We are so lucky to live in an area with endless things to do and see! And, like most of us, the holiday season gets overwhelming with the amount of "stuff" that we (mostly for our kids) receive. So, this holiday, we are suggesting that you give (& request from family and friends) the gift of time, fun and memories this holiday season!
Here are 50 of our suggestions for experience gifts:
1. Broadway Show – There are so many great family friendly shows currently running on Broadway. Each offers matinee performances which is great for little ones. Tickets are available through Telecharge or Ticketmaster, or try going to the box office the day of the show and avoid handling fees. www.telecharge.com, www.ticketmaster.com
2.Turtleback Zoo Membership – This is truly a gift that keeps on giving (for about $100 for a family!). You’ll make your money back by going a few times a year. As an aside, usually the zoo puts up a giving tree in the bear observatory – my son loves buying holiday gifts for the animals. www.turtlebackzoo.com
3. Bowling – Laser light bowling with disco lights and music is especially fun! http://www.circlebowlnj.com
4. Marcade Family Fun Center – This is a fun place for the kids to go play on a rainy day! Check online for special events too. https://marcade.us/
5. Liberty Science Center – Spend the day at the Liberty Science Center and then catch one of the several IMAX movies that play daily. www.lsc.org (Don't miss the Taylor Swift Light Show!)
6. Weekend away –Water parks seem to be all the rage right now and we have several within driving distance. Great Wolf Lodge, Aquatopia at Camel Beach and Kalahari are just a few. www.kalahariresorts.com/pennsylvania www.camelbeach.com/poconos-indoor-water-park.aspx www.greatwolf.com/poconos
7. Horseback Riding – Seaton Hackney Stables is located conveniently in Morristown and is operated by the Morris County Park Commission. They offer private and group lessons, summer camps and even birthday parties. http://www.seatonhackney.com
8. Movies – How about treating them to a gift card for the movies, or better yet, a family movie date? Throw in a few boxes of their favorite candy, and it will be an evening to remember! https://www.amctheatres.com/
9. Planetarium – The Longo Planetarium at CCM has live shows monthly for different age groups. It’s a great outing for kids and adults alike. www.ccm.edu/planetarium
10. Nerf Battles - Kids and adults can participate in this fun activity, offered by NJ BattleZones in Randolph. https://www.njbattlezones.com/open-play
11. Aerial Adventure Course – The Essex County Treetop Adventure Course is an aerial obstacle course that’s built in the trees. It’s located right next to the Turtleback Zoo, so plan to make a day of it. turtlebackzoo.com/tree-top-aerial-adventure-course
12. Book of the Month Club – Plan out your own book of the month club! This is a gift that keeps giving all year! Purchase 12 books all at once and give one out on the first of each month.
13. Rainforest Café in Menlo Park – Indulge on yummy food while the rainforest around you comes to life and then treat yourself to a sparkling volcano for dessert! www.rainforestcafe.com
14. Lessons – Sign them up for swimming karate, art, piano, fencing, voice lessons… the possibilities are endless. This is a great gift option because if they love it, you can renew for next year’s gift! Our favorite swim school, NJ Swim Lakeside, is now offering gift certificates for the holidays!
15. Dave & Busters – Have dinner, bowl, shoot some pool and play video games. The location in West Nyack at the Palisades Center Mall is easy to get to and offers half price games on Wednesdays. They also offer “Power Hour” which is 60 minutes of unlimited video game play for $10 Monday through Friday between the hours of 4:30 and 7. www.daveandbusters.com
16. Adopt an animal – Through the World Wildlife Fund you can symbolically adopt an animal of your choosing. With a $55 adoption kit you’ll receive a photo, bag, plush and certificate.
17. Ice Skating – We have a few great rinks here in Morris County - Aspen Ice Sports Arena in Randolph and Mennen Sport Arena in Morristown. Friday nights at Aspen there’s a DJ during the open skate. https://sportscarearena.com/ www.morrisparks.net/aspparks/mennenmain.asp
18. Sign up for a class at Michaels – Painting, drawing, jewelry making, crochet, knitting… there are plenty of options for someone who is crafty. Take the class with them for extra fun! https://www.michaels.com/classes
19. Hibachi - Always a fun family outing, Morris County has plenty of hibachi restaurants.
20. Monster Mini Golf – This 18 hole indoor miniature golf course on route 46 in Fairfield is monster themed and everything glows in the dark. There’s an arcade on site also. A great idea for a rainy day! www.monsterminigolf.com/fairfield
21. Explore, Imagine, and Play! RIVERSIDE KIDS GYM, located in Hackettstown, NJ, is a custom-designed play place, geared towards children ages 0-12 years old. If your kiddo is potty-trained, you can drop them off for open play and grab some "you time" This is both a gift for yourself and the kids! Also be sure to check out their monthly Friday night kids night out events.
22. Ballet or local theater tickets – Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown or Centenary Stage Company in Hackettstown always have great family-friendly performances on the schedule. www.mayoarts.org
23. Train Ride – Hop on a train and take a round-trip ride, just for fun! Or choose a destination such as Westfield, that lets you off in a downtown area, get off and walk around before taking the trip home. www.njtransit.com You can also check out themed train rides on a real steam engine train at Delaware River Railroad Excursions in Phillipsburg.
