Our Picks for Keeping Busy During Spring Break in Bergen

Mini Camps!

Register your little naturalist for Tenafly Nature Center’s Program, which includes visits with live animals, nature hikes, crafts and s’mores around the campfire.  Great for kids ages PK4 through 5th grade, April 9th through the 13th, half days and full days available.  Check program details and registration here.

Doodlers report to The Art Place in Englewood or Abrakadoodle’s Art Camp (Science Rocks) in Ridgewood.  The Art Place engages kids ages Nursery through 6th grade in Crafts, Drawing, Toy Making and Ceramics, and runs from 10am to 1pm, April 5th & 6th and 9th through the 13th, ($65 per day).  Abrakadoodle’s Art Camp will be run on April 9th and 10th from 9am to noon for K through 3rd grade.  Kids will make their own paint, and concocting icky slimy gooey clay to use for their art. ($100 for both days, check details and registration here) 

Hoopsters and Ballers check into Playmaker All Stars in Closter for the younger set (ages PK4 to 2nd Grade, April 9th through the 13th, $70/day, $325/week) where Coach Mike and pals will keep them moving and having fun.  Serious Net Lovers in the 3rd through 9th Grade should hook up with Coach Billy Armstrong’s Hoop Dreamz Camp at St. Johns in Hillsdale where campers can try to “Beat the Coach” and are rewarded with prizes for their efforts ($60 per day, runs 9am to 2pm). 

Wannabe pastry chefs ages 6 through 17 can ice up at Oradell’sThe Art of the Cake’s one week mini camp, which runs from 9am to noon or 1pm to 4pm.  Campers work with fondant, make treats to bring home and finish off decorating and icing a two tier fondant cake to share with friends and family. ($265 includes cost of supplies and materials)  For kitchen-mongers who can’t make a one week commitment, sign up for one of Chef’s Central’s daily workshops, including “Cooking for Big Kids: Corn Dogs and Lemonade” and “Cooking for Kids: Baseball Cookies”. 

Reach for the stars at Upper Saddle River’s Gravity Vault’s Mini Camp held on April 3rd and 4th and April 10th and 11th for ages 5 to 13 (noon to 2pm, $45 per day)  

Saddle River Cultural Center’s program also runs April 3rd and 4th and April 9th and 10th for ages 4 through 12.  Kids can choose from three programs, Broadway Kidz Musical Theatre Camp, Animal Adventure Camp (including live animal exhibits by Outraghisss Pets) or Kidz Camp.  ($45 for a half day, $80 for full day program)

If the kids are getting restless and you need some veg out time, pop in for one of Ridgewood Library’s Spring Break Movie Days, 2pm at the Blecher Auditorium from April 9th through the 12th.  Airing hits like Dolphin Tale, Hugo and the Muppets, it’s the perfect wind down to your vaca day. 

Daytrips

Take a Whiff.  Daytrippers head to the Macy’s Flower Show, now held outside in Herald Square, which celebrates Brazil.  This Amazonian oasis at Herald Square showcases pops of color with flowers indigenous to South America and runs through April 7th. 

It’s worth the drive to see one of the largest scale exhibits of late pop artist Keith Haring’s early work.  His collection from 1978 through 1982 is on exhibit at The Brooklyn Museum through July 8th

For casual but amazing DIY art projects we are kind of obsessed with Make Meaning on the UWS of Manhattan (make your own professional grade soaps, pottery, jewelry, candles and more) but for a local fix check out Color Me Mine in Ridgewood, the pottery studio is open from 11am to 7pm most days for drop in fun.