In-Person Classes Enrolling New Jersey Kids For Fall 2020

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Take a class on the Genius Gems Terrace. Photo courtesy of Genius Gems

While remote learning plays a key role in the curriculum of many New Jersey schools this fall, in-person extracurricular activities can provide much-needed socializing and screen breaks for housebound students. Kids of all ages can burn energy in athletic classes, explore their creativity in art workshops, and expand their learning in technology classes. We've rounded up nearly two dozen in-person classes for New Jersey kids this fall. Some are classes in the great outdoors, while others take place indoors with social distancing guidelines in place. If you need more support during virtual school hours, be sure to see our roundup of centers offering remote learning support in-person and homework help this fall.

Check out these diverse fall class options, and find more extracurricular opportunities in our online Back-to-School Fair or our Guide to Classes for New Jersey Kids.

Support for Hybrid Learners and Homeschool Pods on Long Island in Fall 2020

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Fish Academy provides a safe learning environment and aquarium educators who provide support. Photo courtesy of the aquarium

School is upon us, but the 2020-21 school year is anything but ordinary. Whether your district is doing remote learning, a hybrid model, or you've created a homeschooling pod, it's likely you're going to need a little more support than normal.

Luckily, community organizations, small businesses, and local entrepreneurs are here to help, filling the void left by extraordinarily challenging school schedules. We've rounded up a handful of spots offering support for hybrid and remote learners, plus organizations willing to provide a little programming for your pod.

Classes for Learning Pod Enrichment and Remote Learning Support in NYC

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FIAF offers learning pod support for children as young as age 5. Photo courtesy of FIAF

Many New York City parents are turning to learning pods, made up of small groups of like-minded families, to alleviate the stress during this surreal time of part-time school schedules. But, beyond the regular remote learning curriculum, what's a learning pod to do? Many of our favorite local providers and community orgs are stepping up to the plate, offering extra enrichment for your learning pod. If you don't have a pod, some of these spots help you build one; and, if you'd rather go-it-alone, others provide plenty of support for remote learners with drop-off programs where kids can complete assignments and receive tutoring support in safe, supervised environments.

Best Things To Do in Westchester in September With Kids: Hot Air Balloons, and More

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The 29th Annual Hudson Valley Hot Air Balloon Festival is going to be hosted drive-in style at Tymor Park in Union Vale, New York. Photo courtesy of the festival

Live, in-person things to do with kids in Westchester and the Hudson Valley continue to roll out. We're here to ease the stress of the impending return to school with plenty of socially distanced events to enjoy long after you've savored your Labor Day barbecue. We've even got a Back-to-School Fair planned to help you round out your child's extracurricular activity schedule, whether you're looking for in-person or virtual class offerings.

We've welcomed the news that several sizable annual traditions have been reimagined for a safe return in 2020, like the spectacular Hudson Valley Hot Air Balloon Festival. Halloween season is kicking off this month, too, with the return of the Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze and Home of "the Legend." While the weather remains warm, September is full of outdoor entertainment—from drive-in movies to live performances. 

Read on for our September event picks, as well as venues that are now open to visitors. Be sure to keep tabs on our daily Event Calendar to stay in the know! If you're looking for more things to do, we're continuing to maintain our list of virtual event picks plus activities to enjoy nearby—like hikes in our state parks, visits to swimming lakes, and more socially distant activities.

Explore The Nature of Color at the American Museum of Natural History

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Play with light and color at the American Museum of Natural History's "The Nature of Color," which is newly reopened along with the rest of the museum. Photo by D. Finnin/courtesy AMNH

After a months-long shutdown, the American Museum of Natural History is on the brink of reopening Wednesday, September 9, and its special exhibition hall is aglow with the vibrant The Nature of Color exhibit, which lets visitors explore the role and power of color in the natural world, human cultures, and in our personal lives.

The Nature of Color reveals how color carries information in nature—where organisms use it to find food, ward off predators, and conceal or reveal themselves—and across cultures, where different colors can signal a wide range of meanings, from good luck to power to a sense of urgency.

While museum visitors may be anxious to see the famous dioramas or the towering T. Rex and its prehistoric dinosaur friends, this colorful, rainbow-hued exhibition is destination-worthy on its own, once you've nabbed your (now-required) timed-entry tickets to the museum. Get the details on how to snag your tickets to AMNH and all the other recently reopened, or opening soon, museums here.

12 Things About Distance Learning that Don't Suck

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Pick whatever seat (or angle) you choose for online learning.

Distance learning is hard and almost no one's first choice—this we know. But not everything about it is awful. In fact, there are even a dozen or so things about it that my family has found kind of nice.

We may be wishing for the good old days, but sometimes it's good to remember that these are the good old days. And the 12 things below might even be things we'll miss about remote learning when all this is a bizarre memory.

Find loads of remote learning resources in our 2020 Back-to-School Guide.

Outdoor Art Day Trips Near NYC

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Jeffrey Gibson; 'Because Once You Enter My House It Becomes Our House;' 2020; Courtesy the Artist; Socrates Sculpture Park; Sikkema Jenkins & Co., NY; Kavi Gupta, Chicago; Roberts Projects, LA; Image by Scott Lynch

If you're looking for an escape and craving a little culture, outdoor sculpture gardens are the perfect destination for the entire family. While New York features some of the world's most famous art museums, many of which have reopened or are doing so soon, the metro area is also home to a diverse array of sculpture exhibits by international contemporary artists. At these outdoor art destinations in the city and nearby, you'll be enchanted by forests, meticulous gardens, and even a labyrinth of stone.

From Midtown Manhattan to the sprawling Hudson River Valley and Long Island's majestic Gold Coast, we've found 11 sculpture gardens and destinations to see outdoor art near New York City. So, spend the day strolling through wide-open spaces, gazing at stunning, larger-than-life sculptures, and breathing the fresh fall air. Pack a picnic and head out to one of these destinations for the perfect fall family day trip.

Find more seasonal fun in our Fall Fun Guide and consider these 30 fall family day trips nearby, too.

Here's the NYC Public School Calendar for 2020-2021

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The NYC DOE has finally announced its schedule for the 2020-21 school year.

If you've got a child in public school, you live by the school calendar. The 2020-21 school year has already been off to a surprising start, with last week's announcement that the first day of school has been pushed back. Many local NYC preschools follow the public school schedule, too. The New York City Department of Education's calendar for the 2020-2021 school year is below, and you'll want to bookmark it now for reference—and to help with planning family vacations and school break camp coverage. 

Of course, we've been reminded over and over again that this school year will be one unlike any other, so the dates may not be as set in stone as in years past, but at least parents have a framework now. 

These are all of the dates you can count on your kiddos being out of school—or away from their remote learning device—during the 2020-2021 school year.

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