24. Glass Fusing – A great gift for your older kiddos. At Glassworks in Morristown you can design a masterpiece as a walk-in, in a class setting or during a private lesson. http://www.umakeglass.com
25. Lakota Wolf Preserve – Located in Columbia, this is a unique opportunity to observe and learn about wolves. Take a wolf tour while you’re there, and don’t forget your camera! Call for availability. http://www.lakotawolf.com
26. Build A Bear Workshop – Always a crowd favorite, head to the mall to create your own personalized stuffed friend. Current and past specialized options include Star Wars, Dreamworks Dragons, Super Heroes, My Little Pony, Peanuts and Minions. http://www.buildabear.com/shopping
27. Trip to Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island – Give the gift of history with a memorable trip to see the Statue of Liberty National Monument and the Wall of Honor at Ellis Island. Tickets should be bought online ahead of time if possible. http://www.statuecruises.com
28. Visit to the Sea Carousel in New York City – This one of a kind carousel at the Battery Conservatory in Battery Park is an under the sea-like experience. With 30 different sea creatures that move and glow, riders feel like they actually are part of the ocean. Check online for hours. http://www.seaglasscarousel.nyc
29. Baseball Game – We now have three minor league baseball teams nearby -- the Sussex Miners, the Jersey Jackals and the Somerset Patriots. Tickets are inexpensive and the games are really geared toward the family, with different fun activities planned between innings and sometimes fireworks after the games. http://www.jackals.com/home.asp http://www.jackals.com/home.asp http://www.somersetpatriots.com
30. Crayola Experience – The Crayola Factory in Easton, PA is a magical place where creativity rules and everything is hands-on. Perfect for a family day trip. http://www.crayolaexperience.com/easton
31. Hike – There are plenty of hiking trails in Morris County, so why not pack a picnic lunch and make an afternoon of it? A new hiking backpack and boots are a good gift to go with this experience! http://www.morrisparks.net/maps-zoom.asp
32. Imagine That – This Children’s Museum in Florham Park is a learning experience as well as a wonderful place to let your children’s imaginations run wild. http://imaginethatmuseum.com
33. Rent a Boat – When the weather warms up, Lake Hopatcong is a great place for water sports and boat activities. Lakeside dining is available. http://www.lakehopatcong.com/lake-hopatcong-boat-rentals.html
34. Roller Skating – Roller Skating always seems to be in style. Head on over to the Florham Park Roller Rink for open skate, private lessons or group lessons. www.florhamparkrollerrink.com
35. Aquarium – My kids absolute favorite day trip, the Adventure Aquarium in Camden or the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk are both drivable and worth the trip. If you go before the holidays you can see “Scuba Santa”! http://www.adventureaquarium.com http://maritimeaquarium.org
36. Visit to Sterling Hill Mining Museum – Take an underground mine tour, do geology field work or catch a monthly viewing session Ellis Astronomical Observatory. http://sterlinghillminingmuseum.org
37. Grounds for Sculpture – Visit this impressive outdoor collection of artwork in Hamilton Township. One day passes make a great stocking stuffer. http://www.groundsforsculpture.org
38. Randolph Climbing Center – Have some fun rock climbing and using the different gymnastics equipment, trampolines and inflatables. Friday nights are open gym nights. http://www.randolphclimbingcenter.com
39. Gymnastics class gift card– A gift card to our favorite kids' gym - The Little Gym of Roxbury - is a gift that will get your kiddos through the winter!
40. Trip to Raptor Trust – Located in Millington, the Raptor Trust is another favorite in my household. Raptor Trust features a state of the art medical and rehab facility for wild birds, housing for hundreds of birds and an education center. There is no charge but a donation of $2 or more per person is encouraged. http://theraptortrust.org
41. Magazine subscription – If your child loves to get mail like mine does, a magazine subscription is always a hit and it lasts all year. Amazon offers easy ordering and a comprehensive list of options. www.amazon.com/magazines
42. Take a Cooking Class – Chef it Up in Mt. Olive has fun cooking class options for all ages
43. Trampoline Center – Skyzone in Mt. Olive is fun for the whole family and there’s something for everyone. Open jump, ultimate dodgeball or Skyrobics class to name a few. http://www.skyzone.com/mountolive
44. Visit to Historic Smithville – Historic Smithville is a quaint little town in Burlington County with 60 unique stores and 7 places to dine. There’s a carousel, train and paddle boats and the town hosts 30 events each year including a pet parade, a ghost walk, a children’s festival and a Renaissance Faire. http://historicsmithvillenj.com
45. Funplex – This indoor amusement center in East Hanover features MagiQuest, Go Karts, Foam Frenzy, Lazer Tag, Bumper Cars, Free Fall, Skyscraper, a 4D theater and an arcade. Late night and early bird specials available. http://funplexeasthanover.com
46. Pool Membership for the summer –Chester Pool is a great option and you don’t need to be a resident of the town to join. There’s a main pool, shallow interactive pool and an infant pool plus one of the best concession stands I’ve ever been to. Then start a countdown to Summer! http://chesterborough.org/Pool Also check out Frog Falls at the Picatinny Arsenal which now offers public memberships https://picatinny.armymwr.com/programs/frog-falls-water-park
47. Spa Day - How about a mother/daughter mani/pedi day? Bring Grandma along too for some girl fun. There are dozens of places around Morris County!
48. Airsoft- If your kids are 10+, they can participate in kids nights at Stryker Airsoft. This real-live video game experience can be fun for girls and boys alike! http://www.strykerairsoftnj.com/home.html
49. Morris Museum Membership – There are a number of membership levels and the museum houses multiple exhibits, events and even a theater http://www.morrismuseum.org
50. Hockey Game – The New Jersey Devils play in Newark and are just a train ride away. Going to a Devils game with my family is one of my favorite past times! http://devils.nhl.com/club/schedule.htm
And, if you are looking for a great "experience" gift for yourself - how about house cleaning services from OlceMaid! What better way to free up some of your time to enjoy time with your kids!
