Family Fun
There are lots of great events for the entire family to enjoy this week in South Jersey. This week, check out Starmaker Workshop, Camp Fair, Sweetheart Ball, Sugar Tree Tapping, Lunar New Year celebration, cooking classes and much more! Beginning this Saturday, Feb. 6, the Battleship New Jersey will open for tours weekends only through March 31. The first tour of the day will launch at 9:30am, with the last tour departing at 3pm. Guests can experience the guided City at Sea Tour, where they can check out newly opened areas of the ship, such as the Post Office, Medical and Dental facilities, the Machine Shops, the Brig and more. Or take the guided Fire Power Tour, where guests can climb inside the legendary 16-inch gun turrets, participate in a simulated tomahawk missile launch in the Combat Engagement Center, and experience how the officers and crew lived aboard the Big J. There’s also the General Quarters Audio Tour. Guests can check out the Bridge, the Officers’ Wardroom, the Admiral’s or Captain’s Cabin, Seasprite Helicopter, and more…while listening to narration, recounts of life aboard the Battleship and even sound effects. Located on the Delaware River, along the Camden Waterfront across from the City of Philadelphia, the Battleship also offers educational classes and tours, special group packages and overnight encampments. For more information, call 866-877-6262 or visit the Battleship at battleshipnewjersey.org.
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Other Exciting Family-Oriented Events Kids will star in the Starmaker Workshop with Harmony Show Choir Second through fifth graders can “Let It Shine” Feb. 5-6 as they work with members of Harmony, South Jersey’s Premiere Show Choir from Mainstage Center for the Arts, in an exciting performance workshop and show. Participants will learn the art of performing from vocal directors, choreographers and experienced show choir members. The workshop encompasses instruction in many performance skills including the correct use of a microphone; the art of ensemble work; how to deliver an exciting performance; how and where to focus performance energy; and how to use the mind, body and heart to bring an audience to its feet. The Starmaker Workshop takes place Friday, Feb. 5, 6 – 8:30pm, Saturday, Feb. 6, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30pm. Then, participants return at 6:45 Saturday evening, Feb. 6th, to rehearse for an evening performance of a brand-new musical revue, 100% USA, starring the Harmony Show Choir with workshop participants. All sessions are scheduled in the Dennis Flyer Theatre in Lincoln Hall, Camden County College, Blackwood, NJ. The value-added $45 registration includes a souvenir songbook and performance t-shirt. Tickets to the 100% USA show, February 6 at 7:30pm, are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and students under 18 years of age, plus a $1 additional Camden County Fee. Register online at mainstage.org, or call 856-227-3091. Moorestown Friends School will host its 18th annual Camp Fair on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 11:30am to 3pm in the school’s Field House. This is the largest Camp Fair in South Jersey, featuring approximately 80 camps. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. The Camp Fair is sponsored by the MFS Parent Council. There will be face painting and other entertainment for children, and refreshments and lunch will be available for purchase. A wide variety of summer camps will be represented, including day and residential camps for young people in preschool through high school. There will be camps from the South Jersey/Philadelphia region, as well as camps based in New York, North Carolina, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Vermont, Florida and Maine. The Camp Fair will also feature programs that offer opportunities to travel internationally in Australia, China, New Zealand, Thailand, India and Peru. For instance, teen participants in Sail Caribbean receive training in sailing, scuba diving, and marine biology aboard a 50-foot yacht or 47-foot catamaran. Traditional camps will be present as well as specialty camps with programs in art, sports, academic enrichment, advanced science, technology and service. One of the sports camps attending is the Phillies Baseball Academy, where campers learn from professional players and coaches, and get an official tour of Citizens Bank Park. An example of an academically oriented camp focused on science is The Discovery Camp at the Franklin Institute, where kids explore fields of science such as chemistry and astronomy through exhibits, field trips and outdoor exploration. MFS is home to two summer camps in 2010. ESF Summer Camps are activity day camps for children ages 4 to 15. MFS will also be hosting the Philadelphia Eagles Summer Camp, where campers will learn from greats such as Vince Papale, Garry Cobb and others. Moorestown Friends School is located at the intersection of Main Street and Chester Avenue in