With snow swirling and ice storms blowing, summer seems eons away, but before you know it, the end of the school year appears and the panic sets in: “What the heck am I going to do with the kids for the summer??” We’ve got you covered with the best of New Jersey-area summer camps! These camps take fun seriously—so much so that they plan the whole year round for the 8 weeks of summer when their sites are transformed into oases of fun and team spirit. Many camps listed have had entire generations of families pass through, and although some camps we mention are large, they offer great counselor to camper ratios, with additional support from adults supervising younger staff. So, although you may still be bundled up, soon it’ll be time to break out the sunscreen. Plan now, then you and your family can enjoy a welcome break from the grueling school year—you deserve it!
The Urban Park Rangers’ mission is to help our cooped up city kids discover New York City outdoors. Rangers teach kids to care for their environment and wildlife as well as keep children in touch with nature. Your local Urban Park Ranger can be found at Ranger Stations and Nature Centers throughout the city. What comes to mind when I imagine a Park Ranger has very little to do with Winter or NYC but believe it or not they do exist here in our fine city and are having some great early Spring events going on now.
Wow! President’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras and Chinese New Year’s celebrations: a big ol’ batch of holidays rolled into one long weekend! Enjoy everything from sweet chocolate festivals, colonial candy making and a “Voices and Hearts for Haiti” concert for V-Day, and on President’s day engage in presidential events and crafts at the Newark and Morris Museums. Say ‘Gung Hay Fat Choy” at a teahouse celebreation, then make Mardi Gras crafts to prep for “Fat Tuesday.” Feeling anti-holiday? Burn the paper hearts and head out maple sugaring or birdwatching; deal in some live animal demonstrations and a dinosaur weekend; or think thespian at the State Theater of NJ where kids can enjoy 29 different performances, workshops, and events.
Winter vacation is ahead for children on Long Island this upcoming week of February 15th thru the 19th. If you're wondering what to do all week long, we have some fun ideas to share from children's theater to seal cruises, Valentines Day activities, and more. Check it out:
February 14, 2010 marks the start of the Year of the Tiger on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. It's the year of the tiger, celebrate the Chinese New Year holiday with great kids' activities and crafts all over Long Island. These events are fun and give kids a chance to learn about the history and meaning behind Chinese New Year traditions and symbols.
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