Flowers, sunny days, and chirping birds—it’s beginning to look a lot like spring. And with a bunch of family-friendly things to do this weekend, it’s prime time to get all the spring feels. Snip tulips and snap insta-worthy photos at Holland Ridge U-Pick Tulips 2023 in Cream Ridge, see peak Cherry Blossom blooms and jump around in a bouncy house at the Essex County Family Day in Newark, or step out for a day filled with music, dancing, food, and games at a Street Fair and Craft Show in Red Bank. Want more seasonal things to do? Check out everything spring on our bucket list. (Featured Photo Credit: Taken at Holland Ridge Farms)
(Note: It’s always best to check ahead for in-person events)
Holland Ridge U-Pick Tulips 2023
April 14 – 16 at 9 AM
With 8 million tulips in bloom at Holland Ridge Farm, there are plenty of ways to celebrate spring. Snip colorful tulips at $1 a stem to create your own bouquets, and load your Instagram feed with snaps that include their unique floral props, like a giant flower wall and floral throne. There will be over 30 food trucks, rescue animals, a petting zoo, hayrides, and a Dutch gift shop. And new this year, you can take a horse and carriage ride through the tulips.
Cost: $15 per person, ages 3 and up.
Holland Ridge Farms, 86 Rues Road Cream Ridge, NJ 08514
Butterfly House Spring Pop Up at Liberty Science Center
April 14 – 16 at 10 AM
Experience Liberty Science Center’s springtime pop-up adventure, the Butterfly House. Bring your family out to feel the magic of hundreds of painted lady and monarch butterflies fluttering around, feeding on plants and nectar, and landing on your shoulder or finger. You can also navigate your way through the Hedge Maze and join in on other family fun activities. The Butterfly House is included in your LSC general admission ticket.
Cost: $29.99 for adults, $24.99 for children, and $26.99 for seniors.
Liberty State Park, 222 Jersey City Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07305
Earth Day Celebration 2023
April 15 at 9:30 AM
Kick off your Earth Day celebration with a pollinator garden tour, planting of native plants, and park cleanup. This celebration is part of a week of events focused on restoring the planet.
Cost: Free
Crane Park, Glenridge Avenue Montclair, NJ 07042
Plowing, Harrowing & Wash Day
April 15 at 10 AM
Farmers will use horses to plow and harvest the ground to prepare it for planting corn. You will be able to step into the furrow and try out the plow.
Cost: Free
70 Woodens Lane, Lambertville, NJ 08530
Heaven Hill Farm: Eggstravaganza 2023
April 15-16 at 10 AM
Didn’t get to an egg hunt last weekend? This fun-filled day includes visiting the Easter Bunny, an egg scavenger hunt, farm animals, hayrides, photo ops, games, and more. The scavenger hunt is open to all children 12 years and younger. For an additional fee, you can experience carnival rides, pony rides, paintball, face painting, and sand art.
Cost: $12/person online pre-purchase. $17/person at the door
Heaven Hill Farm and Garden Center, 451 State Route 94, Vernon, NJ 07462
Easter Egg Hunt
April 15-16, at various times
It’s still bunny-filled fun as kids hunt for Easter eggs at Brookhollow’s Barnyard. Your child’s ticket includes admission, a feeding bucket, 10 easter eggs, and carrots to feed the animals. Make sure to stop by the photo area for pictures with the baby animals.
Cost: $6.50 for adults. $12 for children ages 2 and older
301 Rockaway Valley Rd, Boonton Township, NJ 07005
April 15-16 at 12 PM
All aboard for a fun time at the 10th annual model train show hosted by the Garden State Model Railway Club. This event features trains, old and new, passenger and freight, and special appearances by Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends. Your kids can try running trains on their children’s layout or check out a new railroad under construction.
Cost: $8 for adults. Children 10 and under are free with an adult.
575 High Mountain Road, North Haledon, New Jersey 07508
Sowing Seed Potatoes at Historic Longstreet Farm
April 15 – 16
Join the staff at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel, as they sow this year’s crop of potatoes.
44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel 07733
Essex County One-Mile Fun Run
April 15 at 10 AM
Get your family moving at the Essex County One-Mile Fun Run. Children can enter individually on race day, and all participants receive a commemorative t-shirt and award at the completion of the race.
Cost: Free
Branch Brook Park, Park Avenue and Lake Street, Newark, NJ 07104
Art Walk
April 15 at 10 AM
Take a stroll through Smithville Village and enjoy the artwork of more than 75 local artists. There will be more than 40 tables set up on the Village Greene side of the Smithville Village. This event will also feature live music.
Cost: Free
615 E Moss Mill Rd, Smithville, NJ 08205
Read & Explore: Composting
April 15 at 10 AM
Get hands-on with composting with this kid-friendly program, where kids learn about turning “garbage” back into the soil. They will read stories about worms and compost; each child will make a compost container to take home.
Cost: Each program costs $12 per participating child and includes the materials for the activity.
Terhune Orchards, 330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
Owlet Farms – Flower U-pick
April 15 at 10 AM
Spend the morning walking around the 2 high tunnels and picking flowers like ranunculus, freesia, anemones, and sweet peas. Bring your own snippers and bucket (bucket size limited to 1 gallon). Only 1 bucket will be allowed with each ticket.
Cost: $50
Owlet Farms, 1134 Kings Hwy Pilesgrove, NJ 08098
Essex County Family Day and Bloomfest
April 15 and April 16 at 11 AM each day
It’s peak cherry blossom season in NJ’s pinkiest park. Kids will have a ball going around the lake in paddle boats, constructing a craft, getting their face painted, jumping in a bouncy house, climbing a rock wall, and walking among the gorgeous blooms and fresh pink “snow” from the falling blossoms. Sunday’s Bloomfest includes Japanese cultural demonstrations, children’s activities, live music, a crafter’s marketplace, and food.
Cost: Free
Branch Brook Park, Park Avenue, Lake St, Newark, NJ 07104 (Park Street Entrance)
Spring Migration Bird BioBlitz
April 16 at 9:30 AM
Become citizen scientists for the day with a birding BioBlitz during peak migration season. Wander along private winding paths and visit different bird habitats. Afterward, you will compile your species’ findings on Ebird and have a follow-up discussion about the wonders of spring migration. No birding experience is necessary for this event.
Cost: $10
The New Weis Center for Education, Arts & Recreation, 150 Snake Den Road Ringwood, NJ 07456
Red Bank Street Fair and Craft Show
April 16 at 11 AM
Head to Red Bank for a day filled with music, dancing, food, and lots of family fun. Littles will have a ball on the children’s rides and playing games.
Cost: Free
Downtown Red Bank, NJ 07701
History Kids Club-Bellows in Blue: Create Your Own 19th-Century Print
April 16 at 11 AM
This interactive program invites children, ages 5 to 12, into the Historic Village at Allaire to experience history firsthand. Learn about what it meant to live and work in an industrial village like the Howell Iron Works in the 1830s by participating in hands-on activities ranging from basket weaving and butter making to historical nature walks.
Cost: $10
Allaire Village, Inc. 4263 Atlantic Avenue Farmingdale, NJ 07727
Daffodil Day Festival
April 16 at 11 AM
Join a decades-old tradition in Summit and enjoy one of the largest daffodil collections in New Jersey. Take in the beauty of over 50,000 bulbs in bloom in Reeves-Reed Arboretum’s Daffodil Bowl. This event includes spring-themed games and crafts, a story trail, music, food, market vendors, a spring art exhibit, and more.
Cost: Free for RRA Members and children under 3; Non-Members $10/person. Pre-registration required.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum, 165 Hobart Ave, Summit, NJ 07901
Family Woodland Hike
April 16 at 1 PM
Learn about plants and animals on this child-friendly hike through New Jersey Botanical Garden’s woodlands.
Cost: Free
New Jersey Botanical Garden, 2 Morris Rd, Ringwood, NJ 07456
90-Second Newbery Film Festival 2023
April 16 at 3 PM
Check out a screening of this year’s 90-Second Newbery, a video contest in which kids create short movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery-winning books in about 90 seconds. The screening will be hosted by children’s authors James Kennedy and Chris Grabenstein. This event will feature movies made by kids from New Jersey and some of the best nationwide.
Cost: Free
New Jersey State Museum Auditorium, 205 West State Street Trenton, NJ 08608
Ongoing Events
Super-Sized Sand Sculptures at Adventure Aquarium
Now – April 16
Bring your kids to discover colossal and imaginative sand sculptures at Adventure Aquarium. Explore the shore indoors as acclaimed sand sculptor Matt Long and his team transform massive mounds of sand into larger-than-life aquatic animals, including a towering penguin, a humongous hammerhead shark, and more. Tickets are limited by entry time on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are strongly encouraged.
Cost: Included with Aquarium admission.
Adventure Aquarium, 1 Riverside Drive Camden, NJ 08103
Hidden Gems Exhibit
Now – May 8
Journey into a fascinating world of rock structures that underscore the wonder of nature. Enjoy freestanding sculptures inspired by rock structures created with multiple parts of cast, assembled, and carved resin.
Cost: Free
Kean University, 1003 Morris Ave Building 2, Union, NJ 07083
Healthy Kids Running Series Spring 2023
April 16 – May 14
Get up and go! This five-week running program is for kids in Pre-K through 8th grade. Your kid will compete each week for a chance to earn points. At the end of the series, kids who accumulate the most points in their respective distances are awarded trophies. All participants will receive a medal on Week 5.
Cost: $45
LoBiondo Park, 678 Morton Ave, Bridgeton, NJ US 08302
Thomas and Friends Explore the Rails at Liberty Science Center
Now – September 4
Learn, play, and solve problems with Thomas the Tank Engine and his engine friends. Immerse yourself in locations from the TV series where kids can practice essential skills like counting objects, comparing sizes, and learning colors. Older kids can hone their math skills, understand basic engineering concepts, and see how technology works to keep engines running.
Cost: Tickets included with general admissions
Liberty State Park, 222 Jersey City Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07305
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