Time to Pick Your Own Strawberries in NJ

BY  |  Monday, May 20, 2013 12:00pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

Pick Your Own Strawberries

It’s the season to pick your own strawberries and other berries! Strawberry picking begins in late May/early June and lasts till the end of June or early July. Blueberries are available mid-June and raspberries are available starting in August. Instead of buying your berries in a plastic container, take a day trip to a farm that lets you pick your own. Of course you can get delicious berries at your local farmer’s market too, but picking them is a family event.

Beside juicy berries, these farms offer a variety of family activities. Playgrounds, pony rides, picnic tables, and wagon rides are some of the things you will find to make the kids happy.

Here is a list of pick-your-own farms:

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Learn As They Grow: 4-H Youth Farm Camp—June Bugs and August Bees

BY  |  Saturday, May 18, 2013 8:00am  |  COMMENTS (0)

Girls picking strawberriesIf your children love getting dirty then the new Essex County 4-H Youth Farm Camp is a perfect way for them to get closer to nature and understand the connection between land and where our food comes from.

The Farm Camps will be held at the Urban Farmers Initiative on Orange Road behind the Montclair Historical Society. As well as a community garden, the site houses a chicken coop. This green space will grow organic produce that will be sold at farmer stands and donated within the community to senior groups and food pantries.

The campers will have the opportunity to get out into the field each day and work in the garden, getting their hands dirty by pitching in with farm chores and learning a new theme centered around the garden.

Farm Camp Consultant and Montclair resident , Danielle Yatrakis said “4-H camp will enable people to learn about a community farm”.

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New Sea Lion Sound Exhibit Opens at Turtle Back Zoo

BY  |  Friday, May 17, 2013 10:00am  |  COMMENTS (0)

Sea Lion Sound Exhibit

There are new animals at Turtle Back Zoo! Sea Lion Sound Exhibit recently opened, the largest exhibit to be developed in the zoo’s history.

The Grand Opening was on April 10, and featured special guests Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., Essex County Executive, and Governor Chris Christie, who is pictured below cutting the ceremonial ribbon, and also exploring the new Touch Tank:

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Christmas in May: 2013 Radio City Christmas Spectacular Presale

BY  |  Thursday, May 16, 2013 1:00pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

Radio City Christmas Spectacular

It’s spring, the weather is warm and sunny, and you’re probably thinking of your summer vacation right now, but we have a very, early Christmas gift for you—A Presale for tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular®!

The radiant Radio City Music Hall will be decked out for the season and the Rockettes will shine like never before in a breathtaking new number that transforms the stage into a glistening winter wonderland! Share in the joy with Santa, the Nutcracker, and the unforgettable Living Nativity. Performances begin on November 8, 2013.

Click here and use code PREMOM for special access to great seats before tickets go on sale to the general public on May 21, 2013 at 11 am.

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Plant it Forward—Wanted: Youth Farmers to Grow a Bumper Crop

BY  |  Tuesday, May 14, 2013 1:00pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

Youth Farmers

If you know any youngsters who are yearning for the country life, then here is their chance to get their hands dirty and grow organic produce that will benefit many people in our community.

This year Essex County 4-H’s farm program has expanded from the community garden on Miller Street to an additional new site on Orange Road and it needs youth farmers. It houses a chicken coop as well as a large garden. It is a joint partnership with the Montclair Historical Society who have provided the land and water supply.

The 4-H youth farming initiative began at a community garden in Montclair on Miller Street in 2011. Using the expertise of Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station youth farmers grew nearly 500 lb of produce that was donated to lower income residents in our community and sold at an affordable farm stand in Montclair. Check out the fun video below made by the talented Emmanuela Mujica, who also ran the Miller Street program:

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Millburn’s New Blueprint Studio Offers Kids Classes, Camp, and Parties in Fashion Design and Photography

BY  |  Friday, May 03, 2013 8:00am  |  COMMENTS (0)

BluePrint StudioThere’s a new place in town—Blueprint Studio of Millburn opens June 1 with summer camp, fall classes and birthday parties for kids and teens.

Friends Lauren Zodel and Maria Hartley (who is a local Maplewood mom), both with long careers in fashion, founded Blueprint Studio because they wanted to bring the creativity and vibrancy of the New York City fashion world to the Millburn, Maplewood and South Orange areas.

The studio focuses on fashion and fashion design, as well as photography. As owner Maria explains, “there are so many artistic kids and families in the area, and we really wanted to provide a way to meet this need. Kids love being creative, taking photos, seeing what they can do.”

Maria said that lots of her friends and fellow parents would tell her about their children’s interest in fashion and photography, which helped Maria realize “there was a tremendous need for an outlet that provides what we do. I don’t know of another studio in the area that offers what we do.”

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Building Mental Muscles With Music Builds Achievement

BY  |  Thursday, May 02, 2013 2:00pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

Music Builds Achievement I’ve said it before and it bears repeating: music is super-duper important for kids. It’s good for their souls, and very good for their brains. Debbie Graham’s new Music Builds Achievement (MBA) program is focused on getting the developing brains of kids age 4-8 sharpened on the whetstone of music, using one-on-one, individualized at-home instruction.

Graham, who lives in Little Falls, is a longtime music educator who most recently worked with kids at the Montclair YMCA. She developed the MBA program in New Hampshire, working with an elementary school principal. “We realized there was a need for a skill-development program that reached all learning styles early in a child’s education,” she says. “Our mission was to help all students reach their goals both in and out of the classroom.”

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Eight Unique Sleepover Spots For Kids in NJ and New York City

BY  |  Tuesday, Apr 16, 2013 1:00pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

Unique Sleepover Spots For Kids

Sleep under the Blue Whale at AMNH’s “A Night at the Museum!”

Having a sleepover at a friend’s house is cool, but imagine having a sleepover on a ship or at the American Museum of Natural History. That’s awesome!  We told you about some overnight program options a couple of years ago here, but there are even more options these days.

 

 

Here are eight unique sleepover spots for kids in NJ and New York City:

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Barista Kids Summer Camp Guide 2013

BY  |  Monday, Apr 15, 2013 2:30pm  |  COMMENTS (0)

Barista Kids Summer Camp Guides 2013Have you signed up your kids for summer camp yet? In case you haven’t , we’ve put together all three of our comprehensive Summer Camp Guides for your convenience. We will continue to update them as we learn of new camp options for your family. Barista Kids Summer Camp Guides 2013

Here is our Barista Kids Summer Camp Guide for 2013:

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How to See the New Walt Disney World Fantasyland in 5 Easy Steps

BY  |  Monday, Apr 08, 2013 10:00am  |  COMMENTS (0)

Walt Disney World Fantasyland Have you heard about “New” Disney World Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom? If you haven’t been to Walt Disney World in a while, it will knock you for a loop. It’s the largest expansion project in WDW history, actually doubling the size of Fantasyland. Gone (sadly) are Mickey and Minnie’s neighboring houses among other things (you can meet the mice in Town Square Theater near the park entrance now). What’s new? Two massive castles, one for Belle and one for Arielle, in an Enchanted Forest area, and expanded Dumbo and Goofy rides in a Storybook Circus setting. Although Disney fans have been visiting here in full force, I was there for a special sneak preview when the new “land” opened and found the best way to beat the crowds while seeing all the sights.

If your heading to Disney World for spring break or summer vacation, just use this easy step-by-step plan and you’ll experience it all, without wilting in the heat.

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