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Great Grandparent’s Day Activities and Offers in New Jersey 2023

Celebrate Grandparent’s Day in New Jersey with one of these Local New Jersey Grandparent’s Day Events or one of our other ideas.

Sunday, September 10, 2023 is Grandparent’s Day!

Many families in the United States observe National Grandparents Day, the first Sunday in September after Labor Day. Does yours? Whether you remember every year or have never celebrated before be sure to do so this year on Sunday, September 10, 2023.

Only after becoming a parent could I truly appreciate my mom. Raising young children of my own, I feel that I can truly understand some of what she went through when she was raising me. Now she is also sharing her love with her two grandchildren.

Mercer-County-Park-grandparents-Cove-plaque-2

Grandparents love their grandkids. They are also often underappreciated so why not celebrate them by doing something fun for Grandparent’s Day? There are numerous events and activities throughout New Jersey that are listed below.

Even though Grandparent’s Day is on the first Sunday after Labor Day, many of these promotions are on different days throughout the year as well. Celebrate the grandparents all year long!

collage of grandparents for Grandparent's Day in New Jersey blog post

Grandparent’s Day Activities in New Jersey

These Grandparent’s Day activities in New Jersey are listed regionally where they will be held. They represent events that are listed on our Calendar of New Jersey events and elsewhere. Some events are special for Grandparent’s Day and others are events on Grandparent’s Day that grandparents would find special.

We are currently updating this for Grandparents Day 2023.

Make a craft together at Michael’s

It doesn’t matter where you are in New Jersey, if you’re local to a Michael’s Craft Store there’s likely a Michaels Make Break Crafts event going on. Read our Michaels Make Break Crafts event listing and see if your local store is participating.

North Jersey Grandparents’ Day Activities for kids and teens

Whippany Railway Museum Grandparent’s Day Train Rides

  • Address: 1 Railroad Plaza Whippany, NJ 07981
  • Dates: Sunday, September 10, 2023 Rain or Shine
  • Times: 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm for the train ride
  • Museum Hours: The museum is open from noon to 4 pm on Sundays from April through October
  • Cost: Varies by train car, see website for details. The museum is $2 for adults and $1 for kids. 
  • Try something new with a 45 minute scenic train ride in North Jersey! Travel on restored vintage railway cars over a historic bridge. See the outdoor and indoor museum displays that depict the history of train travel. Kids will enjoy the interactive O gauge train layout inside. 
  • For more details on the train ride or museum visit the Whippany Railway Museum website. 

Bergen County Audubon Society Nature Walks

The Bergen County Audubon Society (BCAS) regularly leads two-hour nature walks. There’s one on Grandparent’s Day. What a fun way the kids can take an educational walk with their grandparents.

Read the details in our Bergen County Audubon Society Nature Walks event listing for September 10, 2023. Register. Then, get ready to go with binoculars, bug spray, and a sense of wonder.

Central Jersey Grandparents’ Day Activities for kids and teens

We are currently searching for Grandparent’s Day events in Central Jersey.

South Jersey Grandparents’ Day Activities for kids and teens

Grandparent’s Corner at Katz JCC

  • Address: 1301 Springdale Rd, Cherry Hill, NJ
  • As part of JCC’s Community Day on Sunday, September 10, Grandparent’s Corner is a complimentary event with crafts, storytelling, and snacks for grandparents to enjoy with their grandchildren as they learn about and get excited for Rosh Hashanah.
  • Registration is required and available on their website. Learn more in their Facebook event listing.

Jersey Shore Pirates Deals for Grandparents

  • Address: 281 Princeton Avenue Brick, NJ 08724
  • As of August 28, 2023, there are no details about this event for 2023. Generally, mom and grandmas are free on Mother’s Day, dads and grandpas are free on Father’s Day and grandparents are free on Grandparent’s Day. 
  • Have a fun adventure where everyone can dress like a pirate, talk like them, read a treasure map, man water cannons and more!
  • For more information visit Special Events (jerseyshorepirates.com)

Visit our Calendar for Grandparent’s Day for more ideas.

Freebies and Deals for Grandparents in New Jersey

Any day can be Grandparent’s Day in New Jersey with these deals. Here are a few ways grandparents can save money on family fun in New Jersey.

North Jersey Deals for Grandparents

Details coming soon.

