Welcome to the weekend? Ready for some family-friendly fun? There’s plenty to do in and around town, and we’ve rounded up some activities you can enjoy. Check ‘em out!
Field Station Dinosaurs is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at Overpeck Park (3 Overpeck Park Driveway, Leonia). Now in their 10th season, the world-class family attraction combines cutting-edge science with the creative minds of great artists to create a one-of-a-kind experience that’s thrilling, educational, and fun. The Field Station is a wild scientific expedition where over 30 life-sized, moving, realistic dinosaurs come to life. Walk along wooded trails, check out life-sized dinosaurs and enjoy a full schedule of shows, games, and activities, all of which is included in your Day Pass admission. Tickets start at $17.75. Children under 2 are free.
DreamWorks Water Park at American Dream Mall (1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford) will present Dive-In Movies on select Fridays in August and September. Guests are invited to swim or inner tube in the world’s largest indoor wave pool while watching a DreamWorks movie on a jumbo screen. Movie audio will play throughout the park, and all the record-breaking rides, slides and attractions will be open, so guests can splash and play while they watch. Movie-themed treats, Coca-Cola goodies, and swim accessories will be available. The series kicks off Friday, August 19th from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm with a screening of the family favorite TROLLS, and special appearances by the movie’s stars Poppy and Branch. Visit the website for ticket information.
The Frelinghuysen Arboretum (353 East Hanover Avenue, Morris Twp) continues to host the Family Photo Scavenger Hunt. Held daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, bring your camera or phone for this month’s hunt. The theme for August is “I’m So Bored.” Looking for something to do on these lazy summer days? Grab a camera or phone and get the family outdoors! Take a photo of every item to win a prize! The cost is $10 per family or group of 6 or fewer. Preregistration is required.
The 4th Annual Family Function Kick Ball Game will be held on Saturday at Glenfield Park (115 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair) from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Enjoy free food and drinks, bouncy houses, dunking pool, a live performance, kickball, and more.
Essex County Environmental Center (621 Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland) will host Bike Right – Learn to Ride on Saturday from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Make learning to ride a bike easier for your child with TransOptions’ Bike Right Learn to Ride class. Bike Right Learn to Ride will teach children the safe, easy and effective way to learn to ride. Using this “balance first” method, parents help get their children rolling while the child does most of the work. Participants learn the basics of balancing, starting, stopping, and steering a bike, as well as proper helmet fit and adjustment. Please bring a helmet and a bike (without training wheels) in good working order. Advance registration is required. This event is suitable for children ages 5 and older. Cost is $10 per participant.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum (165 Hobart Avenue, Summit) will offer Free Saturday Tours this Saturday at 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM. Tours begin at the Visitors Center. No reservations are required, and tours are on a first come, first served basis.
Fosterfields Living Historical Farm (73 Kahdena Road, Morristown) will host Farm Friends Day: Goat Greet Saturday with sessions from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. Head over to Fosterfields to meet their goats. Learn about what they do on the farm, where they live, and how to interact with them. Preregistration is required. This activity is suitable for ages 2-4 with an adult. The cost of this activity is $10 pre child.
Canal Day Music & Craft Festival will be held on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Hugh Force Canal Park (180 West Central Avenue, Wharton). This is an old time country fair that celebrates the Morris Canal and its contributions to the development of the communities along its banks. Step back in time and visit the newly restored Lock 2 East. Enjoy live music, a free kayak and narrated boat ride on the Morris Canal, Wallaby Tales Traveling Zoo, a fine crafts and arts show, food, a Civil War encampment, blacksmith demonstrations, pony and hayrides, fireworks, and more. Visit the website for a map and schedule.
On Saturday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, stop by Honoring the Spirit of Rebellion: A Celebration of Nat Turner Park. Enjoy family-friendly activities such as face painting and stencil art. Learn about the history of the art present within the park, record your own history on the Newark Story Bus, and learn about Nat Turner’s fight for freedom and the people who were instrumental in the development of Nat Turner Park (251-289 18th Avenue, Newark).
Turtle Back Zoo will host History Hike on Sunday from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM as part of their Family Nature Club. Did you know the South Mountain Reservation was formed in 1895? Join the hike though the South Mountain Reservation and explore Essex County’s natural history from one of its famous landmarks, Turtle Back Rock. Meet at Turtle Back Rock Picnic Area at 142 Walker Road, West Orange. This activity is recommended for ages 6 and up.
Michaels (Riverfront Center, 348 Rt 3 W, Clifton) will host Sunday Makebreak from 2:00 Pm to 4:00 PM. This week’s craft is Mandala Painted Rocks. Stop in for a free and fun craft to learn to make beautiful Mandala patterns on rocks. No registration is required.