Moorestown. Directions to the school can be found at www.mfriends.org, or by calling 856-235-2900. Parking for the Camp Fair is in the back lot, and the entrance to the Field House is near the tennis courts. The Hammonton Mothers’ Club, a New Jersey Non-Profit Corporation presents the third annual children’s dance party, a Sweetheart Ball on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 1 to 4pm at the Hammonton Fire Company #2, 51 North White Horse Pike in Hammonton. The members of the Hammonton Mothers Club will be rolling out the red carpet and creating an atmosphere of elegance and excitement with fun, food and dancing for children and their families. There will be a disc jockey, special performances, a best-dressed contest, door prize giveaways, games, crafts and a 50/50 raffle. Lunch and beverages will be provided and special treats such as popcorn and cotton candy. A free keepsake photo booth will be set up to capture the fond memories of a day of fun. The event will raise money for the club whose purpose is to provide support, social activities and community involvement to stay-at-home and working mothers with children of all ages. The monies raised will aide in our charitable endeavors which in the past have included donations to the Hammonton chapter of FACES, a local Autism support group, the St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry of Hammonton and the Women’s Civic Club Kids Closet. A portion of our proceeds will help fund a planned children’s garden at the Hammonton Lake Park that includes a tree and plaque dedicated in memory of a young Hammontonian who passed away last year. Tickets are on sale now by calling Carley at 567-9742 or by e-mailing hammontonmoms@comcast.net. Tickets are $12 per child (includes the admission of one accompanying adult) and $8 per adult, children one-year old and under are free. Tickets will also be sold at the door for $14 and $10. Saturdays, Feb. 6, March 13, April 10, May 8, and June 5, Congregation M’kor Shalom will hold a Tot Shabbat service at 10am featuring music and a pint-sized sermon followed by a mini-Oneg Shabbat and activities. Open to all families with children up to 6 years old. In December we will celebrate Chanukah. In January our theme will be, “New Age, New Year” where we will be learning some Sabbath-inspired yoga for a relaxing and restful holiday. On Feb. 6, celebrate the holiday of Tu B’Shevat by honoring our trees, plants, flowers, and fruits and focusing on keeping green for a health environment. For additional information, please contact the synagogue office at 8560424-4220 or go to Mkorshalom.org. M'Kor Shalom is located at 850 Evesham Road in Cherry Hill. Kitchen Kapers is hosting some exciting cooking classes for kids this weekend!
On Saturday, Feb. 6, from 1:30-3:30pm, Macro Magic: Beating the Sugar Blues. Scrumptious yummy treats from Sheri’s new cookbook “Macro Magic for Kids and Parents. Heart shaped cookies to ice…just in time for Valentines Day. Learn how to prepare healthy, fun desserts using grain sweeteners and maple syrup. Say goodbye to tooth decay and mood swings! Instructor: Sheri-Lynn DeMaris, host/producer of “Tea with Sheri” and cookbook author
On Sunday, Feb. 7, from 1:30-3:30pm, Mom, I’m home—What can I eat (now)? with instructor. April Wallis. This class is designed to inspire your future Iron Chef into creating something satisfying to eat in a hurry using basic items you have in your pantry. Bologna and Cheese Bagel Bites, Mini-pizza bites, and Fantastic Fruit Smoothies.
In Kitchen Kapers’ kid-friendly kitchen, children age 6 to 12 enjoy cooking and (shhh, don’t tell) it is actually good for them! They learn team-building, history, science, math, and improve their hand-eye coordination skills. Have a picky eater? Participating in these classes can help your child become a food enthusiast! Class size is limited for maximum participation. Please make sure your young chef comes in closed-toe shoes; hair should be tied back. Reservations should be made by phoning 856-778-7705 and payment ($35 per student per class) is required at the time reservation is made. Kitchen Kapers is located in the East Gate Shopping Center, 1341 Nixon Dr., in Moorestown. Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge invites kids aged 11-15 to join the EcoClub. Meetings combine hiking the Refuge, learning about native plants and animals, and collecting data for a biological inventory of the Refuge. Meetings are held on the second Saturday of each month (2/13; 3/13; 4/10; 5/8; 6/12; 7/10; 8/14; 9/11; 10/9; 11/13; 12/11), and run from 10am until noon. Dues can be paid either on a monthly basis or annually ($5/month or $45/year). Membership includes access to the growing biological database, nature activities and/or crafts and a member’s website. To register for EcoClub, call 856-983-3329 and ask for the Education Department.
The third Sunday of each month, join their Naturalist in search of the wild during the Winter Residents Hike. Meet at the education center at 1:30 p.m.
Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge is located at 4 Sawmill Rd. in Medford. For more information, call 856-983-3329. Step back in time with a tour of Pomona Hall and the Camden County History Museum on Thursday or Sunday, or by appointment. The first tour begins at noon; the last is at 3:30pm. Hosted by the Camden County Historical Society; Pomona Hall is located at 1900 Park Blvd. in Camden. Please call 856-964-3333 or go to cchsnj.com for more information. The Atlantic City Aquarium offers a fun and educational look into more than 100 varieties of fish and marine animals. “Dive and Dine” features the aquarium’s diver in the 25,000 gallon “Fish of the Mid-Atlantic” tank. Audiences can watch and interact with the diver as she hand-feeds cownose rays, swims with nurse sharks, and dives with dogfish in the tank. Participants also have the opportunity to interact with the diver asking questions during the show. This underwater picnic is included with paid admission to the aquarium. The feeding show lasts approximately 20 minutes with a question and answer session afterward. Enjoy a preschool story time on Tuesdays, and a chance to interact with the Aquarium’s newest residents on Ferret Fridays. Both programs begin at 11am. Story Time on Tuesdays is an educational event that introduces preschoolers and their parents to more than just books. The program starts with a Live Diver Feeding Show. Visitors can watch, and interact with, a diver in scuba gear as he or she hand feeds the stingrays and sharks inside the 25,000 gallon tank. At 11:20am, the children will be treated to an ocean-themed story.
At noon, it’s feeding time at the Shark and Ray touch tank. Parents and children can purchase food for $2 a cup.
On Ferret Fridays, visitors will meet the Aquarium’s newest resident, Fabio and Farrah Ferret. Ferret playtime starts at 11am. Watch them race and roll around, play hide and seek, and enjoy their favorite game—tag. These fun loving and curious little animals love visitors and will be available for petting. The Exotic Animal Show follows at 11:30am. Visitors can get up close to the aquarium’s more unusual inhabitants, ranging from the largest species of scorpion in the world to the softest furred mammal in the world. Aquarium handlers discuss their native habitats, their suitability as pets, natural defenses and predatory instincts and other interesting facts. Throughout the interactive show, visitors will have the opportunity to ask questions and, in some cases, touch many of the animals. Also on Fridays, visitors can enjoy feeding time at the Shark and Ray touch tank at noon.
The Atlantic City Aquarium is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and $4 for children ages 4-12. Children under three are free. Located at 800 N. New Hampshire Ave. in Atlantic City's Historic Gardner's Basin, For more information, call 609-348-2880 or go to acaquarium.com. Camden Children’s Garden will re-open March 20. The Garden office will be open during regular business hours.
Camden Children’s Garden, located on the waterfront in Camden, is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am-5pm. The Garden is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, and January 5 through March 21, except for the business office. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for children (3-11), and free for children two and younger. There is a modest additional fee for the three amusement rides. School Group rates are available, as well as family memberships. Additional information is available online at camdenchildrensgarden.org, or by calling 856-365-TREE. Adventure Aquarium's ready and waiting for you to visit!!
Adventure Aquarium, located at 1 Aquarium Drive on the waterfront in Camden, is open from 9:30am to 5pm daily; admission is $19.95 for adults and $15.95 for children ages 2-12 (prices do not include 7% NJ sales tax). For more information, call 856-365-3300 or go to AdventureAquarium.com. Howell Living History Farm is hosting their annual Sugar Tree Tapping event on Saturday, Feb. 6. The beginning of the maple sugaring season is marked by the Mercer County Park Commission with tree tapping workshops and a tap sale at Howell Living History Farm. Workshops are open to the public on a no-fee, walk-in basis and are designed to equip the "do-it-yourself-er" with the skills and information needed to tap a backyard maple tree. Workshops last 45 minutes and are offered at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm. Taps, tubing and other sugaring supplies are available for sale.
Howell Living History Farm is located at 70 Wooden's Lane in Lambertville. For more information, call 609-737-3299 or visit their website at howellfarm.org. The Garden State Discovery Museum presents their interactive journey around the world, presented through April. This four-month salute to various cultures lets visitors explore communities and cultures, climates and colorful clothing, and much more with lively demonstrations, hands-on activities, and tangible objects.
On Saturday, Feb. 6, celebrate Lunar New Year. Celebrate the Year of the Tiger, family style! The Garden State Discovery Museum helps close out the Year of the Ox with a visit from the Jade River Dancers. These Museum favorites will show off traditional song and dance from the Asian community on Saturday, February 6. Their performance is a Sweet Sixteen signature event of the annual Passport to Discovery series that celebrates the Museum’s anniversary while exploring various cultures.
