Our crazy viral post.

Last month something amazing happened.  I wrote a post on my website about the Free and Almost Free Places to Visit in New Jersey and the Surrounding States.  The post went viral.  It exploded!  There were so many wonderful comments and suggestions for places.  It definitely kept me busy for a good few weeks.  I am grateful for all the wonderful responses, and apologize if I couldn't get to answer all of them!  Here is the link to the post: http://www.happyfamilyart.com/Free-Places-For-Family-Fun-NJ.html  I hope you like it!

What we have been up to in April, 2014



I realize that I probably should update this blog more often!  At this point in my life I just can't squeeze the extra time.  However, to see all the new things on our website you could just go to www.happyfamilyart.com  In the meantime, I am going to commit to doing a monthly update. 
Here is the update for April, 2014!!!
Let's see what we did.

We visited the Morris Museum in NJ: http://www.happyfamilyart.com/Our-Visit-To-Morris-Museum-NJ.html

We also went to IPlay America for some fun in an arcade and indoor rides.  It was great.  Read more about it here: http://www.happyfamilyart.com/Our-Visit-To-IPlayAmerica.html

 

We made quite a few great crafts.  Like these recycled portfolios: http://www.happyfamilyart.com/Recycled-Art-Portfolios.html

And these lovely flower hairbands made from recycled t-shirts: http://www.happyfamilyart.com/Recycled-Tshirt-Headband.html
 



 

Of course there is an art project there as well, Watercolor Water Lilies: http://www.happyfamilyart.com/Painting-Water-Lilies.html

 

 

I also added a few new sections.  One of them is all about art history for kids.  These are new, so there are only a few things there.  So far we have an art lesson on Georges Seurat: http://www.happyfamilyart.com/Georges-Seurat-Art-Lesson.html
 

Another is on Louis Comfort Tiffany: http://www.happyfamilyart.com/Tiffany-Stained-Glass-Art-Lesson.html

 

I also added a section on Photography.  I dubbed it a 1000 Photos Project.  I am hoping to improve my photo taking skills as I climb to a 1000 Photos.  Here is a link for that section, I do hope you like it: http://www.happyfamilyart.com/1000-Photos-Project.html

 

I think that is about it for the month of April! I hope you enjoyed it, and stop by again!  Also, I love comments, and don't be shy about using the contact me page with any questions!  Thank you, and see you at the end of this May!



Green Meadows Farm

This spring we went to Green Meadows Farm with my kids.  They love animals, so a place where you could touch, feed and play with all kinds of animals was right up their alley.  With Green Meadows you have to know the time they are open, as it is only a short while in the spring/ beginning of summer and another short while in the fall.  Also, if you decide to go, beleive it or not, weekends are better then weekdays.  On the weekdays it gets pretty crazy with school trips.  We went on a Sunday, and it was not too bad.  Here is their website for all the info: http://www.greenmeadowsfarmnj.com/

My boys got to pet little duckies, bunnies, puppies, kittens, piggies, goats and so much more.  My older one braved up and milked a cow, my hubby and younger one chickened out.  We met an amazingly big horse, some cranky alpacas, donkeys, an angry turkey.  They got to feed some adorable goats, one of which kept escaping and running away and made all the kids laugh. 

Overall it was a wonderful day for them, at the end of which they were tired and happy.  What else can you ask for?

Here are a few pictures, as always:

 

Rafting on Delaware Water Gap

A new note on this trip:
This summer (2013) we made it rafting again.  Same place, except this time we had three kids with us.  We took the 4 mile trip and it was very manageable with younger kiddies.  Also we rented a tube to tie to our raft, which made it so much more fun!!! You do need to make sure that the water is safe for a tube.  We called in a week before, and were told that the waters are too cold and choppy to use a tube due to some rains, so we had to wait a bit to go.  The following week we called and were good to go.  The tube definitely made it more fun for the older kids, and the braver younger kids.  I also managed to accidentally drown my old camera in the river, so no pictures from this trip.  It was a ton of fun. 

Oh, and on the same note, we went to the restaurant that we enjoyed the year before that was just down the road from the rafting place.  The ownership changed, and so did the food.  Not as good as I remember.
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A few times a year in the summer time we like to get a cooler full of sandwiches and drinks, throw on our swimming suits and go rafting.  There are many good places along the Delaware Water Gap to rent a raft from.  There is one in French Town that actually serves lunch.  There are many up north, around Sparta.  They all have different deals, depending on what you are looking for.  Some are great for large groups, some have restrictions on kid ages (usually 4 years old is as young as you can take a child on a raft safely).  We go with just the kids and us, so the place where a kid is free with a paid adult is the kind of place for us.

