If the weather is good, the QuickChek Festival of Ballooning can be fun. When we went last year, it was approximately 300 degrees (heat index) outside and we were on an airstrip with no natural shade. Well, at some point we [...]]]>

Up to 125, er, 60 balloons at a time. (Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan)

If the weather is good, the QuickChek Festival of Ballooning can be fun. When we went last year, it was approximately 300 degrees (heat index) outside and we were on an airstrip with no natural shade. Well, at some point we had a little shade when the tethered balloon carrying customers up a few hundred feet at $20 a pop went up, blocking the sun. But their ride was short, and so was our shade.

The festival promised up to 125 balloons in a mass ascension. That was a big deception. They rose one at a time, and we counted 55. Not that 55 balloons in the sky isn’t a beautiful sight. But it would have been more accurate to say “up to 60 balloons” and then expectations would have been lowered – of course so would ticket sales.

guess who was one of the sponsors? (Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan)

The most popular booths at this festival were the drink sponsors giving away one ounce liquid samples. We didn’t particularly care what kind of liquids – we were so thirsty, we might have sucked down antifreeze. Even the kids commented how delicious the diet teas and Pepsi One sodas were. They certainly tasted better than the water we brought, which was at boiling point after about 15 minutes.

Lots of colors and styles...(copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan)

In terms of activities, they have a kids’ tent. Here’s what’s on the lineup:

my favorite balloon (copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan)

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They have an early morning 5k run and some other exercises, if you’re up for that. The run is on Sunday, July 29

Then there are the concerts. The concerts are free, but if you want a close-up seat you need to pay. Still, with kids, who can sit through an entire concert? Last year we sat on the sidelines and there was no speaker pointed in our direction. That made it difficult to hear, even though we had a full view of the open stage. This year’s line-up includes Eddie Money (Friday, July 27 at 8 p.m.), Smokey Robinson (Saturday, July 28 at 8 p.m.), Ross Lynch from Austin and Aly (Sunday, July 29 at 1 p.m.), and Bret Michaels (Sunday, July 29 at 3 p.m.),

Highlights: the misting tent (wet t-shirt contest!)

gathering steam (or air) (copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan)

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BALLOON RIDES

You can go on a tethered balloon ride for $20. Not so exciting if you ask me (though I didn’t do it). You can go on an untethered balloon ride for $200-$225.

IF YOU GO

When:  July 27-29, 2012

Where: Solberg Airport at Whitehouse Station. Directions here.

Tickets: You can get discounted tickets at the QuickChek store. You can also get discounted tickets online, though you’ll pay a fee.

Advanced adult general admission tickets are $17. Advanced kid general admission tickets (ages 4-12) are $7. Ages 3 and under are free.

At the gate, adult general admission tickets are $30, kids tickets are $15. Ages 3 and under are free.

Parking: $5 (get free parking by using the shuttle bus from Raritan Valley College. Info here.

Food: they have plenty of food and drink stands. You won’t go hungry.

these didn't actually go up in the sky, unfortunately (copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan)

What we learned:

-Male fireflies use their light to attract females, and answer her flash by pointing his toward her for full effect.

-The male firefly lantern may be [...]]]> Having recently visited one of Puerto Rico’s Bio Bays, we were excited to see the American Museum of Natural History’s newest exhibit, Creatures of Light.

What we learned:

-Male fireflies use their light to attract females, and answer her flash by pointing his toward her for full effect.

-The male firefly lantern may be 10 times larger than the female’s.

-Fireflies may only have 2 weeks to reproduce, so don’t hold onto it for long!

-Firefly larva live in the ground and live fireflies spend the daytime hours in the grass.

-Bioluminscence is the light caused by a living organism, through a chemical reaction. It’s cold light, though, not hot light that we’re used to. They’re part plant and part animal.

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-Dinoflagellates (the organisms in bio bays) have been around 1.2 billion years – older than dinosaurs!

-These dinoflagellates know when it’s day time and can stop emitting light again until night.

-80% of all billuminscent groups are in the ocean. No flowers, plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians or mammals glow, but there are bioluminscent fungi and insects.

