jerseykids, Author at Jersey Kids

November 18, 2016November 17, 2016

Visiting Corning New York and the Rockwell Museum

We visited Corning NY on a beautiful fall day. While it rained in the morning, these were the sunny skies we got later. Most people visit Corning to see the Corning Museum of Glass (our review here) and even to make their own glass.

Corning's well-known tower with a picture of a gaffer on top. In the foreground is the corporate office for Corning Glass. — Corning’s well-known tower with a picture of a gaffer on top. In the foreground is the corporate office for Corning Glass.

If you have time to visit the Gaffer’s District downtown (gaffer being a term used for a glassblower), check it out. You can walk from the Corning Museum of Glass – it takes probably 15 minutes at a good pace. There is parking downtown, though. Continue reading “Visiting Corning New York and the Rockwell Museum”

November 17, 2016

Make Your Own Glass Review – Corning Museum of Glass with Kids

If you plan a trip to the Corning Museum of Glass with kids, don’t overlook the Make Your Own Glass experience. The kids will be very excited to do this, and to be honest, it’s awesome for adults as well.

Items you can make at the Corning Museum of Glass

Continue reading “Make Your Own Glass Review – Corning Museum of Glass with Kids”

November 17, 2016November 17, 2016

Review: Corning Museum of Glass with Kids

What’s it like to go to the Corning Museum of Glass with kids? I heard its holdings were extensive and one could easily spend a complete day or two there, exploring the galleries. I thought they might be bored. Turns out they loved it. While others could spend days there, our visit was limited to 3 hours (including the “make your own glass” experience – separate post). And that was enough time to see much of the museum, even though we rushed through the very large 35 Centuries of Glass gallery, as the kids were running out of steam.

Interactive Fun Continue reading “Review: Corning Museum of Glass with Kids”

October 28, 2016December 16, 2017

Stony Hill NJ Corn Maze: Review

We usually do a NJ corn maze every year, and it’s often the Stony Hill corn maze. This year was no exception. Why Stony Hill? They have a lot of other activities to do there, many included with the basic admission. The corn maze is well done also.

When we went on a recent Saturday, they had live music, which we could hear inside the maze. They also had a face painter. Not sure if you pay extra for that.

This year’s theme is Rutger’s 250th anniversary.

Continue reading “Stony Hill NJ Corn Maze: Review”

October 9, 2016December 16, 2017

Fossil Hunting With Kids at Big Brook

Did you know that October 12 is National Fossil Day? With a few days off this week, and fall break/teachers’ convention coming up next month, you may be looking for day trip ideas. Think about going fossil hunting in New Jersey! Turns out there are a couple of places that are easy to get to, where you can wade through streams looking for sharks’ teeth, oyster shells, squid fossils, and other items that are millions of years old. Even though you’re not by the ocean, this area was once covered in water.

Big Brook Preserve. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

Continue reading “Fossil Hunting With Kids at Big Brook”

September 1, 2016November 6, 2016

32 Things You Don’t Know About Iceland

When you talk about Iceland, you can talk about the scenery, the waterfalls, the fjords, the wonderful hot springs. It’s all there and we enjoyed them in spades. Iceland is an amazing place to visit. But I wanted to share some of the quirkier things we saw in Iceland. Mostly, they’re things we observed as we drove around the country. Here’s what I’ve got for you.

The thing to buy in Iceland is hand-knit wool sweaters. Only they cost at least $175 US, often more. And they’re itchy and not necessarily flattering. Turns out the only people we saw wearing them were the tour guides. In addition to wearing a tour guide medallion, I think it’s a required part of their uniform. And yes, in August it’s cold enough to wear a wool sweater.

Icelandic wool sweaters. Photo courtesy of Rudi Riet/Flickr.

2. There are more sheep in Iceland than there are humans Continue reading “32 Things You Don’t Know About Iceland”

August 2, 2016December 16, 2017

New York Renaissance Faire with Kids

After years of hearing about and seeing pictures of the Renaissance Faire, we finally went. It was a 600 degree day. It was super hot (bring a hat, sunblock and water). It was a lot of fun for everyone.

Renaissance Faire in NY. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan

If you haven’t been, here’s what to expect. Continue reading “New York Renaissance Faire with Kids”

July 29, 2016September 30, 2016

Review: Museum of Arts and Design with Kids

We took our teen daughter to the Museum of Arts and Design recently, curious to check out a smaller Manhattan museum we hadn’t yet been to. I highly recommend taking the free docent tour, which lasts about an hour and gives a good highlight of the exhibits. Of course you can head back to look further before or after you’re done.

It’s not a big museum, so if you’re looking for something manageable with the kids (an hour or less), this is a good option. It’s in Columbus Circle and it’s free for kids 18 and under ($16/adult). They have a number of family programs as well, so check that out when planning your visit.

20160716_113311 — Studio Job’s Burj Khalifa.

Continue reading “Review: Museum of Arts and Design with Kids”

July 18, 2016July 17, 2016

Wicked on Broadway: Is it Appropriate for Kids?

I’ve been to a lot of Broadway theaters, but the Gershwin Theater is really made for audiences. Some theaters don’t allow you in before the show, resulting in the long lines you see when walking down the streets around Times Square. Patrons stand out in line, resulting in a rush for the restrooms, rush to get in the door, and concerns about being late even though they are already holding their tickets. So I was thrilled that not only were we allowed in early, but that there was plenty of space and things to do and see before the show (and no line at Will Call 30 minutes before).

Continue reading “Wicked on Broadway: Is it Appropriate for Kids?”