A Garden Party and a Cat in the Hat in the G&G Kids Planner!

It’s Grab & Go Kids Planner time!  Stuck for ideas to entertain the kids this weekend?  We’ve got you covered! 

It’s Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kick-off for summer.  But there’s still plenty to do between opening the pool and firing up the barbeque!  This weekend we’ve got roller and ice skating at the Arenas at Woodbridge, a live appearance by the Cat in the Hat at a storytime reading in Springfield, a garden party with 100,000 blooming irises, and some minor league baseball, complete with a fireworks show!  Sounds like an awesome weekend to me!

As always, be sure to tell us if you think we forgot something.  And if you know of an event that deserves a mention in this planner in the future, be sure to add it to the calendar!

• Foraging for Wild Greens with Wildman Steve Brill at Trainside Nature and Science Center; 452 New Providence Rd., Mountainside; 908-789-3670; Price: $10 per adult (18 or older), $5 per adult (ages 6-17); Saturday, 1-3 PM

“Wildman” Steve Brill, an environmental educator and author best known for his foraging tours through Central Park, takes you on a two hour foraging tour throughout the Watchung Reservation in this program.  Learn to identify, harvest, and use various herbs and greens that are often overlooked, and taste a menu of plants that may otherwise be considered “weeds,” such as pokeweed, burdock, and sassafras.

• Memorial Day Weekend Skating at the Arenas at Woodbridge; 600 Main Street, Woodbridge; 732-596-4103; Price: Varies; Various times throughout the weekend

Special sessions of roller and ice skating will be available all weekend long at the Arenas at Woodbridge.  Traditional afternoon and evening sessions will be offered, as well as Roller Disco and Cosmic Ice Skating sessions Saturday and Friday night, respectively.  Click on the link above for times, and to print out a coupon that entitles you to half price admission on regular sessions with the donation of a new sun block or bug spray to the Blue Star Program.

• The Cat In The Hat Costume Storytime at Barnes and Noble Springfield; 240 Route 22 West, Springfield; 973-376-8554; Price: FREE; Saturday, 11 AM

Dr. Suess’s most famous literary creation comes to life at the Barnes & Noble on Route 22 in Springfield this weekend.  Children ages 1-5 will be treated to a reading of the classic story and an appearance by the Cat in the Hat himself.  Bring your camera!

• Annual Family Garden Party at Presby Memorial Iris Gardens; 474 Upper Mountain Ave., Upper Montclair; 973-783-5974; Price: FREE; Saturday, 10 AM-3 PM

Check out the beautiful Presby Memorial Iris Gardens on Saturday for their Family Garden Party – over 100,000 irises are blooming right now in the gigantic garden!  Live music and refreshments will be provided as you take in the beautiful colors and check out the iris art exhibits of local students.  Another one that you’ll definitely want to have your camera ready for.

• Somerset Patriots Vs. Road Warriors at TD Bank Ballpark, 1 Patriots Park, Bridgewater; 908-252-0700; Price: $7-$13.50 per person; Saturday, 7:05 PM and Sunday 1:35 PM

Baseball season’s in full swing (…get it?), and the Somerset Patriots are probably the best deal around.  The Patriots take on the Road Warriors (a team without a home field) on Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday night features a fireworks show post-game (and believe me, it’s well worth sticking around for!) as well as a Pats tee-shirt for the first 1,000 fans in attendance, while Sunday is Scout Day, $1 hot dog day, AND Jimmy Buffet day, with music pre- and post-game from a Jimmy Buffet cover band.