-In the Waitomo Caves of New Zealand (hubby and visited there on our honeymoon), glowworms (which are larva) living on the cave ceiling spin out sticky threads that not only glow (and glow more when they’re hungry), they attract/trap food.

-Grown up glowworms from this cave are fungus gnats.

What the kids liked: They liked mimicking the firefly call/response pattern with flashlights provided in the exhibit. They liked walking through the mock “bio bay” where the light pooled around their feet with motion, and they liked looking at the Waitomo mock cave with glowing lights. They also enjoyed the film at the end, which showed glowing fish.

The downside: there were a few interactive elements in the exhibit, but not much that was “real.” It was mostly models.

If you Go:

Just a warning that it’s very dark in the exhibit. Admission is timed. We spent maybe 30-45 minutes in the exhibit.

Ticket prices for Creatures of Light: Museum members can see Creatures of Light for free. If you have a corporate membership, the cost is $12.50/adult or $8/child for Creatures of Light admission.

If you’re not a member, a combined ticket (museum entrance and Creatures of Light admission) are $25/adult, $14.50/child, $19/senior, $19/student. If you buy online there’s an additional $2/person fee.

Supersaver tickets, which include Journey to the Stars, Butterflies, Beyond Earth and Creatures of Light are $33/adult, $20.50/child,  and $25.50/senior or student.

Terracotta Warriors exhibit. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

(Tickets and discount ticket information at the bottom)

The [...]]]> The Egyptians had their pyramids and burial chambers filled with goods they thought they’d need in the afterlife. Chinese emperors were buried with a full size army. Fortunately this army was made of terracotta, but 8,000 soldiers strong.

Terracotta Warriors exhibit. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

(Tickets and discount ticket information at the bottom)

The army is thought to include 130 chariots and 520 chariot horses and 150 cavalry horses (2 of which are on display at this exhibit), and nonwarriors like acrobats and musicians. The soldiers formed a large army in complete battle formation. They were buried in three pits, which are not fully excavated.

While they were buried 210-209 BCE (to protect the emperor during the afterlife), they weren’t discovered until 1974 (aside from some looting not too long after burial), when farmers were digging a well 1.5 km from the burial mound. The emperor was buried in a complex that was designed as a smaller version of his imperial palace (thought to dwarf the pyramids). While the pits containing the soldiers were intentionally buried (after being covered with a wooden ceiling, reed mats and waterproofing clay layers), additional soil accumulated on top.

Like King Tut (back to the Egypt theme), Qin Shi Huang took power early, at the age of 13, fighting the other 6 Chinese provinces for power. He unified China for the first time in history, reconstructing the country’s laws, norms and monetary systems. He built the Great Wall of China.

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Is this exhibit appropriate for kids? It depends. The organizers recommend it for kids in middle school to high school, since they might have studied this period in history.

Exhibit Walk-Through: The exhibit starts with a 4 minute movie that provides a good overview of the time period. The screen rises dramatically, ushering you into the exhibit. It was a great entrance.

The entrance to the Terracotta Warriors exhibition. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

The first part of the exhibit focuses on artifacts from that time period (and before), including some food storage vessels, belt hooks, part of a drainage system, and other items. This part was not particularly exciting, and the history is detailed (especially for someone like me who has no background). Some of the items here wer e buried in Qin’s warrior tomb.

An ancient drainage pipe made in China. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

The next part of the exhibit contains 10 original terracotta figures, and one that’s been recreated (the archer). 10 is the most that the Chinese government will allow displayed out of China at one time. The acrobat (which is missing an arm and leg) is making its U.S. debut. There’s also a movie about the discovery. One of the figures on display is a general, only one of 9 generals unearthed.

The hall of the Terracotta Warriors exhibition. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

I think the kids would enjoy this part, since the statues are detailed and horses will be a draw. The recreated archer is interesting, partly because it’s painted to look like it would have looked when it was buried (the originals have lost their paint). There’s a short archery video showing what it would have been like to have the thousands of Chinese soldiers shoot arrows in sync. Imagine the Beijing Olympic game opener, and you have the general idea.

