Kid-Friendly Things To Do in NJ This January

Ring in 2017 at the Mount Holly Fire & Ice Sculpture Festival, Winter Wonderland at Van Saun Park in Paramus, Family Winter Carnival in Freehold, Laurita Winterfest in New Egypt, and many more family-friendly festivals and events in New Jersey this January.

Don’t forget to hashtag #NJMOM and tag @njmomhq and your little cuties could be featured in our next photo round-up.

Here are 15 Things To Do in January in NJ:

1. Food Trucks & Fireworks: Fire & Ice
Sunday, January 1, 2017 | 12:00PM – 6:00PM
Celebrate the first day of the new year at this family-friendly festival. Enjoy food trucks, family-friendly programs, and fireworks. Explore the Seaport and enjoy complimentary admission for all. Featuring your favorite local food trucks and Pinelands Brewing Company serving Batona Trail Ale.
The Tuckerton Seaport
120 W Main St, Ste 1, Tuckerton, NJ 08087
Cost: Free

2. Winter Wonderland at Van Saun Park
Sunday January 1 – Sunday, January 15, 2017 | 5:00PM – 8:00PM
Attractions include: Open Air Ice Skating, Kids’ Beginner Synthetic Rink, Additional Kids’ Activities, Bergen Express Train Ride, Santa’s North Pole Workshop, Unlimited Carousel Rides, Zoo Entry and Programming, Indoor/Outdoor Beer Garden, Callahan’s Food Truck, Waffle de Lys Food Truck, and more.
Van Saun Park
216 Forest Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652
Cost: $14 Adults, $10 Seniors, Children 5 and under are free.

3. Central Jersey Cat Fanciers
Friday, January 6 – Sunday, January 8, 2017 | Friday 3:00PM – 9:30PM, Saturday 9:00AM – 5:00PM, Sunday 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Central Jersey Cat Fanciers is back for its 15th annual cat show in Central Jersey. This will be an opportunity to see many different breeds of cats including Bengals, Sphynx, Maine Coons, Siamese, Oriental Shorthairs, Ragdolls, Munchkins, Persians, Toygers, Savannahs, Siberians, and many more breeds. Feline health presentations will take place around noon on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to the cats and kittens, there will be many vendors selling gift items for you and your pet, scratching posts, magazines, jewelry, toys as well as unusual items. There will also be food available.
Sheraton Parsippany Hotel
199 Smith Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054
Cost: $6 – $8

Asbury Park’s {family-friendly| Punk Rock Flea Market

4. Asbury Park Punk Rock Flea Market
Saturday, January 7, 2017 | 10:00AM – 3:00PM
Bring your little rockers down the shore to this premier family-friendly punk rock vendor event organized by Holdfast Records in Asbury Park, NJ. Shop local to find the rarest and most unique vintage clothing, vinyl records, posters, artwork, toys and figurines, jewelry, treats, and so much more. Enjoy the scenic boardwalk during your trip to Asbury’s historic Convention Hall.
Asbury Park Convention Hall
1300 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Cost: $10 Early-bird entry at 10:00AM, $4 entry at 11:00AM

5. Family Winter Carnival
Saturday, January 7, 2017 | 1:00PM – 3:00PM
Junior Humanitarian Program and CentraState Healthcare Foundation present a Winter Carnival for the whole family featuring games, crafts, prizes, carnival fun, and vendors.
The Jack Aaronson Conference Center
At the Star & Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus
CentraState Medical Center
901 West Main Street, Freehold, NJ 07728
Cost: $10 Single Admission, $25 for Three or More Admissions

6. Battle of Princeton Real-Time Tour & Reenactment
Saturday, January 7, 2017 | 6:30AM – 9:00AM
Experience this historical battle that was fought on the Stony Brook Settlement farms of William Clarke and his brother, Thomas 240 years ago, on January 3, 1777. British Army historian William P. Tatum III, Ph.D. Tatum will be joined by other re-enactors to walk you through exactly where, when, and why events unfolded that chilly morning in 1777. Experience the battle minute-by-minute, and learn how this historic event was not at all what Washington had expected.
Princeton Battlefield
500 Mercer Rd., Princeton, New Jersey 08540
Cost: Free admission. $10 suggested donation.

7. Family FUNday: Winter Games & Warm Cider
Sunday, January 8, 2017 | 1:00PM – 4:00PM
Warm up by the fire in the hearth and enjoy family-friendly games at the museum. Games are from different time periods in the museum, including an 1800s style checker board and Monopoly from 1945. Participate in the Snowman contest (weather permitting) to show off your winter sculpting skills.
Crane House & Historic YWCA
110 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ, 07042
Cost: $10 per family

8. 50th Annual Model Railroad Show
Sunday, January 8, 2017 | 1:00PM – 5:00PM
Founded in 1953, the Garden State Model Railway Club has been in North Haledon since 1957. The Model Railroad Show features a 1200 square foot HO layout, steam and diesel locomotives, Thomas and Friends, numerous freight and passenger trains, rural and urban scenes, and working signals. Fun for all ages!
Garden State Model Railway Club
575 High Mountain Rd, North Haledon, NJ 07508
Cost: Adults $6, Children under 12 are free with an adult.

