It’s Valentine’s Day this weekend, so give your crew some love this week with a bunch of kid-friendly activities to do together. Cook up sweet V-Day treats virtually or in-person with Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit, pick up homemade chocolates and other gifts for your Valentine at Bell Works in Holmdel, or celebrate an old-fashioned Valentine’s Day with a snowy horse and carriage ride at Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell.
feature image via @bellmarketnj
Psst! We love seeing your social-distancing New Jersey adventures. Be sure to tag your photos with #NJMOM and @njmom for a chance to be featured in our round-up next week.
Winter StoryWalk
February 10th – February 14th
Take advantage of a pretty winter day and head over to the Thielke Arboretum on this self-guided, outdoor story walk, “Big Snow” by Johnathan Bean. Littles will love exploring (illustrated pages are posted in sequence throughout the walk) and listening to you read aloud this tale about every child’s excitement when it begins to snow.
Free
The Thielke Arboretum
460 Doremus Avenue
Glen Rock
Cooking Valentine’s Treats at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum (virtual or in-person option)
February 10th, from 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Get into the Valentine’s Day spirit with a fresh-baked treat made with love. Your kids (ages 5-10 recommended) can make delicious Valentine’s sweets to share with the entire fam. Join a socially-distant onsite class at the Arboretum, or pick up the ingredients kit and virtually follow along from home.
$35 per person for non-members, $25 per person for members
Reeves-Reed Arboretum
165 Hobart Avenue
Summit
Valentine’s Day Pop-Up Market
February 10th from 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
The whole family can shop for Valentine’s Day gifts at this special pop-up market. Browse over 40 different artisans, food purveyors, and makers for unique gifts like jewelry, handmade soaps, chocolates, and bakery treats, while listening to live music.
Free
Bell Works
101 Crawfords Corner Road
Holmdel
Year of the Golden Ox Virtual Celebration
February 11th – February 13th
Celebrate the Lunar New Year at home, as the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company takes you on a virtual journey. Performing artists from the company will usher in the year of the Golden Ox with traditional dances and skillful crafts.
Free
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
Virtual
Safe @ Home
February 11th from 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Have a kid or two in grades 4-6? Sign them up for this free online program for kids that teaches them how to practice safe habits, prevent unsafe situations, and what to do when faced with dangers such as power failures or weather emergencies. Kids will also learn about the Safe Sitter® First Aid Chart, a system to help them assess and respond to injuries and illnesses.
Free
Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health
Virtual
Virtual Valentine’s Day Origami
February 11th from 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Kids of all ages (and parents too) will have fun seeing a plain piece of paper transform into a beautiful V-Day symbol during this virtual origami class offered by the Bergen County Library. You can give your finished product to someone you love, or keep it as a souvenir.
Free
Bergen County Library
Virtual
Virtual Family Photography Workshop
February 13th from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Looking to give your ‘gram photos an update? This virtual photography workshop will teach you all the basics with your phone. There will also be a digital scavenger hunt you can complete if you stop by Grounds for Sculpture.
$20 per person for non-members, $10 per person for non-members, $5 per child
Grounds for Sculpture
Virtual
Old-Fashioned Valentine’s Day
February 13th from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Take a trip back in time with this rustic Valentine’s Day celebration with a ride in a two-seater sleigh or a bobsled pulled by the farm’s beautiful horses. After, warm-up with a bowl of homemade soup while the kids make a unique Valentine’s Day craft.
Free
Howell Living History Farm
70 Woodens Lane
Hopewell
Celebrating Carnival
February 13th from 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Gather around the laptop and celebrate Carnival with its traditions, music, and food. Littles will love learning dance moves and listening to storytime, older kids will be in awe of watching a demonstration of Venetian plaster mask making, and you can all follow along with the demonstrations for making classic Carnival street foods at home.
The Newark Museum
Virtual
Show Us Your Heart
February 14th, 11:30 AM – 2 PM
Get the whole family together to visit the town’s “matchmaker” to pick up your numbered heart, and then head downtown on a scavenger hunt in Point Pleasant Beach. On this journey, you’ll search for your heart’s pair, which you will see in a participating store’s window. Once you find your match, present it to the local business and receive a Valentine’s Day prize. Pre-register for this event by February 10th.
Borden’s Parking Lot
Point Pleasant Beach
Let It Shine
February 15th – March 1st
This powerful virtual production will introduce younger audiences to poignant events and notable names of the Civil Rights Movement, such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Brown v. Board of Education, Rosa Parks, and more. This production will bring to life the people and monumental changes of this historical era through stories and songs.
Free
Middletown Public Library
Virtual
