NJ Things To Do With Kids In Week Between Christmas And New Years

Christmas is over, the presents are unwrapped ... and the kids are still home from school. For an entire week.

Before you pull out your hair in cabin-fever frustration, relax: You've come to right place. Here's Patch's guide to the best New Jersey activities for children and families in the week between Christmas and New Year's.

1. Special planetarium shows at the New Jersey State Museum (205 West State Street Trenton, NJ )

Usually only open on weekends, the state planetarium will offer three different shows in the week between Christmas and New Year's this year, each tailored to different child ages. Special holiday week presentations are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, December 26, 27, 28, 29, 2017. The three shows offered each day are:

11 a.m. Magic Tree House: Space Mission (good for pre-school kids)
Noon Laser Holiday Magic! (all ages)
1 p.m. Dark Universe (NEW) (good for older children and teens)

11 a.m. Magic Tree House: Space Mission
In Magic Tree House Space Mission, a mysterious “M” sends the intrepid Jack and Annie on a fun-filled journey to discover the secrets of the Sun, Moon, planets, space travel and more. Aligned with early elementary information skills learning objectives, this beautifully-produced show is a winner with Magic Tree House book series fans of all ages and school audiences alike. Suitable for families with young children preschool and up.

Noon Laser Holiday Magic!
The NJSM Planetarium invites you to celebrate this magical holiday season with its most spectacular show ever! Our new full-spectrum laser beams dance along with dazzling animated laser effects set to popular holiday music such as Winter Wonderland, Frosty the Snowman and many more. Enjoy a unique, festive experience under the stars at New Jersey’s largest planetarium. Suitable for general audiences.

1 p.m. Dark Universe - NEW
Explore the Universe, a more curious place than we ever imagined! With astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson as your guide, come along on a journey about what we already know, and about the mysteries we have yet to solve in the new show, Dark Universe. You will go beyond the night sky and into deep space to find out how discoveries over the past 100 years have led us to two great cosmic mysteries: dark matter and dark energy. You'll hurtle through Jupiter's atmosphere, peer at the web of dark matter holding galaxies together, and watch the colorful remains of the universe's beginnings unfold. Experience Dark Universe to celebrate the pivotal moments that have brought us unprecedented knowledge of the universe and our place in it - and glimpse the exciting future of cosmic exploration.

For more information, call the NJ State Museum planetarium at (609) 292-6464.

2. Holiday In The Park, Six Flags Great Adventure, 1 Six Flags Blvd., off Route 537, Jackson, NJ

Come see Six Flags transformed with illuminated trees, visits with Santa and stands offering hot chocolate, flavored coffees, cider, cookies and do-it-yourself s'mores, which you can melt at the fire pits. Park admission includes a live music show. Park is open from 1 to 9 p.m. Dec. 26, 27, 28, 29 and Jan. 1. Admission at the park is $76.99; advance-day tickets on-line start at $46.99. Call 732-928-2000 or sixflags.com.

3. Winter Art Studio at the New Jersey State Museum (205 West State Street Trenton, NJ )

Drop by and participate in their free daily art projects! Each day they're offering a different project, inspired by a work from the collection. All ages are welcome to participate. Call 609-695-6274 ext. 132 for times.
December 26 - Recycled Sculptures: View “Adan” by Debra Butterfield, then create your own sculpture from recycled materials.
December 27 - Printmaking: Let “Jacqueline Kennedy II” by Andy Warhol be your inspiration as you create your own block print.
December 28 - Explore texture with paint: View “Soot-Camp” by James Little and “Cobalt Twirl” by Sam Gilliam, then explore new ways of creating texture for abstract painting by mixing different materials into the paint.
December 29 - Earthworks: Learn about earthworks such as “Spiral Jetty” by Robert Smithson, “Sun Tunnels” by Nancy Holt, and more. Then create your own miniature earthwork in the Imagination Studio and photograph it.

4. 12 Days of Science at Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, NJ

‘Tis the season for science! Liberty Science Center’s annual “12 Days of Science” winter celebration returns Dec. 22 and lasts through Jan. 1 this year. Join them every day for festive adventures and fun, including a science-made hockey rink, liquid nitrogen ice cream, penguin and owl presentations, holiday shows in the planetarium, and more. Click here to see our full hours of operation through 12 Days of Science. You can also meet penguins from Jenkinson’s Aquarium in an amazing 20-minute show. Dates for the penguin show are: Dec. 29 – 30. Learn more here: https://lsc.org/explore/exhibi...