The archer at the Terracotta Warriors exhibition. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

The exhibit then moves on to the next few emperors, and their burial armies. These are smaller and less dramatic, but no less interesting. The kids would enjoy seeing the farm animals (clay) buried.

Animals from the Han dynasty tombs at the Terracotta Warriors exhibition. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Adults will get a kick out of the “sex toy” objects.

Don't try this at home! Only at the Terracotta Warriors exhibition. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

The Figures: they were created in parts (heads, legs, arms and torsos separately). It’s thought that 8 face molds were used, but then individualized with clay. Like the drainage pipes shown above, the body could be assembled in a line. You’ll see differences in footwear, hair style and height (taller ones held higher power). Though the weapons aren’t present now, they once held them, and they were painted in brighter colors.

Each of the 8,000 Terracotta Warrior faces is unique. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Read more interesting facts (like how the artisans were buried after they were finished, so they wouldn’t share the whereabouts of the tomb) here.

Lessons for Kids:

-You can talk with the kids about how history is remembered from the survivors and the historic writings. The exhibit focuses on the writings of historian Sima Quin and whether his narrative is reliable and accurate. As the exhibit says, only archeology can verify the accuracy.

-Maps throughout the exhibit show the changes of the Chinese land over time.

-You can look at the artifacts to see whether they were used by nobility or regular citizens, and what difference that makes in the material and quality.

-You can talk about the styles of war, and the reasons for war. Emperor Qin used military strategy of allying with distant states to attack neighbors and gain power. The Art of War by Sun Tzu was written during this time period.

-The spoils go to the victors. The other states had to conform to Qin’s state after he gained power. This meant converting their currency to his and changing their culture as well.

Figures from the Han dynasty tomb at the Terracotta Warriors exhibition. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

The Gift Shop: There are some good books and other items like coin replicas in the gift shop (including plenty of pandas and model terracotta figures). You’ll want to leave some time to look through there. There’s also a Cake Boss stand if you want a sweet treat.

Good books for the kids: Terra-Cotta Soldiers: Army of Stone, Escape of the Terra-Cotta Soldiers: An Ethan Sparks Adventure, and Hidden Army: Clay Soldiers of Ancient China.

Logistics:

-You can’t bring food or drink in. They do have a free bag check.

-There aren’t many chairs in the exhibit.

-I spent 75 minutes in the exhibit, and that was without any crowd and with me reading many of the signs. I’m guessing that with kids, you’ll be in/out of there in less than an hour.

Terracotta Warrior Tickets and Discount Tickets:

The exhibit runs April 27, 2012 through the end of summer.

Ticket prices are $19.50 (children ages 4-12), $25 (adult) and $22.50 (seniors). Buy them at the door or by phone (866) 987-9692 or online .

–Get discounts for a group (15 or more with advanced reservation).

–Use your American Express card and get a free audio tour. Higher level cardholders can get reserved tickets that were set aside for peak times (Friday through Sunday).

–Check back here for additional discounts. I’ll list them as they appear.

We took advantage of Kids Night On Broadway (still going on this week!) and got tickets to Memphis the Musical, one of the few shows still available (on Super Bowl Sunday) that we hadn’t seen AND that was appropriate for a 10 year old. 

We heard rave reviews about it, plus Memphis won the Tony [...]]]>

We took advantage of Kids Night On Broadway (still going on this week!) and got tickets to Memphis the Musical, one of the few shows still available (on Super Bowl Sunday) that we hadn’t seen AND that was appropriate for a 10 year old. 

We heard rave reviews about it, plus Memphis won the Tony for Best Musical (and a few others as well) in 2010. The plot is relatively simple. Poor, white high school drop-out has pluck and personality. He “discovers” a female black singer in a black club he’s not supposed to go into. He falls in love with her voice (and then with her), vowing to get her on the radio. He does so, and romance ensues. Of course this is the south in the 1950s, when the racial divide mean that black/white marriage is illegal (and romance is dangerous). He becomes the first white DJ in Memphis to play black music, and helps start a U.S. movement. Will their love survive? Will she make it to the big time? You’ll find out in the show.

