Dinosaur Day at Newark Museum (Newark)
Dig for fossilized shark teeth that you can take home, sluice gems (and keep one), touch life-sized dinosaur fossils, see a live animal show, and enjoy tons of other hands on activities! Sunday from 10 to 4:30pm. Free with admission of $10/adults, $6/kids.

Dino Day Family Festival at the Morris Museum (Morristown)
Celebrate the museum's grand opening of their dinosaur exhibit! There will be a fossil dig, a hadrosaur egg you can touch, a model dinosaur nest you can climb into, or make a dinosaur puppet and a fossil footprint rubbing. Arrive before 1pm for a special dinosaur souvenir to take home. Saturday from 11am to 4pm. Free with admission of $7/child and $10/adult.

Rutgers Day at Rutgers University (New Brunswick and Piscataway)
When the university opens its doors and offers over 100 kids activities, you can be sure no one will be complaining that they're bored. Among the offerings: liquid nitrogen ice cream making, a kid-centered physics lecture with activities like "take a spin on the spinning stool", a bubble making bonanza, a scavenger hunt in the library, origami folding, building a model of the campus out of legos, a dog show, a petting zoo with farm animals, a fossil dig, rope ladder climbing, live cockroach races, and more! Free parking and admission. Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
 
Hoboken Arts & Music Festival (Hoboken)
At this street festival, the kids' area features rides, games, crafts, a puppet show, face-painting clowns, balloons, and performances by the Fuzzy Lemons and Dawnee from Peanut Butter & Jammin. FREE. Sunday from 11am to 6pm.

Wild Earth Fest at Trailside Nature and Science Center (Mountainside)
Celebrate the earth with live animal demos, face painting, recycling Olympics, eco-art activities, giveaways, organic cooking, and more.
Sunday from 11am to 5pm. $3/person. Kids 6 and under are free.

Ar-B-Que at Cora Hartshorn Arboretum (Short Hills)
Celebrate Arbor Day with a BBQ, hawk presentation, Japanese fish printing, a stuffed animal parade, "cupcake wars," and other fun activities. Saturday from 10am to 2pm. $18/adults, $10/kids ages 3-12. Under 3 free.

Sheep to Shawl Festival at the Miller Cory House Museum (Westfield)
Sheep shearing season is here! Kids can see a sheep shearing demonstration by a master shearer as it was done in the 18th century, in addition to spinning, weaving, knitting, butter churning, and colonial "laundry day" demos. Kids can make tin-piercing crafts, play colonial games, and even see a maypole dance. Sunday from 1pm to 4pm. Admission is $3/adults and $1/children 4 and up.

NJ Family Fun Day and New Jersey Marathon Festival (Long Branch)
Even if you aren't running the marathon yourself, you will want to check out this event. There is a 3 mille fun run/walk, a 1.2 mile kids marathon, kids races, plus clowns, face painting, music, carnival games, crafts, refreshments, awards, T-shirts, and more. Saturday from 8:30am to noon.

Family Fun Day at Lord Stirling Stable (Basking Ridge)
Have a horse lover on your hands? Kids 12 and under can enjoy free rides on a pony or a small, gentle horse. The whole family can enjoy a hayride along some of the equestrian trails. There will also be child-friendly arcade games, face painting, food, and more. Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Free.

And don't forget to check out our no-school survival guide, New Jersey Summer Camp Guide!