Paper Moon Puppet Theater

The Paper Moon Puppet Theater is located in Atlantic Highlands.  We visited last week as part of a homeschool group, but they also have weekly public shows on Saturdays at 1pm. 

Before the show begins, puppeteers will show the children a variety of the puppets they use in their show.  The kids love this part, and you really get to see how they work the marionette puppets.  The show itself is a little less than a half hour and once it finishes the kids are once again shown the puppets and get a glimpse of how the puppeteers work behind the scenes.

The kids loved their experience..  I heard lots of giggles, and positive remarks when it was over.

 

Public show tickets are $9 per person.  School/group rates are $8 per person, $7 for groups over 50.

Their website is http://papermoonpuppettheatre.com.

Gnome Homes on the Columbia Trail

My girls love fairy houses and gnome homes, so when we found out there was a trail nearby lined with them, we couldn't wait to visit.  E spent her morning collecting items to leave behind and they couldn't wait to see what awaited them inside the houses.   They weren't disappointed on our walk.. 

The Columbia Trail runs from High Bridge to Califon through Long Valley.  Hike it or bike it!

For more information, go to
http://blog.nj.com/nj_off-road_biking/2011/07/challenge_the_whole_family_hunting_for_gnome_homes_along_the_columbia_trail.html
http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/depts/parks/ParkAreas/ColumbiaTrail/brochure.pdf  or
http://blog.nj.com/nj_off-road_biking/2010/06/columbia_trail_new_jersey.html

Duke Farms

Duke Farms is located in Hillsborough and has over 2,500 acres of preserved land to explore.  They recently re-opened to the public and it's definitely worth a visit.  They offer weekend classes/workshops, hiking, biking (free bike share!), geocaching, and more. 

They also offer self-guided educational tours for schools, or homeschoolers!  A group of us took advantage of their resources and visited this week.  We followed their "What Habitat Is That?" lesson plan and explored for hours. 

If you go to the Programs section of their website, you can download many different lesson plans and you can even reserve (with a deposit) their Eco-Kits which include journals, binoculars, clipboards, compasses, and more.

 

 

To learn more about Duke Farms, visit http://dukefarms.org

Liberty Science Center

We visited the Liberty Science Center (Jersey City) today. The kids had a lot of fun and there was something for every age.   The Touch Tunnel seemed to be the highlight of the day!

Did you know that LSC offers homeschool classes? They have specific dates set up throughout the year, but you can also plan a private class if you have 10 students in the same age range.

Homeschool group rates are available if you have over 20 attendees. The rates are MUCH lower than the general admission. $11 per student ($15.50 with IMAX), $6 per adult ($9.50 with IMAX).

Visit their website at http://lsc.org

Homeschool Freedom in New Jersey

I usually hear the same couple of questions when people first find out we homeschool... 

"What about socialization?!"  (most weeks I think my kids are over socialized..)
"Don't you have to let the school system know you're homeschooling?"  (nope!)
"Don't you have to keep records of everything you learn?"  (no again!)
"How will your kids get into college?"   (we'll figure it out when we get there..) 

New Jersey is one of the best states to live in if you are a homeschooler.  There are no rules, no school board to answer to, and no standardized tests to take.    It's wonderful and I hope it stays that way.

Here is a link to a site with answers to lots of the questions new homeschoolers in NJ may have.
http://jerseyhomeschool.net/?page_id=68

Yahoo Groups

I love homeschooling my children, but there are many days where it has its challenges.  There are several yahoo groups for NJ that offer a GREAT deal of support and plenty of resources!

Homeschoolers Central NJ  (covers a broad area, Somerset, Middlesex, Mercer, Union, Monmouth)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HomeschoolersCentralNJ/?yguid=180653871

Green Valley Homeschooling Cooperative (Middlesex/Somerset County)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/green_scene/?yguid=180653871

GECHO-NJ  (Essex County)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gecho_nj/?yguid=180653871

New Jersey Homeschool Support Group (covers more of Northern NJ)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NJHomeschoolSupportGroup/?yguid=180653871

Homeschool Only NJ (Monmouth/Ocean Counties)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HomeschoolOnlyNJ/?yguid=180653871

Madison Homeschoolers (events nearer to Madison/Morris County)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/madisonhomeschoolers/?yguid=180653871

New Jersey Unschoolers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NJ-Unschoolers/?yguid=180653871

Shore Homeschoolers (Monmouth/Ocean Counties)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShoreHomeschoolers/?yguid=180653871

Sky Homeschoolers (Hunterdon, Warren, Sussex & Morris Counties)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SkyHomeschoolers/?yguid=180653871

Welcome!

Welcome to my new site...  I am a homeschooling mom in Central New Jersey and I hope to share my wealth of information with other homeschooling families in the area.  We live in the central part of the state (Somerset County, bordering on Middlesex and Union Counties), so the majority of my posts will be about places within an hour drive of this area.   Our family enjoys visiting all the wonderful parks, museums, classes, etc. that our area has to offer and I've always wanted to compile a site to share them.  After some pushing from friends, I've decided to do it here.   Please bear with me as there is lots of information to post!