Laurie R

Laurie Rein is thrilled to have made a career of digging up activities (especially free ones!) for her twin daughters. Prior to working with Mommy Poppins NJ, Laurie wore many hats in the television industry including gigs as an NBC page, NBC copywriter, affiliate liaison for The Rosie O'Donnell Show and research manager for CBS. She is currently the Events Editor for Mommy Poppins NJ and can be reached at njevents@mommypoppins.com

Latest posts by Laurie

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Polar Express, Kidz Bop, Gobble Gobble

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 11/12/2019 - 1:00pm

Get into the Christmas spirit this weekend with a ride aboard the Polar Express in Whippany. Photo courtesy of the railway

This mid-November weekend sparkles and shines with the debut of holiday light displays throughout New Jersey. Drive though Skyland Stadium's dazzling, musical light displays, and experience Storybook Land's holiday parade, featuring the lighting of the park's tree.

There's plenty of family-friendly theater to choose from this week, including performances of Rumpelstiltskin, Frosty & Rudolph, and Kidz Bop World Tour. And Thanksgiving prep is underway with PAWS Discovery Farm's Gobble Gobble and Fosterfields' Thanksgiving Home & Armistice Observance.

Check out our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for NJ Families for more options, and look to our November GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

40+ Free Things To Do with New Jersey Kids in November

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Fri, 11/01/2019 - 7:00am

Celebrate Mexico’s El Día de los Muertos with sugar skull decorating, face painting, strolling mariachis, and more. Photo courtesy of The Arts Council of Princeton

November has arrived, and there’s so much to be thankful for—including free events happening throughout NJ! Enjoy some outdoor time early in the month at admission-free festivals like St. Anthony International Festival, Day of the Dead 2019, and the Short Hills-Millburn Street Fair. Get in the Thanksgiving spirit at Early 19th Century Thanksgiving and Alstede Farms' Pie Tasting Event, both free.

Later in the month, Santa Claus is coming to town! Kick off the holiday season at no-cost celebrations in Princeton, Nutley, Blairstown, and Red Bank. Plus, seasonal light shows make their debut, including Smithville's Holiday Light Show, Turtle Back Zoo Holiday Lights, and Atlantic City's Holiday Musical Light Show.

Read on for this month's picks! For more free and low-cost fun, check out our Event Calendar, as well as our Fall Fun Guide for New Jersey Kids.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: LEGO Expo, Mermaids, Disney Junior

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 10/29/2019 - 10:30am

Check out amazing LEGO creations at the BrickFair LEGO Fan Expo in Secaucus this weekend. Photo courtesy of the fair

November kicks off this weekend with a full roster of outdoor festivals and family-friendly theater in New Jersey. The holiday theater season gets off to an exciting start with Disney Junior Holiday Party! On Tour and NJ Ballet's Hansel & Gretel. For underwater entertainment, visit with real live mermaids at Adventure Aquarium.

Bundle up and spend time outdoors at festivals that include Day of the Dead 2019, St. Anthony International Festival, Short Hills-Millburn Street Fair, and Flemington Touch-a-Truck, all with free admission.

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids for more options for the coming weekend, including Historic Villages in New Jersey. And look to our November GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Still planning for Halloween on Thursday? The forecast is looking a little damp, so be prepared with some backup indoor plans, like Halloween Storytime at the Morven Museum or Face Painting and Trick-or-Treating at the DT234 Gallery and Art Studio in Jersey City. And check out your local mall or library for other indoor trick-or-treating events!

November GoList: The Best Things To Do With NJ Kids This Month

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 10:00am

Put away the pumpkins and get out the garland! November is here, and the holiday season has officially begun.

Thanksgiving is the official start of the holiday season, and you can celebrate the old-fashioned way at Thanksgiving Harvest Home & Armistice Observance and the Historic Village at Allaire. And it's already beginning to look a lot like Christmas, with the start of holiday train rides and holiday light shows like the ones at Skylands Stadium and Turtle Back Zoo. Santa Claus is coming to town, too, with celebrations of his arrival at Storybook Land and in Nutley.

November is also a month full of drama, with everyone's favorite characters taking the stage. Check out family-friendly performances of SpongeBob, Rudolph and Disney Junior Holiday Party.

Read on for more can't-miss events coming up in November, and for even more kid-friendly choices, be sure to check out our Event Calendar, updated daily with new happenings. Happy (beginning of the) Holidays, New Jersey!

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Halloween Fests, Boo at the Zoo, Trunk-or-Treats

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 10/22/2019 - 9:00am

Westfield gets creep and kooky at the weekend-long AddamsFest! Photo courtesy of the event

It's pre-Halloween weekend, and spooky, kooky fun is happening throughout New Jersey! Load up on candy at trick-or-treat events like Boo at the Boardwalk, Trick-or-Treat Weekend at Storybook Land, AddamsFest, and the North Wildwood Trunk-or-Treat Block Party.

Meet some bewitching characters at the Monster Bash and Zombie Walk, HalloWheaton, and Witch's Day Out. Or have Halloween fun with animals at Cape May and Bergen County zoos.

Check out our Halloween Guide for more options for family fun, including the best places to trick-or-treat, ideas for easy last-minute costumes, and plenty of free Halloween happenings. And look to our October GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Halloween Events, Cranberry Festival

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 10/15/2019 - 1:15pm

Dress in your Halloween best and head to the beach for the Cape May Halloween Parade on Sunday. Photo courtesy of the event

It's a boo-tiful pre-Halloween weekend in New Jersey, with a full roster of celebratory festivities. It's never to early to start collecting goodies at trick-or-treat events like Boo at the Boardwalk and Boo at Cohanzick Zoo. Get in the Halloween spirit at a local bash, including Westfield's Addamsfest and the Cape May Halloween Parade. Or celebrate in a unique way on the Halloween Express or at Allaire's haunted village.

Halloween is not the only cause for celebration this weekend. Revel in the season at harvest events like the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival, Hoboken Harvest Festival, and Thompson Park Day.

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids and our Halloween Events and Guide for NJ Kids for more options, including the Ultimate Halloween Guide for NJ Kids. And look to our October GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Ultimate Halloween Guide for NJ Kids: Parades, Pumpkins, Parties

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Sun, 10/06/2019 - 10:48am

The popular Hoboken Ragamuffin Parade features local live music, floats, lots of great costumes, and so much more. Photo courtesy of the parade

Halloween is way too spooktacular for just one day of celebrating! The weeks leading up to the big day are loaded with costume parades, trunk or treats, pumpkin displays, and plenty of FREE Halloween happenings, and we created an Ultimate Halloween Guide to highlight our favorites.

Whether your kids want to visit a haunted house, take a Halloween train ride, pick some pumpkins, trick-or-treat at the zoo, or parade through downtown streets dressed as their favorite superheroes, we’ve rounded up a monstrous list of ways to celebrate.

So get your ghosts and goblins ready, fuel up on candy corn, and don’t forget to brush! Look to our Halloween Guide for even more frightening fun, and check out our Fall Fun Guide for seasonal activities beyond October 31.