We usually use this one :
http://www.indianheadcanoes.com/

Up to four kids under 12 go free with two paying adults, which really works for us. This time we took the 7 mile trip, the river on that stretch was way too calm. The 9 mile trip takes just as much time, which means more rapids, more fun. With two smallish kids the 4 mile trip would've been enough.  We stopped on the bank to enjoy our lunch, splash and swim.  My older son enjoyed swimming alongside the raft during the calmer water.  We met a few cool fishermen that educated us about Shad.  Overall, the kids and us were really tired at the end, but it was a fun experience!

 

 

Summer Bucket List

Summer is over, lets tally this up:

This summer there are so many places I would like to go to with my kids, I decided to make a list.  For someone who is not a list person, this is my second list in a week, weird stuff... 

I think that there are too many places, that, in fact, we won't make it to all of them.  We will, however, make it to some, and that's ok with me. 

Here is my summer bucket list:

1.  Reeves Reed Arboretum in Summit, NJ      http://reeves-reedarboretum.org/
Never made it there.  Hoping to do it in the spring this year.  It is a shame, as it is really close to home. 

2.  Land Of Make Believe in Hope, NJ http://www.lomb.com/
YES.  Made it, Loved it!

3.  Rafting on Delaware River, probably with Indian Head Canoes.
YES.  Great time!!!

4.  Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC.
NOPE.  We did make it to the Empire State Building and the Statue Of Liberty though, so that counts.

5.  Bushkill Falls in PA, http://www.visitbushkillfalls.com/
NO.  But we went to the Ringing Rocks State Park with friends.  More to come later.

6.  NJ Grounds For Sculpture  http://www.groundsforsculpture.org/
NO.  Actually, I went for the tickets at the library and someone checked them out five seconds before me. Next time.  It is going to happen soon!!

The rest of them are a no at the moment, but we did have some other wonderful trips that I didn't anticipate, so there.  We are still planning to do all these places really soon, so stay tuned!

7.  Space Farm Zoo, Sussex, NJ

8.  The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, http://www.stickleymuseum.org/

9.  Museum of Early Trades and Crafts: http://www.metc.org/

10. Montclair Art Museum www.montclairartmuseum.org

11.  Bowman Hill Tower and Flower Preserve in Bucks County, PA.  http://www.bhwp.org/

12.  Thomas Edison Memorial Park, in West Orange, NJ. http://www.nps.gov/edis/index.htm

Some of the places that we have been to, I would like to come back to this year for another visit.  Places like Six Flags, Longwood Gardens,  Turtleback Zoo, and Bergen County Zoo, New Hope, Howell's Living History Farm and Liberty Science Center are among the few. We would also like to go to the NJ Beaches at least once a week.  This year we like Sandy Hook.  Lakes are a good place to go also.

Longwood Gardens, PA

Longwood Gardens in PA has got to be one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Every year one of my kids asks to make it a Birthday Destination.  You see, on their birthdays, instead of doing kiddie parties we pick a place and have a family trip instead.  Longwood Gardens is usually on the list.  My younger one especially enjoys it.

From where we are, the drive is about 2 hours, and it is definately worth it!

With thousands of different flowers, trees, shrubs and bushes, the colors are magnificent. The walkways twist and turn through flower beds and arches covered in roses. There are flowers there that I have never seen in my life, brought in from all over the world. It is so big, that it's never crowded. If you go on a weekday you could walk through the whole garden and not meet more then 10 people along the way.

Every year we go I am pleasntly surprised as to how much my boys and I enjoy this trip.  They excitedly skip through the gardens, run around bushes cut in fun shapes, take turns sticking their head into a giant dog cut out of a shrub. They are enlessly amused by the three giant tree houses that you can climb up to, and the organ room where you could try different sounds, and of course playing with water fountains. The children's garden inside is magical, with lights and fountains. It's the kind of place where you can imagine fairies playing after closing time.

 

This is their website, with address, directions and other info:
http://www.longwoodgardens.org/

Of course, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a few pictures that I took through the years that we have been going there:

Giggleberry Fair, PA

Last week the kids and I were headed to Bucks County, PA, to run some errands.  To make this routine trip more fun for them I like to pick a cool place to visit in that neighborhood.  Some place that we haven't been to before.  This time I chose Giggleberry Fair on friend's recommendation. 

Giggleberry Fair is located in Peddler's Village, PA.  On it's own Peddler's Village has many shops, outlets, restaurants and much more to explore.  There are some truly outstanding stores there.  To see their full list of shops, visit: http://www.peddlersvillage.com/shop/ . Be sure to check out the Village Toy & Doll Shoppe if you are there with your kids!