Montclair Film and The Clairidge (486 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair) will host a special screening of the 1980s sci-fi classic, Back to the Future, on Saturday at 6:00 PM. Small-town California teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is thrown back into the ’50s when an experiment by his eccentric scientist friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) goes awry. Traveling through time in a modified DeLorean car, Marty encounters young versions of his parents (Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson), and must make sure that they fall in love or he’ll cease to exist. Even more dauntingly, Marty has to return to his own time and save the life of Doc Brown. Join Claudia Wells (Jennifer Parker), Harry Waters Jr. (Marvin Berry), & Donald Fullilove (Mayor Goldie Wilson) for an extended, live Q&A before the film. During the event the Delorean Time Machine will also be on display outside for pictures. This event is presented in partnership with East Side Mags and Doc’s Time Machines. Tickets are $20 ($18 for Members).
On Sunday, stop by the Sunday Farmers Market at Westfield Garden State Plaza (One Garden State Plaza, Paramus) between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM. In addition to fresh farm produce, there are over 20 food vendors, food trucks, a car meetup, kids activities, and more. Catch NJ Exotic Pets for a live animal presentation where the audiences will have the opportunity to meet exotic animals from all over the world. This event is free.
On Sunday, the Wayne Museum (533 Berdan Avenue, Wayne) will host Family Ag Day from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Join the Township of Wayne and County of Passaic for their second Family Ag Day series! Enjoy live music, yoga, museum tours, historic games, fiber arts demos, a petting farm, and more.
Bergen County Historical Society will host Summertime Tours at Historic New Bridge Landing (1201 Main Street, River Edge) on Sunday from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM. A walk in the past, an ice cream social and kites for kids all add up to a day of food, fun and flavor of local history at New Bridge Landing in River Edge. Visitors will step back in time and spend an afternoon in the 18th century. During this open house of the historic village, the public is invited to tour the home that was George Washington’s quarters in 1780, enjoy a drink at an 18th century local tavern and a walk on “The bridge that saved a nation” and inspired Thomas Paine to write “These are the times that try men’s souls…”. Besides the hands-on history, children will be treated to a kite making demonstration and then encouraged to color the sky with their homemade kites. Families are invited to bring their children to an old-fashioned Ice Cream Social in the Campbell-Christie House to top off a fun-filled day of history. Complete the scavenger hunt and pick up your prize in the gift shop. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for students.
Watchung Booksellers (54 Fairfield Street, Watchung Plaza) will host Sunday Storytime on Sunday at 2:00 PM. Join author Dorothy H. Price in launching Jalen’s Big City Life in da Pepo Cucino. Jalen’s Big City Life follows seven-year-old Jalen Corey Pierce’s life in the big city. Between adventures with his two best friends, Amir and Vicky, and new experiences with his family, J.C. is always learning new things and exploring city life. Jalen’s Big City Life centers on realistic adventures in a city setting and teaches important lessons including kindness, responsibility, sharing, and respect. Perfect for ages 5-8 or grades K-2.
On Sunday at 7:00 PM, Montclair Film will host a free outdoor screening of Spider-Man: No Way Home at Brookdale Park Archery Field (Brookdale Park near Bellevue Avenue, Bloomfield). Arrive early with a lawn chair and a picnic to enjoy pre-show entertainment provided by East Side Mags. The film will begin at sunset. For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero’s identity is revealed, bringing his Super Hero responsibilities into conflict with his normal life and putting those he cares about most at risk. When he enlists Doctor Strange’s help to restore his secret, the spell tears a hole in their world, releasing the most powerful villains who’ve ever fought a Spider-Man in any universe. Now, Peter will have to overcome his greatest challenge yet, which will not only forever alter his own future but the future of the Multiverse.This film is rated PG-13.
Morris Museum (6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown) hosts Spark!Lab on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Spark!Lab offers any child (ages 5-12 years old and accompanied by an adult), a new informal approach to hands-on learning. Instead of following step-by-step instructions, young inventors will be empowered to problem-solve and overcome real-world obstacles. Spark!Lab offers many unique, project-specific stations, where inventors can engage directly with engineering and design challenges. There is also a newly created space with a train and exploration table filled with unique tools to help spark creativity, thinking, and learning for children ages 1-4). The cost is included in admission, which is $12 for adults, $8 for children 3-17, and free for children under 3. All summer through August 28, young inventors will be issued a free Spark!Lab passport during their summer visits to the lab. With each visit they will acquire a stamp and with six stamps they will complete the challenge and earn an exclusive prize. The first ten inventors who complete this challenge will receive the You Topia moving diorama makers kit (pictured above)! Other prizes include a Spark!Lab journal and more!
Liberty Science Center (222 Jersey City Blvd, Jersey City) has several special exhibits in their final weeks. The Pigeon Comes to Jersey City celebrates the art and characters of beloved children’s book author and illustrator, Mo Willems. This young learner exhibition features best-friend duo Elephant and Piggie, faithful companion Knuffle Bunny, and The Pigeon, the wily city bird best known for his antics in Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! It will also continue to present Minecraft: The Exhibition. This is a 6,000-sq.-ft. multimedia experience that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, whether they play Minecraft or not. The exhibition features an immersive experience that includes blocky scenes and characters from the game. Both exhibits will be open will be open through September 5, 2022. Liberty Science Center is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Cost is the price of general admission, plus an additional fee. Visit the website for details.
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