Central Jersey Deals for Grandparents

Keansburg Amusement Park and Runaway Rapids Water Park Deals for Grandparents

South Jersey Deals for Grandparents

Point Pleasant Grandparents Wednesdays at Jenkinson’s

  • Address: 300 Ocean Avenue Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
  • Hours: Noon to 5 pm
  • Grandparents ride on the rides and play mini golf for free on Wednesdays between 12 noon and 6 pm with a paying grandchild. This promotion runs until the end of August. 
  • For full details on the promotion visit Grandparents Wednesdays.

Looking for more deals to take advantage of for Grandparent’s Day?

While the offers below aren’t specific to Grandparent’s Day, they are a great way to save money on Grandparents Day activities.

More Ideas for Grandparent’s Day Activities

When planning your Grandparent’s Day activities in New Jersey you don’t necessarily need a specific event to honor grandparents. You can create your own eventful day with these ideas for activities to do with grandparents.

Visit Grandparents Grove

Near the Mercer County Park Marina, there is a spot called Grandparents Grove. This would be a great spot for a picnic with grandparents as the area is mostly enclosed, which would make it easier to watch kids. It is close to the water so there is a cool breeze. There are also sweet quotes about grandparents on the stone walls. Afterwards, grandparents can take kids to the nearby Mercer County Park playground or trails. If visiting before Labor Day the splash pad and marina are often open as well.

Mercer-County-Park-grandparents-Cove-placque-1

Do an interactive video chat. 

If grandparents live far away a great way to stay in touch is through video calls. If this is something you already do regularly try and make this one special. Maybe try playing a game on the call. We have liked playing the board game Red Light, Green Light or having people guess the amount of jelly beans in a jar. Another fun idea is to have the people on the call do a scavenger hunt in their house and show each other their finds. 

Do some artwork. 

Whether it is simple coloring or a more elaborate piece this is always a relaxing activity to do together. Grandparents will also get a fun memento of the day with this as well. If you are stumped on a project to do check out your local library since many often offer make and take crafts to do at home. You can also go somewhere like a Paint Your Own Pottery studio or an arts studio. 

Small Boy Painting with painting kit available for curbside pick up in New Jersey

Some paint-your-own studios offer virtual painting experiences. It’s great for families that can’t be together as the grandparent/grandchild can follow along with the same video to create artwork from wherever they are.

Visit some animals. 

The weather is perfect in September for going to visit a farm, zoo or wildlife sanctuary. Many of these are free as well. Some of our favorites that are free to visit include the Cohanzick Zoo and the Mount Laurel Animal Hospital. For a list of free places to see animals in New Jersey with details visit The Best Places to See Animals for Free in New Jersey

Cohanzick-Zoo-Turtles

Plan a beach day.

One of the great advantages to living in New Jersey is quick access to the Jersey Shore. September is one of our favorite times to visit the beach. Crowds have thinned out, parking is easier and the water is warm. Some beaches even extend their lifeguards until the end of September. Many of them still have a lot of their shops, restaurants and rides open as well. Atlantic City beaches are open until the end of September. For more information on those and other beaches read New Jersey Beaches and Beach Tag Information

social distancing at the Jersey Shore beaches a father and child wade in the water

Visit the stars. 

Planetarium shows are often inexpensive and some include the cost of going to a museum as well. They are also good since they often have short ones offered that are great for kids with short attention spans. I can still remember being awestruck when seeing my first show as a kid. See our list here about the different ones throughout New Jersey: New Jersey Planetariums and Observatories

Liberty Science Center Jennifer Chalsty's Planetarium

Play a board game. 

Sometimes it can be harder for grandparents and grandchildren to relate to each other and find an activity they both enjoy. An easy fix is a board game! Some that our family enjoys that are easy to play include Apples to Apples, Wits & Wagers and Sushi Go. 

Pick some apples. 

September is the season for apples! This is a great activity to do with grandparents as they can help younger kids pick the higher apples. Afterwards be sure to try new ways to eat them at home. One of my favorites is to make some crepes and then put butter apples and cinnamon in a frying pan for a bit to eat with them. Three places we love to pick are Lee’s Turkey Farm, Terhune Orchards and Demarest Farms. For a list of other farms in New Jersey (many of which have picking) visit New Jersey Farms with Apple Picking.

New-Jersey-Apple-Picking-images-2

Walk among the flowers.  