This time we were there just to visit Giggleberry Fair.  It was a weekday, so not crowded at all.  Giggleberry Fair has a wonderful restored Carousel.  It has quite a long history, and you can read about it right here: http://www.peddlersvillage.com/kids/grand_carousel.aspx The carousel is beautiful, and even my all too grown up almost twelve year old enjoyed riding on it.  Because it wasn't crowded, we were able to go on quite a few times. 

For children aged 6 and under there is the Giggles Discovers! area and it looks to be a lot of fun. http://www.peddlersvillage.com/kids/giggles_discovers.aspx We took a peek, but my 6 year old wanted to do what his older brother was doing, which was the arcade and the Giggleberry Mountain. Giggleberry Mountain is a large obsticle course and maze.  It has six floors, and a ton of foam berries (balls) that you can shoot, put into a 'berry fountain', vacuum, throw at each other. I enjoyed the Giggleberry Mountain as much as my boys. Though the website states that it is designed for children aged 6 -12, I stayed on the ground, filling the fountain with the balls and shooting it at my kids. Also, obsessively vacuuming the 'berries' of the floor, that was just my 'cleaning mommy' self taking over.

Here is the website for Giggleberry Mountain: http://www.peddlersvillage.com/kids/giggleberry-mountain.aspx 

The arcade there is clean, and the folks working at the place very accomodating.  The machines swallowed our coins a few times, and once we spoke up it was taken care of right away.  There is someone there ready to assist, and you don't have to be running around, looking for a person to help you. The games at the arcade were good for the younger kid, and for the older one.  There was also a giant touch screen Fruit Ninja game for the ultimate Fruit Ninja in our household, mommy. 

If you get hungry, they have a menu of food available.  Mostly it's the usual pizza, french fries and chicken fingers.  We didn't eat there, but it's available. 

Overall the kids enjoyed it very much.  The little one keeps asking to come back there soon.  We easily spend two hours there.  They also have specials, different activities, and you can celebrate your kid's birthday there. 

When we got there, we paid $12.99 per kid for the Child Activity Package.  It gets access to Giggleberry Mountain, giggles Discovers! and unlimited Carousel rides. I felt that it was a good price for all the activities there.  To see all the pricing and information please go to their site here: http://www.peddlersvillage.com/kids/prices_information_contact.aspx

The Carousel was so pretty, I took some more photos. Here they are!

 



My youngest picked Giggleberry Fair as his birthday destination.  Thursday is a double day.  They double the amount of tickets you win in the arcade.  He had a blast, and since daddy won the jackpot with tickets both him and his brother wound up winning a nice toy there. :)

Liberty Hall Museum in Kean University

"Built in 1772 and home to generations of Livingstons and Keans, Liberty Hall traces the history of America through its 50 rooms and exhibits."-- retrieved on 2/21/2013, from http://www.kean.edu/libertyhall/photogallery/

Even though fall is a busy time for us with learning, and regular activities like art and soccer, we did squeeze in a trip to the Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University. We were very pleasantly surprised at how much fun the trip turned out to be. My boys are usually boisterous and like to run around a lot, so a structured lecture about American History, no matter how interesting the setting, is usually not something up their alley. This was a complete break from the norm for us.

Let's begin with the fact that it was free with a library pass for us and our friends. The tour started with a short video about Livingstons and Keans. After the video we went ahead to the rest of the property. We had a private tour because we were the only ones there. Our guide was an elderly history buff who was wonderful and serious, and kid friendly at the same time. They have a great collection of old and completely restored fire engines, including one that kids could climb on, we especially enjoyed that one. The gardens were beautiful, complete with small paths for kids to run on and release some of that energy, and wonderful flowers. They also had apple orchard there and a small operational farm. Very unexpected so close to NYC. We were offered to go apple picking after the tour, but couldn't this time. Next time we will give it a try.

The house was most definitely haunted, which the kids enjoyed a lot. It difficult to wrap your mind around how much this house has seen. It is soaked with history and energy that makes it seem alive. It is very carefully preserved and there are no photos allowed on the inside. All the furnishings, the dishes, the clothing, the toys, it all speaks of how people lived during their time. The kids especially noticed that humans, in general, were much smaller back then, based on sizes of beds. The kitchen is completely preserved as it was and wonderful to see. There are so many portraits of previous owners that look at you as much as you look at them. There is also a famous ghost story associated with the house that you'll just have to hear from the guide!

It was an educational, American History close up kind of experience. I highly recommend it. We all took the time to soak it all in, and enjoyed ourselves tremendously.

After the tour was done, we spend quite a bit in the gift shop on the replicas of the Constitution, Bill Of Rights, and Declaration Of Independence.

