Mostly Free & Fun Things to Do With NJ Kids This Weekend March 14-15: St. Patrick's Day, Train Show, & More!

3/11/15 - By Sasha Muzzarelli

Ahhh! Feel that, New Jersey? Those milder temps and the sun shining down have everyone in the mood to get out and about! For a dose of fresh, early spring air, head to Manasquan Environmental Center for their Monarch Butterflies program, take a Winter Weekend Scavenger Hunt at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum or lace up your sneakers for a Family Woodland Hike at NJ Botanical Gardens. And of course, St. Patrick’s Day festivities are in full swing! Check out annual parades in Atlantic City, Morris County and Bergen County. For even more weekend fun, check out the full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

All Weekend

Monarch Butterflies (Howell, NJ)
Head to the Manasquan Environmental Center and learn all about beautiful Monarch butterflies and their migration patterns this weekend. Then take a walk around the reservoir and stop at observation points along the path to view early spring wildlife.  

Saturday, March 14th

Be True to You (Englewood, NJ)
We have to highlight something with such a positive aim. "Be True to You" is a fun performance with an anti-bullying message. Kids can enjoy a mix of music and interactive scenes that teach how to help prevent bullying.

Camp Riverbend’s Saturday Club (Warren, NJ)
Camp Riverbend presents "The Saturday Club," just for young children ages 3-6.  A structured program featuring games, sports, crafts, cooking, music and nature. All activities are led by the Camp Riverbend counselors – oh, and did we mention it’s FREE?

Save a Spider Day (Toms River, NJ)
Get creepy crawly and celebrate National Save a Spider Day at Insectropolis, the Bugseum of NJ! This event features special guests, activities, crafts and a reading from Seaver the Weaver by author Paul Czajak at 1pm.

Morris County St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Morristown, NJ)
Pre-parade festivities begin at 10:30am with the National Anthem and Irish step dancing. At noon, join over 60,000 spectators as the huge parade marches by with over 20 different bands, colorful flags, firefighters and police officers and more!

Atlantic City St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Atlantic City, NJ)
For some down the shore fun, head to Atlantic City’s annual parade this Saturday. This year’s parade promises to be a festival of color, music and fun featuring marching bands from area high schools, string bands, Irish step dancers, bagpipers and floats.

Sunday, March 15th

Train Show (Clark, NJ)
All are invited to a train show sponsored by the Jersey Central Railway Historical Society. Highlights include a Circus Train exhibit, a Lionel train set that kids can operate, model trains, antiques, collectibles and more. Free movies, door prizes and refreshments round out the fun.

Winter Weekend Photo Scavenger Hunt (Morris Township, NJ)
Families are invited to the Frelinghuysen Arboretum for a Winter Scavenger Hunt. Stop by the Haggerty Education Center to pick up the list, then head outside and take pictures of what you find as you explore the arboretum grounds. March’s theme is ‘Teeny Tiny Signs of Spring.’

Family Woodland Hike (Ringwood, NJ)
Get outdoors! Visit New Jersey Botanical Garden for an easy, kid-friendly hike led by experienced staffers. Learn all about the plants, animals and geology as you hike the Garden's woodlands.

Family Painting Class: Four Leaf Clover (Berkeley Heights, NJ)
Families are invited to Kayla's Creative Art Studio for an All Ages painting class. Everyone will be painting a four leaf clover for St. Patrick's Day. Take it home and hang up your masterpiece!

Bergen County St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Bergenfield, NJ)
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at this family-friendly Bergen County parade. The Flag Raising Ceremony and Grand Marshal’s speech will be held at 1pm at the Roy Brown Middle School followed by a parade of Irish Dancers, a Pipe Band, fire trucks and more!

Check out our GO NJ List, with our top picks of awesome things to do for kids in the upcoming month; GO MARCH is full of family fun! 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.