In the first half of September, there are still many summer flowers in bloom at the arboretums. Go for a walk to get ensconced in blooms. Two of our favorites are Sayen Gardens and Deep Cut Gardens. For a full list of arboretums and botanical gardens in New Jersey as well as what you may find in bloom go here: Somethings Always Blooming at New Jersey Botanical Gardens and Arboretums

Pretty-flower-at-Morven-Museum-and-Garden-in-Princeton

Go to a national park or NJ State Park. 

Seniors can purchase a seasonal pass for $20 or a lifetime pass for $80. Traveling companions can enter for free. Governor Murphy had also announced free entry to state parks for this summer so anyone can visit them for free right now. Read National Parks in New Jersey or the Best New Jersey State Parks for more details.

Boardwalk trail at Cape May Point State Park
Cape May Point State Park is a great park to walk with grandparents due to smooth boardwalk trails.

Invite them for an interview!

Have younger children come up with 5 questions they want to know about their grandparents’ childhood, and older children would be able to ask about their later years as well. Make sure to audio or video record it and for fun have your child dress professionally and use a microphone! Bonus that this can be done in person or via phone or Skype/Facetime.

Have a photo shoot!

Ask grandma or grandpa to share one of their favorite old photos and recreate it with the grandchildren now in the frame with them. Do a dress-alike photo shoot, or simply take photos of the grandparent/grandchild bond. We take pictures all the time but taking mindful photos will be so appreciated in the future.

Read a book about grandparents together.

I Love You Grandma by Jillian Harker

This book is a cute story about a little bear asking his grandma why he has various body parts. It is informational to younger kids about how bears find food and also tells them why grandma’s seem to know everything. 

I Love You, Grandma: A Tale of Encouragement and Love between a Grandmother and her Child, Ages 3-6: Jilliam Harker, Parragon Books, Kristina Stephenson;Kristina Stephenson;Kristina Stephenson;Kristina Stephenson, Kristina Stephenson;Kristina Stephenson;Kristina Stephenson;Kristina Stephenson: 9781680524253: Amazon.com: Books

Grandpa Hugs by Laura Netzling

This book is a cute story of baby animals doing various activities with their grandfathers. It is great since it also gives activity ideas of things to do for grandparents with their grandchildren from Go Fish to eating ice cream. Be aware that one of the activities mentioned in the book is saying nighttime prayers. Grandpa Hugs: Neutzling, Laura: 9780718089405: Amazon.com: Books.

Handmade Grandparent’s Day Gifts

Here are a few quick ideas from Melanie on handmade gifts kids can create for their grandparents.

Painted dish towel

Create a floral hand and footprint dish towel. Dip your child’s tiny toes into green washable paint and create the leaves of the flower, then dip their hands into a bright color of paint and use their handprint for the flower petals. Be sure to date the towel as grandma will treasure it for years to come.

grandparents day craft

“I Love You to Pieces” picture frame

Make an “I Love You to Pieces” picture frame. You can purchase blank puzzle pieces at your local craft store or recycle old pieces you find around the house. Paint the pieces in a variety of colors and write the words “I Love You to Pieces” on each. Glue the pieces around the frame and be sure to put a photo of your child with their grandparents inside. You can purchase a frame at the dollar store or create one out of popsicle sticks or foam.

A humorous recipe

Rewrite a recipe. Who doesn’t love grandma’s cooking? Grab some recipe cards and have your child write down the steps to one of grandma’s (or grandpa’s!) infamous recipes. Allow them to write in their own words step-by-step how grandma creates her delicious meal. It’s sure to give grandma a good laugh as she sees how her grandchild views her cooking techniques.

Sunshine Craft

Order a DIY grandparent-themed crafts from Oriental Trading Company. What grandparent wouldn’t love a handmade Grandparents Day gift? My favorite was the You are My Sunshine Sign Craft Kit. It’s so easy to make. Just peel and stick. No glue required. What a great way to show the grandparents how happy they make your child.

Adopt a Grandparent

No grandparents nearby? Still want the kids to have the experience of having grandparents? Adopt a grandparent.

The lack of a living grandparent or a grandparent nearby shouldn’t mean your children have no experiences with the older generations. Visit a local assisted living facility with small treats or happy cards for the residents. Ask at a senior center if there’s a way older children can get involved in their weekly activities. There’s so much to learn from the grandparent generation on Grandparents Day and every day!

How do you celebrate Grandparent’s Day? If you’re a grandparent how do you like to spend the day?

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