It’s Mother’s Day weekend, the weather is getting warmer, and there’s plenty to entertain the family this week, inside and out. Take online Cooking Classes for Kids with RWJBarnabas Health, jump the afternoon away at the Food Truck & Inflatable Village Festival in Union, or spend the weekend with animals and tractor rides on the farm while feasting on a Mother’s Day Farm To Table Brunch at Alstede Farms in Chester. And for more ways to celebrate moms and all they do, check out our 22 Things To Do For Mother’s Day 2021.
Become an NJMOM Insider! For all the best things to do with your family around New Jersey, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter delivered right to your inbox each week, and don’t forget to tag your photos #NJMOM and @njmom for a chance to be featured on our social media.
Looking to celebrate mom? Check out our guide to 22 Things To Do For Mother’s Day 2021
Gather the whole family to shop, followed by a skate at the rink for Mother’s Day at American Dream, take a scenic boat ride on Tuckerton Creek at the Tuckerton Seaport, or brunch and sip chardonnay among the vines at Tomasello Winery. Scroll down for more ways to celebrate —and make memories this Mother’s Day (and check out our NJMOM guide for gift hints too).
Mother’s Day Farm To Table Brunch with Alstede Farms
May 8 and 9 reserved seating times
Fruits, salads, a carving station, and breakfast and lunch options will keep mom and the family full and happy during this special farm-to-table brunch where you’ll dine with views of the farm. After the meal, take a tractor-drawn wagon ride, visit the farm animals, or climb the hay bale pyramids.
Cost: $149.99 for a table of four or $229.99 for a table of six
Alstede Farms
1 Alstede Farms Ln, Chester, NJ 07930
(908) 879-7189
RWJBarnabas Health: Cooking Classes for Kids
May 4, 5, 8 times vary depending on the program
Kids of all ages will love cooking up healthy treats in these virtual hands-on cooking classes (adult supervision required during class): Try Healthy Kids in Hannah’s Kitchen for kids 8-12, where they’ll learn to use a recipe, cook with nutritious ingredients, and utilize kitchen basics. Taste Testers in Hannah’s Kitchen is a Mommy and Me style class for 2-4-year-olds; Kids In the Kitchen is for ages 6+ for cooking Mother’s Day treats; My First Cooking Class is for ages 4-7 where kids will learn to cook up veggies in a fun and interactive way.
Cost: Free
RWJBarnabas
Virtual
(973) 926-7371
The Casual Birder
May 4 at 9 AM
Join a Park System Naturalist for a laid-back morning bird walk at the Manasquan Reservoir, Howell. You don’t need to be an expert at identifying birds to enjoy this walk, which will observe and scout out birds in the area. A limited number of binoculars will be available on a first-come basis.
Cost: Free
Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center
311 Georgia Tavern Road, Howell, NJ 07731
(732) 751-9453
Mother’s Day Walk at Tenafly Nature Center
May 9 from 10 AM – 12 PM
Celebrate Mother’s Day with the help of an expert- what more do you need than beautiful flowers and a relaxing woodland walk to feel pampered? This two-hour walk also provides a pretty photo opportunity for the family to commemorate this memorable holiday.
Cost: $8 per non-member, $5 per member
Tenafly Nature Center
313 Hudson Avenue, Tenafly, NJ 07690
(201) 568-6093
Martin Z. Mollusk Day
May 8 from 11 AM – 12 PM
Head to the beach to take part in Ocean City’s version of Groundhog Day. Their crustacean mascot Martin Z. Mollusk will be out on the sand, hoping to see his shadow and find out if summer will come a week early.
Cost: Free
Ninth Street Beach
Ninth Street Beach, Ocean City, NJ 08226
(609) 399-1412
Sheep Shearing Demonstration
May 8 from 10 AM – 4 PM
Kids can see some fluffy friends at the farm’s sheep shearing demonstration. There’ll be lessons on sheep shearing and herding, wool spinning and weaving demonstrations, and they will bring out border collies for herding demonstrations. After, kids can join in making a small craft to bring home.
Cost: Free (there will be a small fee if you choose to do the childrens’ craft program)
Howell Living History Farm
70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell, NJ 08530
(609) 737-3299
Plant a Sunflower at Historic Longstreet Farm
May 8 from 12 PM – 2:30 PM
Be a part of planting a sunflower in the field of Longstreet Farm and then return in the fall to harvest your own sunflower.
Cost: Free
Historic Longstreet Farm
44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733
(732) 946-3758
Vintage Baseball
May 8 from 1 PM – 3 PM
Learn what it was like to watch a baseball game in the 19th century, live and in person. The Monmouth Furnace Boys will be playing an entirely vintage baseball game, with appropriate uniforms, rules, and terms for the time period.
Cost: Free
Holmdel Park
44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733
(732) 946-9562
Food Truck Fest and Inflatable Village
May 8 from 2 PM – 7 PM
The township of Union will be celebrating its annual Food Truck Fest & Inflatable Village like never before—chow down at House of Cupcakes, Empanada Lady, Chilling Ice Cream, and more, while the kids can bounce around to their heart’s content. There are also live shows featuring kiddie rock and dance presentations throughout the afternoon. Masks are required.
Cost: $5 per person (free for children 5 and under)
Rabkin Park
1 Swanstrom Place East, Union, NJ 07083
(908) 686-1922
Drive-In Movie
May 8 at 8 PM
Take a trip down memory lane with the family as you cruise “back to the future.” This classic 80s movie will be playing on the big screen, and you can listen to the audio through your car speakers. Don’t forget the popcorn.
Cost: Free
Smithville Historic Park
803 Smithville Road, Eastampton, NJ 08060
(609) 265-5858
Walking Tour of “The Fight at the Point of Woods”
May 9 at 1:30 PM
Meet at the Visitor’s Center Auditorium to take a tour with the Friends of the Monmouth County Battlefield to visit the scene of fierce fighting during the Revolutionary War at the Point of Woods.
Cost: Free
Monmouth County Battlefield
16 Highway 33-BR, Manalapan, NJ 07726
(609) 448-6355
Let’s Get Growing For Kids: Regrow Your Leftovers
May 8 from 9:30 AM – 11 AM
This workshop will teach littles about the benefits of composting and recycling at a young age because it’s never too early to learn. Kids will learn about growing new food from scraps of old vegetables, like celery or onions, and they can practice their newfound skills at home.
Cost: $25 per person for non-members, $15 per person for members
Reeves-Reed Arboretum
165 Hobart Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901
(908) 273-8787
Story Pirates’ Virtual Sleep Squad
May 9
SLEEP SQUAD will turn your home into a space where your kids can be sent off to sleep in a creative, fun way. Kids will become members of the Sleep Squad, a group of the world’s most advanced dreamers, and they can pick a co-pilot of their choice (their favorite stuffed animal, blanket, or toy) to navigate the three interactive episodes SLEEP SQUAD has to offer.
Cost: $19 per family
New Jersey Performing Arts Center
Virtual
(888) 466-5722
Looking for things to do on Mother’s Day?
Psst—want to read more posts like this? Sign up for NJMOM’s weekly newsletter, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and use #NJMOM on all your adventures around New Jersey.
