As the weather is getting better and COVID restrictions are loosening up, there are lots of family fun events this week around New Jersey. Spend the day learning how to create art out of ordinary things at the virtual Community Day at The Newark Museum of Art, go searching for dinosaur bones at Fossil Hunts at Poricy Park in Middletown Township, enjoy the Ort Farms Spring Craft Fair in Long Valley, or spend the day in the botanical gardens learning about Victorian history at Liberty Hall Museum Family Fun Day in Union. Looking for more events? Take a peek at our 45 Free Things To Do In May.
featured image via @goelizabethnj
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.
Featured Event of the Week:
Community Day—Art Extravaganza at The Newark Museum of Art
May 15 from 10:30 AM – 8 PM
The Newark Museum of Art’s Community Day celebrates the wacky side of art! Each Art Extravagant program shows the unique and wonderful ways people create. Delight in an artist who makes masterpieces out of pancake batter, step into the world of illusion makeup, or even try your hand at making unconventional art of your own. Log on for a class or all—10:30 AM: Let’s Get Messy with the Children’s Museum of Manhattan; 12 PM Painting With Pancakes; 2 PM Dress LIke A Work Of Art; 4 PM Video Drop: See It To Believe It: Makeup By Marisa; 7 PM Murals In The Brick City. For more information, visit The Newark Museum of Art’s website.
Cost: Free
The Newark Museum of Art
Virtual
(973) 596-6550
Read & Pick Program
May 11 and May 12 at 9:30 AM or 11 AM
Read & Pick combines stories and hands-on activities to show your child about farm life. This week’s theme is “Vegetables,” so staff members will read two stories about vegetables, then explain how to grow and pick them. It’s perfect for starting a kid-friendly garden of your own at home.
Cost: $10 per child
Terhune Orchards
330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 924-2310
RWJBarnabas Health: Cooking Classes for Kids
May 11 and 12 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; 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
Outdoor Adventures: Insect Cycles
May 11 from 1 PM – 4 PM
Your family will participate in a self-guided exploration of the gardens while learning about insects that hide in the surrounding nature and flowers. This session will be full of self-guided activities that everyone can get involved in.
Cost: $15 per family for non-members, free for members
Van Vleck House & Gardens
21 Van Vleck Street, Montclair, NJ 07042
(973) 744-4752
Fossil Hunts at Poricy Park
May 12 from 4 PM – 5 PM
Kids and adults will be amazed at what they find at Poricy Park Fossil Beds, where you can uncover marine fossils from 70 million years ago. After a quick orientation, an experienced guide will give you a trowel and a sifter and help you identify whatever treasures you find. Make sure to wear rubber boots or old sneakers.
Cost: $5-6 per person
Poricy Park Fossil Beds
1083 Middletown-Lincroft Rd., Middletown Township, NJ 07748
(908) 601-0988
MEGTALK Children’s Mental Health Virtual Panel Discussion with Monmouth Medical Center
May 13 at 11 AM
Pediatric specialists will discuss the impact of social isolation on children’s mental health at this Monmouth Medical Center RWJBarnabas Health MEGTALK event.
Cost: Free
Monmouth Medical Center
Virtual
(732) 923-6686
Ort Farms Spring Craft Fair
May 15 from 10 AM – 4 PM
Celebrate spring with the family with horse-drawn carriage rides, a flower planting table, and more. Check out handmade clothing, beauty products, eco-friendly products, and crafts while seeing the sights of Ort Farms.
Cost: Free
Ort Farms
25 Bartley Road, Long Valley, NJ 07853
(908) 876-3351
Garden Stories
May 15 from 10 AM – 11 AM
Join April Zay in Grounds for Sculpture’s beautiful garden for stories and sunshine. You’ll get to listen to lively storytelling while being surrounded by nature.
Cost: $5 per child, $10 per member, $20 per non-member
Grounds for Sculpture
80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, NJ 08619
(609) 586-0616
Corn Planting
May 15 from 10 AM – 4 PM
Help the farmers of Howell Living History Farm shell and grind corn for the pigs and chickens. After a hard day’s work, make your way to the farmhouse to learn how corn gets processed for baking- and sample some fresh-baked cornbread.
Cost: Free (with a small fee if you choose to do the children’s craft)
Howell Living History Farm
70 Woodens Lane, Hopewell, NJ 08530
(609) 737-3299
Springfest at Tranquillity Farms
May 15 from 11 AM – 8 PM, and May 16 from 11 AM – 3 PM
Bring the whole family to kick off the flower season by coming to Springfest at Tranquillity Farms. This event will feature live music by cover bands, plenty of food trucks, and adults and kids’ activities.
Cost: $10 per adult, $5 per youth (15 years old and under), free for infants (under 2 years old)
Tranquillity Farms
47 Decker Pond Road, Andover, NJ 07821
(908) 979-0303
Liberty Hall Museum Family Fun Day
May 15 from 11:30 AM – 1 PM
As you wander and explore the gardens of the Liberty Hall Museum, you’ll hear real stories about how flowers have been enjoyed throughout history. From fabric patterns to Victorian floriography, there’s a lot to learn.
Cost: $8 per member, $10 per non-members, $4 per additional children
Liberty Hall Museum
1003 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ
Spring For Conservation Family Picnic and BBQ at Bayonet Farm
May 15 from 3 PM – 7 PM
Bring the whole family to this fundraising picnic and bbq with Crazees Ice Cream, NJ Craft Beer & Wine, and Live Music by the Scott Elk Duo. There will be arts and crafts for kids along with miniature horses, thanks to the P.O. Ken Tietjen Memorial Foundation.
Cost: $50 per adult, kids are free (attendees who just moved to Monmouth County this past year are $10 each)
Bayonet Farm
41 Middletown Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733
(732) 671-7000
Walnford Day
May 16 from 11 AM – 5 PM
Learn how corn is ground into meal at the mill, take a tour of the Waln family home, and enjoy a ride on a horse-drawn wagon. There will be a variety of demonstrations all day.
Cost: Free
62 Walnford Road, Upper Freehold, NJ 08501
(609) 259-6275
Seashell Sunday at Bayshore Waterfront Park
May 16 from 1 PM – 2 PM
Find out everything you need to know about seashells at Bayshore Waterfront Park Activity Center and discover how to collect them without harming the environment. There will also be an assortment of crustaceans, mollusks, and other beach artifacts to see.
Cost: Free
719 Port Monmouth Road, Port Monmouth, NJ 07758
(732) 787-3033
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.
