Things to Do with Kids from September 11-17, 2019 – TAPinto.net

As temperatures begin to change and fall starts to set in, chances are you good that you are looking for some fun activities to do with your children. You can celebrate National Play-Doh Day Sept. 16^th by trying some of the activities listed below. Other activities you and your kids might want to try include taking in Dream Week at Just a Dream, participating in the 9th Annual STOP for Nikhil 5K Run/3K Walk, watching West Orange Idol, taking a Williams Sonoma Jr. Chef: Chop, Slice and Dice Knife Skills Workshop, joining a Walter Kiddie Dinosaur Park Field Trip and so much more.

If you are looking to participate in fun activities and more this week, please enjoy this list of “Things to Do with Kids” in and around town, brought to you by The Goddard School in West Orange.

Note: If you attend any of these events, partake in any of the ideas shared below, or just have a great picture of your kid(s) that you’d like featured, please send photos to jackie.eventscolumn@gmail.com. In addition, please send any events you’d like added to this column to the same address.

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY…

Dream Week at Just a Dream from Sept. 9-14 (250 S. Livingston Avenue., Livingston)

Just a Dream is holding a week-long fun-filled celebration with some of their favorite brands. A few of the artists who create the brands sold at the store will be onsite to meet guests and help children decorate sunglasses, bracelets, cookies, cupcakes, trucker hats and more. See schedule on Instagram @justadreamnj.

Animal Habitats with the Turtle Back Zoo on Sept. 12 from 2-3 pm at the West Orange Library (46 Mt Pleasant Ave, West Orange)

Come learn about animals from all different habitats, courtesy of the Turtle Back Zoo. A trained professional will detail how animals live and thrive in diverse habitats throughout the world. This program is for people of all ages. So come to the library, learn about the world of animal habitats, and even get to know a few zoo animals that just cannot wait to meet you. Note: Only 35 patrons my attend so prior registration is required. Register here.

West Orange Farmers Market on September 14 from 9 am to 2 pm at 80 Main Street Parking Lot (North End)

Guests will enjoy fresh produce, local eggs and honey, artisanal cheeses, delicious baked goods, fresh juice, local flowers, vegan goods, upcycled crafts, lunch options, and much more. This week’s theme is Eat Outside – where guests will take a tour of West Orange’s local food at the Farmers Market!

Family Frog Pond Adventure on Sept. 14 from 11 am to 12:30 pm at the Essex County Environmental Center (621B Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland)

Families are invited to this “rrribbettting” program, where they will take an up-close look at the pond ecosystem. They will search and identify the life found in the pond through magnifying glasses, microscopes and field guides. Advance registration is required. Call 973.228.8776. Fee: $30 per family (up to two adults and two children) or $10 per child, $12 per adult.

9th Annual STOP for Nikhil 5K Run/3K Walk on Sept. 15 from 8 am to 12 pm at West Orange High School (51 Conforti Avenue, West Orange)

The Nikhil Badlani Foundation is sponsoring sponsor its 9th Annual 5K Run/3K. All proceeds from the 5K run and 3K walk will go to the Nikhil Badlani Foundation and support traffic safety programs, academic scholarships in West Orange and neighboring communities, and music lessons for local West Orange High School Students. Awards and prizes will be given to the overall top male and female runner, top 3 male and female runners in each age group, team captain who raises the most funds, and a team captain with the most team members. The run will take place rain or shine. Come join us with your friends and family, to make our roads safer. Show your bibs to receive reduced admissions to Turtle Back Zoo, Codey Arena and Mini Golf Safari on race day. Register here.

2^nd Annual West Orange Idol Concert on Sept. 15 from 1-6 pm at OSPAC (4 Boland Dr., West Orange)

West Orange residents will participate in this year’s West Orange Idol competing for trophies, ribbons, and cash prizes.

FUN FOR LITTLE KIDS

Monica + Andy Movement Class with the Little Moving Artist on Sept. 11 from 10:45 -11:30 am at the Short Hills Mall (1200 Morris Turnpike, Short Hills)

Monica + Andy invites kids ages 2-4 and their caregivers to a Movement Class with The Little Moving Artist. They will enjoy a silly and energetic movement class with the Little Moving Artist team in this whimsical, imaginative movement class that incorporates dancing, imagery, music, sensory props and costumes. Children will ice skate on paper plates, tap dance on bubble wrap, take part in an ultimate snowball fight, bug hunt, fly with superhero capes and wings, freeze dance, and more. There will be lots of smiles and happy exhaustion. Fees: Drop-ins: $10, family: $15.

Musical Storytime on Sept. 12 from 4-4:30 pm at Livingston Library (10 Robert Harp Dr., Livingston, NJ)

Kids ages 2-5 and their caregivers are invited to join Guitar Joe for a magnificent medley of music and storytelling: songs, picture books, puppet shows, dance parties, multimedia presentations, drum circles, egg-shaker jams, and so much more.

Storytime at Barnes and Noble on September 12 and 17 at 10 am at the Livingston Mall (112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston)

Children will embark on an exciting adventure as they are introduced to some of your childhood favorites, as well as some you may not have heard before.

Storytime and Activities Featuring Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party on Sept. 14 at 11 am at Barnes and Noble at the Livingston Mall (112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston)

Pete the Cat makes his perfect pizza – pepperoni! Will it be ruined when his friends come over and add their own toppings or will Pete learn that the best kind of pizza is the one you share with your friends? Activities to follow, plus, get a coupon from the Café for a $4 Flatbread with any Café purchase.

Baby and Me Storytime Featuring Moo, Baa, La La La! On Sept. 15 at 11 am at Barnes and Noble at the Livingston Mall (112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston)

Children ages 0-24 months old and their caregivers are invited to Baby and Me storytime where a book will be read, and they will participate in activities featuring sensory growth. Guests will receive a free Starbucks tall, hot or iced coffee.