5. Winter Vacation Celebration at the Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road Morristown, NJ

Wednesday, December 27, 2017, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Embrace the spirit of the season with a day of indoor winter fun at the Morris Museum. Make winter-themed crafts and see a performance of No Elves! No Elves! in the Bickford Theatre. Enjoy a variety of Museum exhibitions including:

• A Season of Wonder
• Mega Model Trains
• Storybook Style: A Selection of Works from the Minds of Living Illustrators
• Museum Detectives: What is it?

Box office: 973-971-3706

6. Take the kids on a wolf tour (Columbia, NJ 89 Mount Pleasant Road, Columbia, NJ 07832)

Take the kids on amazing guided educational wolf tours of the Lakota Wolf Preserve. Photo opportunities of a lifetime and take in the experience of watching and listening to packs of British Columbian, Timber, and Arctic wolves. Bobcats and foxes also reside at the preserve. Learn all there is to know about this endangered species. Note: You cannot just show up. You must book a tour in advance and tours are offered at 10:30 a.m. or 3 p.m. daily at the reserve. Arrive half an hour early. Call 908-496-9244 to book your tour.

7. The Stirling Hill Mining Museum at 30 Plant Street, Ogdensburg, NJ

Come explore rock and mineral mining for kids ages 7 and up at their Mine Run Dump. Open daily, weather-permitting. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Fees: $5 admission plus $1.50/lb for all material taken. December 26 (Tuesday) - December 31 (Sunday) Open for Public Tours at 1:00 p.m. (daily) The Mine Run dump, conveniently located adjacent to the visitor parking lot, contains hundreds of tons of high-grade zinc ore from the depths of the Sterling Hill Mine. Much of the ore is full of highly fluorescent minerals, making this area a favorite of collectors. Also in this area is a separate, smaller dump containing diverse minerals and rocks from all over the world. Call 973-209-7212 or visit http://sterlinghillminingmuseu...

8. "Sea Of Lights" at Jenkinson's Aquarium, 300 Ocean Ave., Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

"Sea Of Lights" is an indoor holiday lights display at Jenkinson's Aquarium, which will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30. There's also a "Winter Wonderland" with games, pictures with Santa, treats and crafts. Plus your ticket gets you admission to the regular aquarium, which is fun for kids of all ages. Admission is $14, or $9 for seniors 65 and older, $8 for children ages 3 through 12, and free for children ages 2 and younger. 732-892-0600 or jenkinsons.com.

9. Holiday Lights Spectacular at the Turtle Back Zoo, 560 Northfield Avenue, West Orange, NJ

This is a fun, free and beautiful thing to do with children in the evenings, as it's only open from 5 -9 p.m. This beautiful show will continue to run nightly until January 1. Take a winter stroll through the zoo under the sparkling lights of over 50 winter and animal characters. Donations of non-perishable food items, new toys, and gently used coats are greatly appreciated. Santa will be at the gazebo each night, plus other attractions will be open, as well. Open from 5-9 p.m. 'till Jan. 1. Learn more here: http://turtlebackzoo.com/event...

10. Model Train Exhibit at the Barron Arts Center, 582 Rahway Ave., Woodbridge, NJ

The Barron Arts Center Presents the 27th annual Holiday Model Train Exhibit now on view through Dec. 30.

The Barron Arts Center in Woodbridge, New Jersey will once again host an exhibition of model trains curated by Colonia resident Michael Gelesky. The display of over 300 feet of track will feature a moving operating playground and three towns including Main Street U.S.A., a small town in the snowy mountains, The Boardwalk with a Ferris Wheel and Tilt-A-Whirl surrounded by an operating monorail. Eleven different trains will be used in the display with four trains operating at all times. Exhibit hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

11. Family Gallery Programs at the Newark Museum, Newark, NJ

Come at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 30 and make a guided craft activity with museum staff. Through storytelling, music, movement and/or sketching, families with children of all ages engage with the Museum's diverse collections. Meet in the museum lobby. On Dec. 30, the craft is candle holders.

12. The Montclair Art Museum, 3 South Mountain Avenue, Montclair, NJ

The Montclair Art Museum is always family friendly, offering children under 12 free admission all year round and to explore their self-guided Family Learning Lab whenever the galleries are open. This week, they'll also have a series of vacation camps, with before- and after-care available. And every Sunday, they offer Drop-in Studio, a creative art project inspired by the art on view, free for members and included in your museum admission price! (This Sunday they have slightly shorter hours for the holiday, 1–3 p.m. instead of 1–4 p.m.)

December Vacation Camps
December 27–29, 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
NEW! Before and After Care available. Campers can register for individual days or at a discount for all three days.

• Pottery Camp (Ages 5–12)
• Mixed Media Mashup (Ages 5–8)
• Digital Media: Creative Coding (Ages 9–12)

Top photo from a crafts workshop at the New Jersey State Museum