All Weekend

Earth & Arbor Day Family Festival (Camden, NJ)
If you’ve never had the chance to check out the much-loved Camden Children’s Garden, this weekend is the perfect time. Celebrate Earth Day amid the beauty of 4.5 acres of children's themed gardens and the Philadelphia Eagles Four Seasons Butterfly House. The festivities include planting activities, a ladybug release and crafts to help kids learn about and celebrate Mother Earth. Saturday & Sunday 1-4pm. $6/Person, Children under 2 are free. 856-365-9741

Saturday, April 27th

Arbor Day Hike (Matawan, NJ)
Before Earth Day came about, most parents grew up celebrating the environment on Arbor Day, so teach the kids a little bit about the original green holiday at Cheesequake State Park. Your group will meet at the nature center before embarking on a hike to plant trees that will grow at the NJ state park for many years to come. A discussion about Arbor Day and the importance of planting and protecting trees will follow. Recommended for ages 6 & up. 10am. FREE. 732-566-3208

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Millburn, NJ)
Laugh and sing along with Alexander's misadventures in this hilarious musical, featuring book and lyrics by Judith Viorst, author of the best-selling classic book. Discover along with Alexander that sometimes, everyone has a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. In addition to seeing a great family-friendly show, teach the kids a little history too! The historic Paper Mill Playhouse is going on its 75th year and was formerly – you guessed it – a paper mill plant that was bought and transformed into a theater space in 1934. Recommended for ages 4 & up. 10am. Ticket prices vary ($12-20/Person) depending on seat location.

Great Swamp 50th Birthday Celebration (Chatham, NJ)
The Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center has been protecting and teaching NJ kids about our unique ecosystem for half a century. Celebrate their milestone with live animal shows, music, guided tours, pond exploration and tons of hands-on activities. If the rain stays away, stick around and hike one of the beautiful nature trails and check out the early spring flowers. 11am-4pm. $3/Person. 973-635-6629

Sunday, April 28th

Sheep to Shawl Festival (Westfield, NJ)
Springtime on an early American farm brought tilling, weeding, planting....and sheep shearing! The Miller-Cory House festival will demo master sheep shearing using hand shears as was done in the 18th and 19th centuries. Costumed volunteers will showcase farm chores such as spinning, weaving, knitting, needlework, butter churning and blacksmithing. Other activities include a May pole, colonial games and children's crafts. Take a break from the festivities with free refreshments or browse the bake sale. 1-4pm. $3/Teens & Adults ages 13 and up, $2/Children ages 3-12, Children under 3 are free.

Popovich Pet Theater (Englewood, NJ)
If you’ve got a family of animal lovers, you’ll definitely want to check out the Popovich Pet Theater featuring an amazing cast of housecats, dogs, parrots… even geese and mice! Critics describe the show as a unique blend of physical comedy, world-champion juggling and the extraordinary talents of more than 30 performing pets. Gregory Popovich has rescued these animals from shelters all over the country and has transformed them into stars. Recommended for ages 4 & up. Show times at 1:30 & 4:30pm. Ticket prices vary ($19-29/Person) depending on seat location. 201-227-1030

Kite Workshop (Middletown, NJ)
Cross your fingers for warm, breezy weather and join in on a Poricy Park springtime classic! Park staff will share kite flying history and safety; then show the family how to make your very own kite. Kids will each construct and decorate a kite before launching their creations on the Nature Center lawn. Appropriate for adults and school age children accompanied by an adult. Younger children welcome with adult assistance. Advance registration required. 3pm. $5/Members, $7/Non-Members.

Check out our brand-new GO NJ List, with our top ten picks of awesome things to do for kids in the upcoming month! GO April 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.