags, books and Happy Meal cards.
Mike’s Seafood Run/Walk for Autism
Excursion Park, Sea Isle City
After the run/walk, head to the headed tent for live music, magicians, face painting, an awards ceremony and prizes.
Sensory-Friendly Tour of Macculloch Hall Historical Museum
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, Morristown
If you have kids or teens with any type of neurodiversity, this tour will give them plenty to touch and time for questions. Explore the new garden sensory pathway through sight, sound, touch and smell.
The Great Backyard Bird Count
Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary, Bernardsville
You’ll learn how you can be part of a citizen science project that counts birds in the wild, and how to apply what you learn to your own backyard the next day. Loaner binoculars will be available as you all count the birds at the Scherman Hoffman feeders.
A Night Under the Stars
Plainsboro Preserve, Cranbury
Kids will learn about the night sky, using telescopes to look out yonder. They will enjoy storytelling and hot chocolate as well.
South Jersey Card Show
Cherry Hill East High School, Cherry Hill
Over 30 of the area’s best card vendors will be selling modern and vintage sports cards and memorabilia, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, WWE, Funko Pop and more.
Winter Beach Blast
Ocean County Mall, Toms River
Reps from radio station B 98.5 and the Ocean County Parks and Recreation will present crafts, interactive tables, the world’s largest Twister game and your chance to win awesome B985 swag and prizes.
The ABCs of Honeybees
New Jersey Botanical Garden, Ringwood
You and your kids will learn about the vital world of honeybees and beekeeping, and their fascinating life story and important role in pollination. Stay to walk around the beautiful woodlands of the gardens.
The Great Backyard Bird Count
The New Weis Center for Education, Arts & Recreation, Ringwood
There will be two sessions held today to count birds on the property so that data can be used by scientists to determine bird populations around the world. Your kids in grades 6-9 can come earlier, while anyone is welcome to join the afternoon count.
Intro to Primitive Fire Making
The New Weis Center for Education, Arts & Recreation, Ringwood
In this program, you’ll cover topics ranging from scouting a proper location, proper material collection, structure building and fire safety. You will even have the opportunity to work with the bow drill fire-making method, as well as a few other primitive methods, including ferro rods, commonly referred to as flint and steel.​ Open to ages 8+.
SUNDAY
Guided House Tour: Eyewitness to Black History
Crane House & Historic YWCA, Montclair
Explore 200 years of Black history in Montclair and New Jersey through rare firsthand accounts, primary and secondary source documents and artifacts. You’ll get to see a bill of sale for an enslaved person in the household, an 1800s newspaper, an 1840s New York Knickerbocker magazine, census data, personal letters, oral histories, and mid-century Jet and Ebony magazines.
Family Woodland Hike
New Jersey Botanical Garden, Ringwood
Make sure the kids are wearing sturdy shoes and pack a light backpack for this easy hike through the beautiful woodlands of the gardens.
Mardi Gras Celebration
Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum, Morristown
You’ll be dancing in the aisles or in your seat while listening to Thaddeus Expose’s NOLA celebration.
ShopRite Kidz Cook
Staten Island Children’s Museum, Staten Island, NY
Young cooks will practice their cooking skills (along with the help of their favorite caregiver) and learn how to make a new and fun dish in each class.
MONDAY
Stained Glass Craft
Museum of Early Trades & Crafts, Madison
Kids of all ages are invited to participate in making stained glass hearts. These beautiful and bright designs will be made using a variety of materials.
Princess Phooey
TADA! Youth Theater, New York
Princess Phooey is not your typical princess. She doesn’t want to curtsy, smile or be rescued by a prince because she can rescue herself, and she would rather run around with the chambermaids and the stable boys. Her older sister Elessia, along with the Good Fairies, try to make Phooey into what they consider a proper princess, while Morbidia has other plans for them all. Kids will be entertained during this original musical.
ONGOING
“The Stinky Cheese Man” And Other Fairly Stupid Tales
Brookdale Community College Performing Arts Center, Lincroft
Select dates, February 17 – 26
Your kids will get a kick out of seeing these classic children’s stories come to life.
