Picnic at Van Vleck

A big thank you to Rachel Castelino for organizing a beautiful bring-your-own picnic at Van Vleck House & Gardens in Montclair.

The gardens were absolutely beautiful.  To start the day a couple of the kids went on a stroll to explore the lovely grounds.  The gardens are very well kept and tall trees create plenty of shading for baby's sensitive skin.  While we were walking I couldn't help but think this would be a great place for small children to do a nature walk.  The ground is flat and it would be easy for them to find small leaves and plants to collect.

Once a few more people arrived we all sat down to eat and share our picnic food.  The adults conversed
while the children explored the surrounding plant life.  Takisha was gracious enough to set up her new bubble machine and the kids were thrilled with it! They all spent quite some time running barefoot in the grass and popping bubbles in the air.

Finally the day was finished with some wagon rides and more exploring.  The picnic was a great success and I would definitely recommend using this space for family picnics if you ever get the chance.  There are nice bathrooms on site and plenty of shaded grassy areas to sit.