It may be freezing, but there are plenty of fun activities to keep you and your family moving both outdoors and in. Listen to the Gingerbread Man story and decorate cookies at Terhune Orchards Read & Explore: Gingerbread Man in Princeton, find out what happens during Abandon Ship Day on the Battleship NJ in Camden, or catch one of the last weekends to see the Bergen County Zoo all lit up at Let It Glow: A Lantern Spectacular in Paramus. For more things to do with the fam, check out our guide to free stuff to do this month.
Featured Photo Credit: taken at The Battleship New Jersey
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(Note: Since COVID-19 rules and regulations are continually changing, it’s best to check ahead for in-person events)
Terhune Orchards Read & Explore: Gingerbread Man
January 18 and 22 at 10 AM
Visit Terhune Orchards to listen to “The Gingerbread Man” and then decorate a gingerbread man cookie to take home. Kids will be surprised to hear how many gingerbread man ingredients come directly from the farm.
Cost: $10 per participating child; preregistration is required.
330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 924-2310
National Maternal Health Awareness Day: Positive Pandemic Pregnancies
January 19 at 1 PM
Learn about the importance of prenatal care, how to keep mom and baby well amid COVID-19, what to do if you test COVID positive, wellness care, the benefits of breastfeeding, and where to find online support.
Cost: Free
Virtual
Contact: Sophia Viamonte, RN-BSN, International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant
Sponsoring Facility: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset and offered in collaboration with Friends Health Connection
Guided Nature Hike
January 20, 23, at 12:30 PM
Celebrate the winter season on a 1.5-2 mile guided nature hike for ages 8 and older. Make sure to dress for the weather, and you can bring Fido too (as long as he’s on a leash).
Cost: Free; call on the day of the event to check for weather cancellation.
Cheesequake State Park, Trailhead Parking area, 287 State Park Road, Matawan, NJ 07747
(732) 566-3208
Scoop on Sloths at Jenkinson’s Aquarium
January 21 from 5:30 PM- 6 PM
Two-toed sloths spend most of their lives hanging upside down from trees. Meet Wally, the sloth, and find out why they do that and more. And right before the program, you can visit the aquarium on your own first, starting at 5 PM.
Cost: $30 Adults (13 years and up), $20 Children (Ages 5 – 12); pre-registration and payment is required.
300 Ocean Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
(732) 892-0600
Abandon Ship! at the Battleship NJ
January 22 at 9 AM
The whole family can take a guided tour of the Big J and learn what happens when the ship faces catastrophic damage. You’ll find challenges all over, including how to shore a door, stop flooding, and find a life raft. Kids will also love trying on a World War II-era life jacket and helmet.
Cost: $5 donation
62 Battleship Place, Camden, NJ 08103
(866) 877-6262 x108
Nature on the Move – Winter Days: Adaptations – How Do Animals Stay Warm in the Winter?
January 22 at 3 PM
Keep an eye out for the Nature on the Move van, where the whole family can experience a hands-on interactive program at Turkey Swamp Park. Learn how nature survives the winter through fun games and activities.
200 Georgia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728
(732) 462-7286
King George’s Winter Walk
Now – February 22
Run, walk, or roll 22 miles at your own pace through Washington’s Birthday (February 22). This walk is open for all ages. Return a completed walker’s log by March 1 to enter a lottery for a Washington’s Birthday surprise.
Cost: Donations appreciated
Virtual
(908) 725-1015
Let it Glow: A Lantern Spectacular
Now-January 30, Thursday through Sunday starting at 4 PM
Take an enchanting stroll through the Bergen County Zoo to see over 30 scenes of handmade delight and the animals that live there. After, hop aboard the train for more scenic views.
Cost: $15 for adults, $7.50 for children, under 2 is free
216 Forest Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652
(201) 634-3112
Grounds For Sculpture Night Forms
Now-February 27, select dates at 5 PM
Glowing trees, sounds, art—it’s a multi-sensory experience at Grounds For Sculpture. Night Forms: dreamloop by Klip Collective takes place after hours, and it is a combination of video projection, light, sound, and storytelling.
Cost: $14 and up
80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton Township, NJ 08619
(609) 586-0616
Harbaugh Village
Tuesdays-Sundays in January and February
Head to an adorable winter wonderland featuring live bands, firepits, igloo rentals, skating, sleigh rides, and more packed with family fun. A part of the proceeds supports Harbaugh House, a foundation that helps displaced families with the resources and tools they need to get back on their feet.
Cost: Tuesday-Wednesday $5 Thursday- Sunday $10, ice skating, igloos, and fire pits areas are extra
174 Route 77 Mullica Hill, NJ 08062
info@harbaughvillage.org
Morris County Winter Farmers’ Market – Grow It Green
Now-March 27 (except December 26) at 9:30 AM
The Morris County Winter Farmers’ Market features more than 20 farmers and local food vendors to develop a local food system that patrons can eat locally and seasonally. There will be freshly grown produce, farm-raised beef, pork and poultry and fresh seafood, baked goods, farm eggs, and so much more.
Cost: Free
Convent Train Station, Convent Road, Morris Township, NJ 07960
Now–into Winter 2022
Wrap yourself in the warmth of the season as the grounds of Cape May’s only Victorian House Museum—the Emlen Physick Estate—will be lit up and glowing all winter. Take a self-guided walk on the grounds and view these fun and whimsical display of winter’s past.
Cost: Free
1048 Washington Street, Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-5404
RWJBarnabas Health: Virtual Cooking Classes for Kids
Dates and 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 or try My First Cooking Class in Hannah’s Kitchen, a beginning cooking class for 4-7-year-olds.
Cost: Free
RWJBarnabas, Virtual
(973) 926-7371
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