The Garden State Discovery Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday evenings until 8:30pm. The Museum is closed on Mondays except for Monday holidays. Admission is $9.95 for adults and children, and $8.95 for seniors. Children under 12 months are free. Family memberships are available. Changing tables and a snack area are on the premises. The Museum also offers the Discovermore Toy Store, activity rooms for private birthday parties and a full menu of educational workshops and performances. The Garden State Discovery Museum is located at 2040 Springdale Road in Cherry Hill. For more information, call 856-424-1233 or visit their website at discoverymuseum.com. The Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial has re-opened for tours in February and March on weekends only. The first tour of the day will launch at 9:30am, with the last tour departing at 3pm. Guests can experience the guided City at Sea Tour, where they can check out newly opened areas of the ship, such as the Post Office, Medical and Dental facilities, the Machine Shops, the Brig and more. Or take the guided Fire Power Tour, where guests can climb inside the legendary 16-inch gun turrets, participate in a simulated tomahawk missile launch in the Combat Engagement Center, and experience how the officers and crew lived aboard the Big J. There’s also the General Quarters Audio Tour. Guests can check out the Bridge, the Officers’ Wardroom, the Admiral’s or Captain’s Cabin, Seasprite Helicopter, and more…while listening to narration, recounts of life aboard the Battleship and even sound effects. Beginning in April, through Labor Day the ship will be open seven days a week for all events, groups and the general public. Following Labor Day, through the end of the year, the ship will be open Saturday and Sundays only for the general public, but as always, will accommodate large groups, encampments and Rentals for Special Events. On days the ship is open to the public,
The Fire Power tours begin at 10am, noon, 1pm and 3pm. The cost is $19.95/$15/free.
Experience the City at Sea Guided Tour, while docents are available, every day. The cost is $19.95/$15/free
You can take the General Quarters Audio tour at any time during the day. The cost is $18.50/$14/free.
Don’t miss the 4D Flight Simulator (weekends only); $6.50 per ride, or $5 when purchased with a tour.
Looking for some unique family fun? A mini-getaway close to home that's fun, educational and totally different, not to mention doesn't cost a fortune? Well, get your deck shoes, duffels and sea legs ready, because the Battleship New Jersey has the perfect solution!
Overnight Encampments will continue to be held every Friday and Saturday night throughout the year. Overnight Encampments include dinner and breakfast served chow-line style, tour of the ship, ride on the 4-D flight simulator and a bunk for the night- right where the sailors used to sleep! Space is limited--reservations must be made at least 3 weeks in advance. Call 856-966-1652 x203 to reserve a space.
The Battleship New Jersey is closed for tours on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Years Day. The Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial is located at 62 Battleship Place, on the waterfront in Camden. For more information, call 866-877-6262 or go to battleshipnewjersey.org. Mark Your Calendars! Absecon Lighthouse is hosting each night, February 13th & 14th, An Evening of Romance & Renewal at the lighthouse on Valentine’s weekend from 7 to 10pm. Couples choose which evening suits their romantic schedule, and then indulge! Make out with the one you love in the lighthouse tower…catered aphrodisiacs await you on each level as you climb…dance to romantic tunes by renowned DJ Ron Champion…treasure a keepsake professional 5x7 photograph by wedding specialist John DeMaio…toast with champagne and soft spirits...share chocolate covered strawberries by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. For married couples, the on-site minister will perform a group wedding vow renewal at 8:30pm. Absecon Lighthouse is a proud member of the AC GLBT Alliance, and invites all couples to this romantic evening. Tickets for this memorable event are just $125 per couple. A room & ticket package is available with The Chelsea Hotel for just $250 per couple. You are invited to make a reservation by calling the lighthouse at 609-449-1360. Absecon Lighthouse is a state-owned historic property administered by the non-profit Inlet Public/Private Association. Located at 31 So. Rhode Island Avenue in Atlantic City, it is open to visitors Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Absecon Lighthouse received a general operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of Cultural Affairs in the Department of State. For more information about Absecon Lighthouse and its programs call (609) 449-1360 or visit them on the web at abseconlighthouse.org. To see our extensive listing of South Jersey events, including local community events, programs at your local libraries, kids events, craft events, fairs and festivals, plays, and many more, check out our Events Calendar here.
Have an event that you want listed in our events calendar? Add your event here.
Author: R. Cohen
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