Mostly Free & Fun Things To Do With NJ Kids This Weekend Feb 2-3: Groundhog Day, Seussical, Origami Workshop & More!

1/30/13 - By Sasha Muzzarelli

Looking for some excitement to fill an otherwise mundane winter weekend? New Jersey is full of fun events for both older kids and wee ones (and maybe even parents too!) Check out the Michael DuBois Solo Circus or celebrate Groundhog Day at Grounds for Sculpture. Feeling creative? Roll up your sleeves and create origami at Skylands Manor or make glow in the dark glue at the Morris Museum. Read on for our top picks and you can find a listing of all NJ activities in our Event Calendar.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Saturday, February 2nd

Milk and Cookies: Free Performance Theatre for Children (New Brunswick, NJ)
Milk & Cookies is a lively, interactive series featuring storytelling, music and puppetry. Recommended for children ages 3-8 and their families, Milk & Cookies invites young people to discover the joy of watching, listening and interacting with the arts. This Saturday’s show celebrates America's folk music traditions with singer and guitarist Spook Handy. Sing and clap along as Spook performs treasured songs, both old and new. 10am-12pm. FREE. 732-246-7469 ext 545

Papermaking at Liberty State Park (Jersey City, NJ)
Join the staff at Liberty State Park interpretative center for this fun and educational program on how to make paper - and even make some of your own to take home! If the family still has energy left to burn, check out the park’s huge playground (with structures for both little ones & older children) or the meandering boardwalk with awesome views of Lady Liberty, Ellis Island and the lower Manhattan skyline. Recommended for ages 5 & up. Pre-registration required. 10am-12pm. FREE. 201-915-3409

Groundhog Day Celebration (Hamilton, NJ)
Will you see a shadow? Head to the Grounds For Sculpture’s 8th annual Groundhog Day celebration! In addition to a musical performance, this day-long event features educational tours of the sculpture park, groundhog-inspired workshops, kinetic movement workshops and storytelling (all activities suitable for ages 6 - 10). 11am-4pm. $12/Adult, $8/Children 6-12, Children under 6 are free. 609-586-0616

Super Science Saturdays (Morristown, NJ)
Stay warm (and keep the kids engaged) at Morris Museum’s next Super Science Saturday. This weekend’s hands-on workshop, ‘Glow in the Dark Goo,’ promises to be a messy good time. Children (ages 5 & up) will mix polymers to create glue and can mish and mash to their heart’s content. Stick around the museum and check out some of their mainstay exhibits after your science session, including the Dinosaur Den and the impressive rock & mineral display. 12-2pm. $3/Child, Members are free.

Michael DuBois Solo Circus (Hackettstown, NJ)
The Solo Circus is an audience interactive and technically demanding variety show featuring an all-original presentation of magic, juggling and stunts, with a side of comedy thrown in. Michael DuBois has been performing for over 8 years and has made national television appearances on NBC's "Tonight Show" & The Jay Leno Show. All ages of kids (and adults too) will be engaged in this entertaining circus at the Lackland Center. 2pm. $20/Adults, Seniors & Students, $17.50/Children under 12. 908-979-0900

Sunday, February 3rd

Origami at Skylands Manor (Ringwood, NJ)
Visit Skylands Manor this weekend for some creative fun. Designer Janice Ramsay will introduce your family to the fascinating world of origami, where folded paper magically can become a crane or a boat or thousands of other things. You'll explore some easy designs, and also make a surprise for your favorite Valentine. This hands-on workshop is great for children of all ages and grown-ups too! Sessions at 11:30am, 12:30 & 1:30pm. $5/Person donation requested. 973-962-9534

Seussical – A Sensory Friendly Show (Rahway, NJ)
''Oh, the thinks you can think'' when Dr. Seuss's best-loved stories collide and cavort in a special musical performance at the Union County Performing Arts Center. Adapted from the Broadway version, this adaptation especially for young audiences features thirteen actors and enhanced production values. The Sensory Friendly show begins at 11am and the general audience show is at 2pm. Recommended for ages 5 & up. Ticket prices vary ($8-17/Person) depending on seat location. 732-499-8226

Build Downtown Summit in LEGOS (Summit, NJ)
This Sunday, the largest LEGO construction project will be built in Summit benefiting the Summit Historical Society. The Architectural Heritage Workshop is intended as a fun way to teach children, their parents and grandparents, even extended family - about the heritage of the historic downtown buildings in Summit. Children must accompany their parents to the workshop and spectators are invited to join the fun at no charge. After the event, take a stroll through the quaint downtown and stop at the delicious Natale’s Summit Bakery for a Cannoli or their signature Philly Fluff. 1-3pm. $25/Family registration fee to participate. Spectators are FREE.

A Winter’s Day on the Farm (Township, NJ)
Looking to do something fun with the entire family this winter? Don your coats and visit Fosterfields Living Historical Farm to enjoy a tractor-pulled wagon ride, assist with maple tapping, sawing wood, cracking corn, collecting eggs and churning butter. Also see wood stove cooking, demonstrated in the Farmhouse kitchen and watch ice being harvested from the pond, if weather permits. 12-4pm. $6/Adults, $5/Seniors, $4/Children ages 4-16, $2/Children ages 2-3, Children under 2 are free.

Check out our brand-new GO NJ List, with our top ten picks of fun things to do for kids in the upcoming month! GO February is hot off the presses!

And don't forget: We have additional activity listings in our Event Calendar. And if you are heading into NYC for the weekend make sure you visit the New York City Mommy Poppins events calendar to get the latest on all the fun to be had NYC-style.

Planning an event? Submit it to our calendar.

Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe to our free newsletter.

photo credit: AlicePopkorn2 via photopin cc