FUN FOR KINDERGARTEN TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGED KIDS…

1000 Books Before Kindergarten Launch on Sept. 12 from 11 am – 12 pm at the West Orange Library (46 Mt Pleasant Ave, West Orange)

Celebrate the kickoff of the library’s 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Program at and event where guests will learn more about the initiative and enjoy refreshments.

Forest Friends Club on Sept. 12 from 4-5 pm at the Essex County Environmental Center (621B Eagle Rock Ave, Roseland). Note: (Other club meetings will be held on October 10, November 14 and December 12)

Kids ages 5 years and up will explore the forest using nets, binoculars, magnifiers, and microscopes to investigate nature in the wooded wetland habitat. Together participants will foster an ethic of stewardship and offer an opportunity to take part in hands-on conservation projects. Advance registration and payment are required. Call 973.228.8776. Fee: $10 per child per session.

Walter Kiddie Dinosaur Park Field Trip on Sept. 12 from 5:15-7:15 pm at the Essex County Environmental Center (621B Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland)

Adults and children ages 7 and up are invited to meet up at the end of Locust Avenue in Roseland and hike 1.5 miles in total to explore this National Historic Landmark that is home to three-toed Grallator dinosaur tracks from the late Triassic age. Using clay, participants will make and take an impression of an existing track and leave the site undisturbed for future paleontological study. Advance registration is required. Call 973.228.8776. Fee: $30 per family (up to two adults and two children) or $10 per child, $12 per adult.

Williams Sonoma Jr. Chef: Chop, Slice and Dice Knife Skills Workshop on Sept. 14 from 10-11 am at the Short Hills Mall (1200 Morris Turnpike, Short Hills)

Kids ages 8-13 will learn to chop, slice and dice like a pro in this knife skills workshop, which will benefit No Kid Hungry. Then, they’ll whip up a recipe using freshly chopped ingredients. The cost of $50 per child includes a 5’’ Wüsthof Santoku Knife.

4-H Young Gardeners Club on Sept. 17 from 4-5 pm at the Essex County Environmental Center (621B Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland)

Children in grades K to 12 are invited to participate the 4H Gardeners Club where they will discover answers to questions about how vegetables and flowers grow, where spaghetti sauce comes or how to find a rainbow in a garden and more. Advanced registration is required. Please call 973.353.1337.

Speaking of Stories Book Club on Sept. 17 from 4:30-5:15 pm at the West Orange Library (46 Mt Pleasant Ave, West Orange)

Kids in 4^th to 6^th grade are invited to a book discussion on The Last Last-Day-of-School by Lamar Giles.

FUN FOR TEENS…

Teen Advisory Group Kickoff Meeting on Sept. 11 from 7-8 pm at the West Orange Library (46 Mt Pleasant Ave, West Orange)

Teens are invited to come and make a difference and have a say in planning fun events at the library. They will earn community service hours for participation in T.A.G.

YA Book Club Featuring I’m Not Dying with You Tonight on Sept. 12 at 7 pm at Barnes and Noble at the Livingston Mall (112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston)

Teens are invited to join a discussion on I’m Not Dying with You Tonight, by Kimberly Jones, a timely, page-turning novel about two classmates who must lean on each other when violence erupts at their high school football game. Guests will receive a coupon for $2 Teavana teas. Contact your local store or visit here for details. The YA Book Club continues the second Thursday of every month.

Dungeons and Dragons: A Teen Club on September 13 from 3:15-5:15 pm at the West Orange Library (46 Mt Pleasant Ave, West Orange)

Teens ages 13+ are invited to join a Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) adventure! Epic quests await teens who join the DnD club at the library! DnD features role-playing, storytelling, on-the-spot strategic thinking, math skills, problem-solving, and teamwork all rolled into one!

Williams Sonoma Jr. Chef: Chop, Slice and Dice Knife Skills Workshop on Sept. 14 from 10-11 am at the Short Hills Mall (1200 Morris Turnpike, Short Hills)

4-H Young Gardeners Club on Sept. 17 from 4-5 pm at the Essex County Environmental Center (621B Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland)

FUN FOR ADULTS…

400-Year Anniversary of the African Diaspora in the Caribbean and the Americas on Sept. 14 from 1-3 pm at the West Orange Library (46 Mt. Pleasant Ave., West Orange)

The event will feature literary works spoken, visual and written around the African Cultural influence from slavery through present-day on the Afro-American, Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latina population of the diaspora.

HAVE FUN CELEBRATING THIS NATIONAL HOLIDAY…

September 16^th is National Play-Doh Day

Playing with play-doh is a rite of passage for most children. Invented in the mid-1950s, play-doh has not only entertained millions of children, it has allowed them to express their creativity, both at home and in the classroom.

It’s fun and easy to celebrate National Play-Doh Day. You can play with some play-doh that you have in the house, go to the store and buy some and possibly a fun kit to go with it – or you can make some at home with your children.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY…

The next time you sit down for a family dinner, toss out some of these facts to spark a lively and informative family conversation. After dinner, look up some of these dates and facts and explore the historical moments as a family.

On Sept. 11, 1962 – The Beatles recorded their 1st single “Love Me Do.”
On Sept 11, 2001 – Islamic Al-Qaeda militants flew planes into NYC’s twin World Trade Towers and the Pentagon.
On Sept 12, 1953 – Future President John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier.
On Sept 13, 1788 – New York City was named as the capital of the United States.
On Sept 13, 1943 – Chiang Kai-Shek became the president of China.
On Sept 14, 1814 – Francis Scott-Key composed the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
On Sept 16, 1620 – The Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England, carrying pilgrims and headed to the New World to escape religious persecution.