All Weekend

Dino Day and Bug Bonanza Family Festival (Camden, NJ)
Stop by the Camden Children's Garden from 1-4pm for their Second Weekend Series. Celebrate dinosaurs and insects while digging for fossils in our popular Dino Garden. This festival includes educational activities, a fun planting activity, and themed crafts. $6 per person and free for children two and younger. 856-365-8733.

Saturday April 14th

Princyclopedia 2012: Robin Hood (Princeton, NJ)
Bring the whole family to Cotsen Libary's FREE fun event at the Dillon Gym on Princeton University from 10am-3pm. They will bring the Robin Hood book to life through a multitude of hands-on projects, activities, live shows, and demonstrations. Get ready to experience the medieval world in all its splendor and glory! See period weapons in action, sample mead, storm a castle, test your survival skills in Sherwood Forest, illuminate a manuscript, meet live falcons, discover the science of stained glass, examine a longbow, explore an alchemist’s workshop, and rock out to musicians playing hits from Olde England! 609-258-2324.

Wolf Birthday Celebration (West Orange, NJ)
Join the staff at Turtle Back Zoo from 11am-3pm to celebrate the birthdays of resident wolves Methos and the new pups. I know I gushed about baby chicks last week, but seriously, wolf pups are pretty cute,too. There will be wolf activities and educational programs throughout the day. Free with zoo admission of $10 adults; $7 children; 2 and under FREE. 973-731-5800.

Rutgers Garden Arts Program: Listen to the Music of the Gardens (New Brunswick, NJ)
This is the first class in a series this spring offered at Rutgers Gardens in collaboration with the Expressive Arts 4-H Program. Children will have an opportunity to explore the Gardens and focus on the sounds, such as the rustling of leaves, bird songs and flowing water will be music to your ears. They will then capture the sounds of the Gardens through creation of musical instruments, followed by ensemble music-making. 9am-11:30am. $20 per child. Call 732-932-8451 to register.

Penguin Pointers (Point Pleasant, NJ)
Now that the weather is warmer (for the moment) take a trip down the shore to Jenkinson's Aquarium (one of my family's favorite Jersey shore destinations) for this fun and educational event from 9:30-10:30am. You and your kids 5 and up will get up close and personal with adorable penguins while learning all about these flightless birds! Then have some more family fun exploring the rest of the aquarium and the boardwalk. $14 Adults. $10 Children. Call 732-899-1659 to pre-register.

Annual Family Fun Day (Dover, NJ)
Stop in at the Community Children's Museum from 10am-3pm for FREE admission, sponsored by NJAEYC, to this great hands-on (Mommy Poppins favorite) spot. Make sure to check out their new Honey Bee exhibit as well as the special events for this Fun Day. 973-366-9060

Seeing Eye Dogs (Jersey City, NJ)
Ok, it's official, I am a sucker for all things animals so of course this special event at 11am and 1pm at Liberty Science Center is atop my must-do list for the weekend. You and your kids will learn how Seeing Eye puppies are raised to keep their blind owners safe through meeting a puppy raiser, seeing a demonstration by a Seeing Eye instructor with a dog in training, and meeting a Seeing Eye dog owner accompanied by a Seeing Eye dog. Most appropriate for kids 8 and up. Free with museum admission of $15.75 adults; $11.50 children 2-12; children under 2 are free. 201-200-1000.

Sunday April 15th

Day at the Fair (Hamilton, NJ)
Come celebrate at site of the New Jersey State Fairgrounds as the Grounds for Sculpture park is turned into a fun-filled fantasy fair from 10am-4pm! Kids will love this fun-filled tour of the park and historic buildings, where activities are sprinkled throughout. Visit the balloon man, relax to music, take part in nostalgic workshops or a pie-making demo, and enjoy loads of popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs, and more. Free with admission price of Adults $12; Children 6-12 $8;Children under 6 FREE. 609-586-0616.

19th Century Baking (Farmingdale, NJ)
Take the kids Allaire Village from 1-4pm to see how baking was done in the 1800's, ya know, without microwaves and fancy convection ovens. They will be in awe of the demonstrations in 19th Century Brick Beehive Oven Baking and get a feel for what it was like for the bakers of 170 years ago. FREE. 732-919-3500.

Family Woodland Walk (Ringwood, NJ)
Here's a great opportunity to get out there and enjoy springtime with a naturalist on an easy, kid-friendly walk in the New Jersey Botanical Garden's woodlands. Learn a bit about the plants, animals and geology around you in a walk designed to fit the group. Wear sturdy shoes, meet at the Carriage House. Precipitation cancels. FREE. 973-962-9534.

The Art of Ancient Rubbings (Westfield, NJ)
This program at the Miller-Cory House Museum from 2-4pm will include the history of this art form and different methods of producing designs. Children will have the opportunity to try their hand at creating their own rubbings. You can also participate in a tour through the fully furnished, 1740 farmhouse and watch members of the Cooking Committee will prepare seasonal recipes over the open-hearth fire using authentic colonial methods and seasonal ingredients. Adults $3.00; Students $1.00; Under four free.
 

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.

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photo credit: takuya miyamoto* via photopin cc