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My daughter and I really enjoyed the show. The frequent dance numbers were fabulous. Montego Glover, who played Felicia, had a beautiful voice. She sounded better, more powerful, however, when the band wasn’t playing. When the band played, it drowned her out and did not showcase her voice.

I always get concerned when I find out the understudy is playing the lead. I’ve never been disappointed before, though, and wasn’t this time either – with Kevin Massey playing the male lead of Huey Calhoun. He was awesome and you’d never know he wasn’t the guy meant to play that role

BEST PARTS: The dancing and the staging. Tons of dance numbers and they were great to watch. The staging and set were creative and inventive, with radio DJ booths dropping from the ceiling, multipurpose columns moving around the stage, a below-ground club (with a the raised street shown through a ‘window,’ where you could see views of people’s feet/calves walking by) and people rising from below stage to the stage level on small platforms, like in a dream.

APPROPRIATE FOR KIDS? Yes. It’s a good lesson in the racial divide from the 60s, and how those changes are made in small measures. There was only one sexually suggestive scene, where the characters were seen in undergarments (not too revealing) and talk about them being lovers. A little uncomfortable when sitting next to your kid, but nothing terrible. There were also a few bad words that made my daughter giggle.

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Other Jersey Kids Broadway reviews:

Mamma Mia

Billy Elliot

Imaginocean (off-Broadway)

You won’t get it in time for the Super Bowl party, but you can use it to celebrate after! Get this NY Giants waffle/pannini press with the official logo on Groupon for only $29 (half price!).

If you’re new to Groupon, get it here – it’s on the [...]]]>

NFL NY Giants Waffle Logo Press

You won’t get it in time for the Super Bowl party, but you can use it to celebrate after! Get this NY Giants waffle/pannini press with the official logo on Groupon for only $29 (half price!).

If you’re new to Groupon, get it here – it’s on the Groupon Goods page.

If you’re already a Groupon member, get it here.

Find Jersey Kids on Facebook!

In it you’ll learn about the history of space travel (and see this Russian space capsule, the Vostok,  that had all of four [...]]]> We recently had the chance to tour the new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History. It’s called Beyond Planet Earth – the Future of Space Exploration, and it’s about…space exploration!

In it you’ll learn about the history of space travel (and see this Russian space capsule, the Vostok,  that had all of four switches and 35 indicators inside. It carried Yuri Gagarin among other Soviet astronauts in the 1960s).

4 Russians lived here in space.

The best way to describe the exhibit is to go through some interesting facts we learned:

–Does the moon have a smell? Yes, but astronauts can’t smell it because there’s no air on the moon. They could smell the lunar rocks on board the space craft – they smell like gunpowder (but the smell didn’t last until they landed back on Earth).

–Since October, 2000 there has always been a person living in space.

–The International Space Station has housed over 200 astronauts from 15 countries so far (6 astronauts at a time). They average six months each, and the station is expected to be used through 2020.

–Astronauts got there via Russian spacecraft or NASA space shuttles. However starting in 2011, NASA space shuttles are no long being used for the trip.

–The Hubble telescope has been refurbished 5 times while in space (we saw a recreation of the 2009 upgrade). For this last upgrade, the shuttle and astronaut moved within several feet of the telescope, while Hubble Operations Center workers on Earth then commanded the telescope to move toward the astronaut.

a recreation of fixing the Hubble telescope

–Until 2005, Russia and the U.S. were the only countries with programs to send humans into space. China’s space program launched in 2005.

–Richard Branson’s company Virgin Galactic plans to take paying passengers into space in “spaceplanes” – taking them 62 miles above Earth for a brief trip. Cost: $200,000 a person. Once the plane is 62 miles up, and pilot will cut the engine for six minutes so riders can experience weightlessness.

the future of consumer space travel.

–Moon dust is dangerous and sharp! And it causes lunar static cling.

–The moon is a 3 day trip from Earth. Mars, however is 6-9 months.

–The next moon target is the Shackleton Crater at the south pole.  It has water-ice (from comet impacts) and full exposure of sunlight 240 days a year.

–The Japanese landed on an asteroid in 2005, which is really hard to do.