9. Maple Sugaring at The Great Swamp
January 14, 15, 21, 28 & 29, 2017 | 1:00PM & 2:30PM
The trees are tapped and the firewood is chopped – it’s maple sugaring season at the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center in Chatham Township. Immerse yourself in the maple sugaring process from start to finish. Identify and tap maple trees, collect the flowing sap, and witness syrup making over a wood-fired evaporator. Best of all, taste-test the finished product organically made at the Great Swamp.
Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center
247 Southern Blvd, Chatham Township, NJ 07928
Cost: $3 for ages 3 and up

Hoboken Fire Department Museum

10. Tour the Hoboken Fire Department Museum
Sunday, January 15, 2017 | 3:00PM & 3:30PM
Children of all ages will adore this special guided tour through Hoboken Historical Museum’s Fire Department Museum. Two guided tours designed especially for young visitors will cater to your family’s interests in a fun and educational manner. The 3:00 tour is designed for children ages 2 to 3, and the 3:30 tour is for ages 4 to 6.
Hoboken Fire Department Museum
213 Bloomfield St, Hoboken, NJ 07030
Cost: $4, Children and Museum Members are free.

11. Laurita Winterfest
Saturday, January 21 – Sunday, January 22, 2017 | Saturday 11:00AM – 8:00PM, Sunday 11:00AM – 7:00PM
The highly anticipated Laurita Winterfest celebration is back! A family-friendly, winter wonderland event for all ages highlighted by ice sculptures, classic winter activities, and a variety of themed food and beverages. Admission includes: parking, shuttle service to and from the event, souvenir Laurita Wine glass, entrance to event featuring hand-carved ice sculptures, classic winter activities, a variety of themed food and beverage options, food trucks, kids activities including a large playground, ice luge (sleds are supplied), mini-snowmobile (ages 7 and under), and some of the most scenic views in New Jersey.
Laurita Winery
85 Archertown Rd, New Egypt, New Jersey 08533
Cost: $8 General Admission, $5 Kids Ages 4 – 17

12. Lambertville New Hope Winter Festival
Saturday, January 21 – Sunday, January 29, 2017
The Lambertville/New Hope Winter Festival returns this January for its 20th year of family and adult activities that raise funds for the community. Free family events this year include Tucker’s Tales Puppet Theatre, Ballet Time, Live Performances, Historic Walking Tours, and many more. Ticketed events include the Chili Cook-Off, Winter Fest “Hawaiian Luau,” Blues BBQ & NFL Playoffs, and much more to be enjoyed with the whole family.
Various Locations
Lambertville, NJ 08530 & New Hope, PA 18938
Cost: Various

13. Lunar New Year & Spring Celebration
Sunday, January 22, 2017 | 12:00PM – 3:00PM
Shake off the winter blues and help welcome the Lunar New Year by following our lion through the woods! Be prepared to make some noise as we welcome spring with games, trivia, crafts and stories. The mission of Cora Hartshorn Arboretum is to foster and promote environmental awareness, education, and stewardship within the greater community.
Cora Hartshorn Arboretum
324 Forest Dr S, Short Hills, NJ 07078
Cost: $8

14. Mount Holly Fire & Ice Festival
Saturday, January 28, 2017 | 11:00AM – 4:00PM
Downtown Mount Holly will be the place to warm your tummy and see lots of artistic eye candy while having plenty of free family friendly fun. On this date Mount Holly will play host to over a dozen professional and amateur ice carvers from up and down the east coast. Burlington County’s best professional chili cooks plus a wide variety of interesting entertainment for young, old and everyone in between.
5 Church St, Mount Holly, NJ 08060
Cost: Free

15. Sleepover at Adventure Aquarium
Saturday, January 28, 2017 | 6:00PM – Sunday, January 29, 2017 | 9:00AM
Join the Center for Aquatic Sciences at Adventure Aquarium for an awesome overnight experience, Shark in the Dark! Experience the aquarium’s amazing collections of sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, and a multitude of different fish, before spending the night up close to these incredible aquatic animals. The next morning, you’ll get a chance to visit with the African penguins and hippos. For ages 6 – 12 with accompanying adult. Admission includes: Scavenger Hunt, Free exploration Time (including Touch Tanks), 4D Theatre Show, Shark Bridge, Shark Talk, Ocean Realm Show/Meet a Diver, Sleeping throughout the Aquarium, African Penguin exhibit open in AM (weather dependent), Visit to Hippo Haven to see the hippos, Light evening snack and Continental Breakfast, and Souvenir Patch.
Adventure Aquarium
1 Riverside Dr, Camden, NJ 08103
Cost: $70