Hip Hop Cinderella
New Victory Theater, New York
Thursday – Sunday
These performances are a new take on the classic tale, reimagined to incorporate hip-hop dance, rap and pop music, arriving in time for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
Princess Phooey
TADA! Youth Theater, New York
Fridays – Sundays, through Feb. 26
Princess Phooey is not your typical princess. Her older sister Elessia, along with the Good Fairies, try to make Phooey into what they consider a proper princess, while Morbidia has other plans for them all.
Intrepid Kids Week 2023
Intrepid Museum, New York
February 18 – 25
Children will learn about STEAM through fun-filled activities, live animal shows, hands-on workshops, performances, special guests and interactive demonstrations. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will highlight their latest moon habitat concepts, technology and planetary mission plans, and NASA’s Artemis Team will speak about sending astronauts to the Moon and Mars. Kids can also meet Astronaut Jessica Watkins and hear about her experiences in space! They can also create their own constellation, meet exotic animals, design a lunar habitat for life on the moon, make their own slime, and observe Isaac Newton’s laws of motion through a physics performance.
The Chocolate Makery Experience
Jewish Children’s Museum, Brooklyn, NY
Every day, through Feb. 22
Kids will take part in a five-sense experience related to chocolate. They will harvest pods, grind the cocoa and then make their own creation.
Bergen County’s Winter Wonderland
Van Saun County Park, Paramus
Every day, through Feb. 24
Lace up your skates for open skating time on the rink, or pop into a huge tube for the Ice Bumper Cars.
Legends of the Night Sky: Orion
Alice and Leonard Dreyfuss Planetarium, Newark Museum of Art, Newark
Saturdays, through Feb. 25
Explore the myths and legends of one of the most visible constellations in the winter night sky: Orion, the Hunter. This fun-filled, animated production based on Greek mythology is great for kids 6+.
Experience the Aurora
Alice and Leonard Dreyfuss Planetarium, Newark Museum of Art, Newark
Saturdays, through Feb. 25
See nature’s most stunning light show as the winter sky comes to life before your eyes. This immersive show, filmed over the course of seven months in the Arctic Circle, features spectacular views of the northern lights and examines the science behind it. Great for kids 12 and older.
Kids Baking Projects
Kid Chef Nette, Plainsboro
Fridays and Saturdays, through Feb. 25
Kids can bake empanadas, make Valentine’s cookie balls, taste Oreo ice cream chocolate cake or try their hand at tiramisu during these baking classes designed specially for them.
Family Sundays at the Nature Center
Tulpehaking Nature Center, Hamilton Twp.
Select Sundays, through Feb. 26
Each weekend will have a different theme, including sharing stories by the fireside, taking care of some animals and making nature crafts.
The Golden Girls Kitchen Pop-Up
Fulton Street, New York
Select dates, through Feb. 26
Immerse yourself in the world of the iconic comedy show, dining in the girls’ kitchen and visiting other memorable sets from the show including the Rusty Anchor Bar where you can order cocktails and mocktails, a full kitchen and lots of photo ops. There’s also a drag brunch on certain Sundays.
Skating on the Square
Hulfish Street, Princeton
Thursdays – Sundays, through Feb. 26
Bring your own skates or rent them so you can spend time skating on the synthetic ice skating rink in the middle of Palmer Square.
Vintner Wonderland
Renault Winery, Egg Harbor City
Through Feb. 26
Go ice skating or shopping, wine & dine, and enjoy live entertainment. During Christmastime, meet Santa Claus and see the Festival of Trees. The Reindeer Fun Run is Dec. 17. Book a fire pit experience or a private cabana.
Wine & Chocolate Wine Trail
Multiple Locations
Through Feb. 28
Various wineries and vineyards in South Jersey will offer special wine and chocolate pairings.
BATMAN x SPYSCAPE
928 8th Ave., New York
Through March 1
Your teens will love this experience, mostly because it involves a phone app and lots of texting! You’ll be transported into the heart of Gotham City where you’ll have to become your own superhero to solve the mystery! You’ll infiltrate an underworld organization and figure out who is responsible for the kidnappings.
International Juried Exhibition
The Contemporary Center for Art, Bedminster
Through March 3
Juror Esteban del Valle has selected 53 contemporary works representing a broad range of mediums. This is free to attend, so your whole family can indulge in the beauty of art.