–Ever tried walking on an asteroid? Due to low gravity, astronauts can’t walk on the surface. Instead, they might tether themselves to a net bolted into the asteroid.

–Food not allowed on space missions: anything that has crumbs (bread, chips, cookies), carbonated drinks (the bubbles will expand in your stomach), smelly foods and powdered spices. Instead, good food sources include recycled urine (really!) and foods that crunch without crumbles.

–Should you exercise in space? YES! Without exercising, your body gets weak (no gravity to fight, and a floating body makes a person’s muscles go to pot).

–Space garbage is treated to remove all water, heated to kill germs, compressed to take up less space and sealed in plastic. Not so green, huh?

–Average temperature on Mars is -81 F.

–To train for Mars space missions, astronauts do a simulated mission in…the Utah desert.

–Mars has no ozone protection from the sun’s radiation.

–Living in almost no gravity can cause nausea, disorientation and extreme discomfort. Sign me up!

the latest Mars rover

–My son was able to name the Mars Curiosity Rover without any signage. Thank you TFK (Time for Kids).

–The new spacesuits are tight and formfitting, but still give the proper pressurization. The pressurization mimics the atmospheric pressure. Without it, you die.

the new space suit!

–Some scientists are devising ways to convert Mars into a warm, wet, fertile environment suitable for human life. It could take thousands of years, and is called terraforming.

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The exhibition has a few hands-on computer “games” that help you deflect an asteroid, or help add heat to Mars. You can take your photo with a new pressurized suit. My  8 year old son loved it, my 10 year old daughter thought it was boring. We spent about 50 minutes in the exhibit. I thought it was interesting. If you have an iPhone, iPad or iTouch, you can download information about the exhibit while you’re there with a QR scanner (those of us with Droids are out of luck).

There is an additional charge to enter (though it’s free for members). For nonmembers, it’s $25 for adults (includes museum admission and adds $6 to the normal price) and $14.50 for kids (adds $4 to the normal kid price). For corporate members, you’ll pay $12.50 for adults, $8 for kids.

Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan. All rights reserved.

For all you’ve done and for all you continue to inspire, thank you Martin Luther King, Jr.

While on board the Disney [...]]]> This is 3rd in a series of 3 posts about the Disney Wonder Cruise to the Mexican Riviera. Part 1 is an overview of the Disney cruise. Part 2 is a very in depth review of all aspects of Disney cruise ship life (kids’ clubs, food, pools, spa, staterooms, etc.)

While on board the Disney Wonder, we had fun trying to find Hidden Mickeys. I didn’t even look to see if there was any mention online until writing this post. Turns out there are a few Hidden Mickeys on the Disney Wonder (we even found 2 official ones, and one posted here – the stained glass). If you’re not familiar with Hidden Mickeys, they’re mouse shaped ears hidden in the design of things at Disney parks. If nothing else, it kept us entertained as we walked around.

The gingerbread house up for the holidays was teeming with them.

Lots of Mickeys on the gingerbread house. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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More on the gingerbread house. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Guess where? Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Triton’s restaurant had them in the stained glass surrounding the restaurant.

Triton's exterior. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Okay, so these aren’t hidden, but it was fun to see what they did at meals.

Ice cream and chocolate. Enough said. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

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The kids chose this ice cream bar for almost every dessert. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Gotta love Mickey Creme Brulee. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Gotta love what the waiters do on pirate night! Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

This was my daughter's creation. Add a straw, she says, and it's snorkeling Mickey. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Mickey waffles at the buffet. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

And then there’s the pool…

The Mickey pool...by night. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

And the high chairs…

Mickey in the high chair. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

And when you go on excursions, these are the paddles you follow (instead of umbrellas).

Follow me! Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

And now some adult humor from my husband. What’s Mickey Mouse’s favorite time?

Here's the hint: where would Mickey like his hands to be on the watch? Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Answer: 6:30

And here are some more food shots – not so hidden:

You can special order these cakes. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Most of the chocolate cakes look better than they taste. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

And things you can buy in the gift shop:

Get drunk with Mickey. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

okay, so this is not so hidden. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan