Cheers to a new year and resolving to have more family time. Why not make a fresh start this weekend and learn something new together? Try your hands at healthy cooking with Cooking With Kids in Hammonton, bring first time skaters to Skating on the Square in Princeton or practice your poses at Family Yoga in Glen Rock.
featured image via Palmer Square
Psst! Don’t forget to hashtag #NJMOM and tag @njmom and your little cuties could be featured in our next photo round-up.
Here are 8 kid-friendly things to do this weekend around New Jersey:
Skating on the Square
January 3-5, Friday 4PM-7PM, Saturday & Sunday 12PM-3PM and 4PM-7PM
Grab the fam and lace up those skates—this pop-up rink in the heart of downtown Princeton is the prettiest spot for winter fun. The eco-friendly ice is perfect for first-time skaters and offers the cutest whale walkers to balance littles while they glide. After, check out Chez Alice Gourmet Cafe and Bakery for steaming cups of hot cocoa and flaky French pastries.
Palmer Square’s Outdoor Skating Rink
Princeton, NJ
Cost: $10
Petopia! and Winter Wonderland Model Train Display At the Monmouth Museum
January 3-5, Friday & Saturday 10AM-5PM, Sunday 12PM-5PM
Art exhibits aren’t usually the first place you would think to bring your kiddos, but exposing them to the arts early on fosters creativity and a lifelong appreciation. This exhibit, featuring a gallery full of adorable pet paw-traits celebrates the love between owners and their pets, whether they’re furry, feathery or scaly. After, check out the interactive train display where littles can get busy pushing buttons to open doors and make the trains whistle as they whiz by.
Monmouth Museum
Lincroft, NJ
Cost: $10
Hello Panda Vernon Lights Festival
January 3-5, 5PM-10PM
Missing all the holiday lights and fun? You can still get it at this lantern light festival inspired by the fine art of Chinese lantern-making. The whole family will be thrilled to see the millions of larger-than-life lanterns, including the Giant Panda and T-Rex lanterns in the Animal Kingdom, or stroll down a lane of rainbow-colored music notes all a-glow in the Fantasy Land & Time Tunnel. With live entertainment and a light up dance floor, your kids will have a ball (and be ready for sleep pronto).
Glenwood Lake
Vernon, NJ
Cost: $14.99 for children, $19.99 for adults, children under 3 are free
WinterFest on the Cooper River
January 3-5, Friday 5PM-10PM, Saturday 12PM-10PM, Sunday 12PM-9PM
C’mon get gliding—this winter celebration at Cooper River park has ice skating every weekend until February 17. New skaters in your group? Check out the lessons on Sunday at 9-10AM, which includes skate rental, a 30-minute lesson and practice time. Off the ice, your crew can head to the heated tents to indulge in yummy treats and play arcade games.
Cooper River Park
Cherry Hill, NJ
Cost: Skate Rental $4,
Admission: Adults $6, Children 5-12 $4, Children 4 and under free
Cooking with Kids – Veggie Nuggets
January 4, 11AM – 12PM
Kick off the new year by teaching your littles how to cook and eat healthier. Join Chef Corie in making a vegetarian version of a classic kid-friendly food with plenty of hands-on learning—grate and chop safely, steam vegetables and see how hands make the best tools. Plus, everyone can bring home samples to eat later. This class is encouraged for ages 5 to 7 and requires an adult.
Kitchen 19
Hammonton, NJ
Cost: $24
The Sky Above: Sensory-Friendly Show
January 4, 5PM
Have a kid that loves outer space but not sure they can sit through the buzzing and unexpected surprises at a rousing planetarium show? At this special performance, the lights will be on and dimmed, the music will be low and consistent, and the door will remain open so families can come and go as they need. Designed for all ages, this sky show mixes short stories about rocket rides and constellations with fun, upbeat music.
Planetarium at Raritan Valley Community College
Branchburg, NJ
Cost: $10
Family Yoga with Julie Finkel
January 5, 10AM – 10:45AM
The family that poses together, stays together: Namaste with your crew at this kid-friendly yoga class for adults and kids ages 4-8. Through creative play and breathing exercises, your littles will learn different asana postures while improving their balance, strength and flexibility.
Moonlight Ballroom
Glen Rock, NJ
Cost: $25 for the whole family
Art Together
January 5, 1PM – 3PM
If you’re that family that likes to get crafty, this drop-in class (for ages 3 and up accompanied by an adult) is for you—put together your creative juices to create an art project inspired by current Zimmerli exhibition. In each session, an instructor will lead participants through the gallery to view the featured artwork, followed by a hands-on make and take project.
Rutgers, Zimmerli Art Museum
New Brunswick, NJ
Cost: free