Danielle Scott: Kinfolk
Harold B. Lemmerman Gallery, Jersey City
Weekdays, through March 3
This exhibition presents the artist’s dedication to social commentary and ancestral storytelling. This collection integrates photographs, delicate papers, reprinted documents, fabrics and objects to create layered portraits of the lineage of Black families across generations. It’s appropriate for the whole family to view.
“Passing Strange”
Vanguard Theater Company, Montclair
Select dates, through March 5
This 2008 Tony Award-winning comedy-drama is an autobiographical rock musical about a young African American’s artistic journey of self-discovery, with elements of philosophical existentialism, metafiction and the artistic journey. It’s a good lesson for kids 13+.
Soul of African American Art
Mayo Performing Arts Center, Morristown
Through March 5
The all-new exhibit featuring 58 selected works of art by 31 artists celebrating African American culture will be for sale.
Maple Sugaring Demos
Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center, Chatham Twp.
Saturdays and Sundays, through March 5
Learn how to identify and tap maple trees, collect sap and make real maple syrup over a wood-fired evaporator. Finish with a syrup taste test!
Winter Walking Club
Plainsboro Preserve, Cranbury
Fridays, through March 10
Grab your winter attire and join the preserve’s manager for a free winter walk.
Junior Historians Club: Winter Session
Historic Wicoff House Museum, Plainsboro
Saturdays, through March 18
Kids ages 6-10 learn about historic preservation through fun and immersive activities. Each member receives a JHC notebook and T-shirt.
Roller Skating
Cape May Convention Hall, Cape May
Fridays – Sundays, through March 26 (except Feb. 18 and 19)
The rink is open for family skating, but you can also plan a birthday party or special event on the weekends.
Après-Ski
Auburn Road Vineyards, Pilesgrove
Every day, through March 31
Après-Ski means after skiing, and although there is no ski resort here, you can still take in winter in all its glory by sipping a glass of wine and eating tableside s’mores by the fire pits. There are movie nights every Thursday – Sunday.
Winter Market
Convent Train Station, Morris Twp.
Sundays, through April
Grow it Green Morristown holds a winter farmers market every Sunday through April. There are selections of fresh locally grown produce and microgreens, farm raised meat and eggs, seafood, fresh baked goods, artisan bread and cheese, mushrooms, honey, syrups, sauces, seasonal items, specialty ethic items, prepared food and probiotic drinks. There will be food trucks on site, plus wares by local artisans.
Winter Stargazing
Edelman Planetarium at Rowan University, Glassboro
Saturdays, through April 1
Listen as educators share the ancient stories of the constellations, take you on a journey to distant planets and stars, and share the latest space news and discoveries. You’ll see something new each time you visit, plus you will learn how to discover the night skies from your own backyard.
Night Forms: Infinite Wave
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Twp.
Select dates, through April 2
This after-hours, multi-sensory light and sound experience uses projection mapping that enhances the art and sculpture park, creating a dynamic show to stimulate the senses.
Trail Riding Program
Mercer Meadows Equestrian Center, Pennington
Saturdays, through mid-May
Kids (and adults) 12 and up can go on a leisurely 45-minute horseback trail ride around the Mercer Stables property. No riding experience is necessary. You must book in advance.
The FRIENDS Experience: The One Near Philadelphia
King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia
Through May 29
Sit on the big orange couch at Central Perk, hang out in Joey and Chandler’s apartment, sit at Rachel and Monica’s kitchen table and read the 18-page letter – front and back – at this awesome experience that brings the Friends set to you!
Growing in the Garden
Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, Morristown
Second Saturday of the month, through June
This hands-on art program for children age 4 and older and their caregivers includes a story, a visit to MHHM’s gardens, and an art project.
Disney 100: The Exhibition
The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Through August 27
Disney fans will love this behind-the-scenes look at their favorite characters, movies and theme parks. Walk through 10 different galleries that will immerse you in sight, sound and touch.
Thomas and Friends Explore the Rails
Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
Through September 4
Kids can learn, play and solve problems while finding themselves in locations from the beloved TV series. Younger kids can practice counting objects, comparing sizes and learning colors. Older kids can practice their math skills, learn basic engineering concepts, discover science ideas through play, and see how technology works to keep engines running.
This weekend, take the kids to see the wild cuties at the Lakota Wolf Preserve. For more adventure, RPM Raceway in Jersey City is offering specials for Presidents Day.