Here is the website of the museum with information: http://www.kean.edu/libertyhall/
On this site you will find a photogallery of the inside of the house: http://www.kean.edu/libertyhall/photogallery/

Of course a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are just a few below that I took that day.

Watchung Reservation

Trailside Nature Center and Watchung Reservation is a wonderful place to visit with your family!  The Nature Center is a free museum. The kids, especially the younger ones will have a blast there.  Since we live nearby we come here often, and my kids still enjoy it.  They also offer classes at a very good rate, and my kids loved it when they were little and a bit older.  You can also celebrate your kids' birthdays there at a reasonable price, or schedule a class for a group.  Throughout the year they have many activities, fun events, fairs and performances.  You would have to check their website for the schedule.

Here is the website with their info, including hours and directions:
http://ucnj.org/community/parks-community-renewal/parks-facilities/trailside-beta/ 

When you are at the Trailside Center make sure to pick up a map with hiking trails.  Watchung Reservation has many wonderful hiking trails to explore, a lake to waddle in, turtles to find, frogs to catch and many more things to entertain you. There is also a brand new playground that was built this year for kids to run and play in.

We love hiking and do it often. Watchung Reservation has got to be one of our favorite places to hike.  There is an abundance of trails, you can enjoy a long hike or just go down to the lake and back up for a short hike.  There are many trails and getting lost is a possibility, so make sure to pick up the map of trails at the Nature Center!  Everytime we go we pick a different trail, and come back with different treasures. There is a lake you can skip rocks in, and a stream you have to cross by skipping from rock to rock, and a small dam with a waterfall, trees with giant roots where you can catch tiny baby frogs, trees you can climb on, an old cemetery you can pass through, and a deserted village.   We have spotted box turtles, snapping turtles, and one time stepped into a snake den, where a water snake was in the middle of eating a giant toad. We also have seen an albino deer, he was completely white, and absolutely awesome. 

Here are a few photos I took while hiking there:

 

 

 

 

Deserted Village in Watchung Reservation is a great hiking destination located in the Watchung Reservation.
There is a long history to this place: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feltville_Historic_District

You can park in the parking lot, or hike. It was a long hike, especially with little kids, a little more then an hour from the Nature Center starting point. Last time we went it was with a few good friends. It helps going with good company.  Behind the village we came down the steep slope, a bit off trail, and into a shady ravine with a stream. That is where most of the fun was to be had. All the kids promptly took their shoes off, and were splashing barefoot through the stream.  There were some fallen trees accross the ravine that everyone had fun climbing, and some big rocks you could go on accross the stream also.  Everyone had so much fun!

Here are a few photos of the Deserted Village and the stream below it.

 

 

 If you love horses, the Watchung Stable is adjacent and a short ride away.

 

 It truly is an amazing place, with so many things to do and see.

Panderosa Park in Scotch Plains

Hooray, finally a water spray ground in Central Jersey, that is not too far from us! The best part: it is free!
Panderosa Park is brand new, just opened in 2012, right off Cooper Road in Scotch Plains.  It is a beautiful playground with water spraying out of many fountains.  So much fun for the kids to play with.
Most parents take chairs and sit on the grass under the shade of trees, watching thier kiddies have fun.  Many bring a picnic lunch to enjoy.  It is a beautiful place to spend the day.

Have to give a heads up! If your kid wants to play in the water please bring or wear shoes that can get wet and be comfy.  The ground heats up like crazy, even on the mild days.  It is all that rubber.  My kids burned their feet the first time they went, and now we know better.  It is still a great place, just need to be aware of this one small detail!

Strawberry Picking and Hacklebarney State Park

When we went to pick strawberries for the very first time in our lives I randomly picked a farm from NJ list of farms. Just pointed a finger to a place on a page. It turned out to be Donaldson Farms in Hackettstown, NJ, http://www.donaldsonfarms.net/.

Luckily for us, the place was amazingly beautiful, with rows and rows of strawberries. The store inside was nice also. There were a few goats in the shed and a 'pump it yourself' underground well. My kids ran ahead when they saw the animals, and by the time my hubby and I walked slowly over to them, the little one was having a deep and meaningful conversation with one of the goats. :) The strawberries were delicious as well.

After the farm we went to find a good place to sit down and have a picnic. We drove around for a bit, enjoyed some of the sights in the area. Wound up landing in Hacklebarney State Park, http://www.stateparks.com/hacklebarney.html. After the picnic we decided to take a little hike. In Hacklebarney there are a few decent sized rivers creating multiple waterfalls on their way down. My kids really loved skipping across the waterfalls on the giant boulders. Luckily we came home with all our faces intact.

The delicious strawberries we picked:

Hacklebarney State Park: