Bring on summer! Every day my kids come home from school and remind me how many school days they have left. I admit I am half-excited and half-terrified. Excited to not have any more days of homework but terrified at the thought of how to fill so many days off from school with fun activities. Do you feel the same? It’s with that in mind that we created our BIGGEST day trips and destinations guide to date. We’ve packed it with over 100 ways to have summer fun with your kids. From community events to vacation destinations we hope you’ll find this a valuable tool in planning your summer of fun. Thank you to our team of writers for their work to create the great articles and directories. We appreciate our advertisers who make it all possible. And a special thanks to Gap Kids and Gymboree for their Nanotex clothing, pictured on the cover and pages 40 and 71. This stain-resistant wrinkle-free clothing can help your kids and mine look good all summer long, no matter what adventures you choose and we wish you many fun adventures.
Enjoy your summer, Jennifer Auer, Editor
Table of Contents Events 2 Free & Discount Adm. Days 3 Free Food & Meal Days 8 Free & $1 Movie Days 11 Concerts & Performances 18 Unique Events 21 Activities 32 Day Trips 40 Family Travel 71
The Jersey Family Fun Team Editor Jennifer Auer Events & Ast. Editor Crystal Rodgers
Click the image for our complete calendar of events.
Writers & Team Members Melanie Cortese Joanna Gnudi Cortina Jillian Fletcher Melissa Garner Lauran Randazzo Jones Traci Weston-Murn Nancy Moore Palutis
Bank of America’s Museums on Us On the first full weekend of every month, Bank of America's Museums on Us Program allows each card holder to get one free general admission at more than 150 museums nationwide. Look below for a list of museums in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New York. Each card holder gets one free general admission. All you need is a photo id and your Bank of America or Merrill Lynch card. Bank of America Free Admission Weekends Summer Schedule June 6th & 7th July 4th & 5th August 1st & 2nd September 5th & 6th Participating Museums in New Jersey Montclair Art Museum Liberty Science Center Newark Museum Aijira, a center for contemporary art (closed Sundays) Morris Museum Wheaton Arts & Cultural Center The Noyes Museum of Art at Richard Stockton College Garden State Discovery Museum Participating Museums in Philadelphia Philadelphia Museum of Art National Constitution Center National Museum of American Jewish History African American Museum in Philadelphia Allentown Art Museum Carnegie Museum of Art
Participating Museums in Delaware Delaware Art Museum (No Sundays) Delaware Museum of Natural History Participating Museums in New York The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Museum of Modern Art Staten Island Children's Museum Brooklyn Historical Society Children's Museum of Manhattan Queens Museum of Art Long Island Children's Museum Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum Long Island Museum of American Art, History, & Carriages (Closed Jan-Feb) Old Westbury Gardens (May - Dec Only)
Philadelphia Museum of Art During special Philadelphia Museum of Modern Art Pay What You Wish Days on the first Sunday of the month and Wednesday evenings your family can go to the Philadelphia Museum of Modern Art at at fraction of the price. On these special days you are invited to the museum and you can pay whatever you can afford, just please pay something as the museum says even if it's just a penny. It is a great way to introduce you family to the arts museum. Pay What You Wish Days 2015 Summer Schedule No advance registration is required. Sundays 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and pay what you wish is all day. Wednesdays 10:00 am - 8:45 pm pay what you wish begins after 5 pm. Wednesday, May 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th Sunday, June 7th Wednesday, June 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th Sunday, July 5 Wednesday, July 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th Sunday, August 2nd Wednesday, August 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th Sunday, September 6 The Philadelphia Museum of Modern Art is located at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA 19130 Phone Number 215-763-8100
Please Touch Museum offers $2 Admission Days On the first Wednesday night of each month your family can visit the Please Touch Museum for $2 a person. Summer Schedule of $2 Admission Days At the Please Touch Museum Schedule Free parking will be offered as well during these times. No advance registration is required. • Wed., June 3rd 4pm to 7pm • Wed., July 1st 4pm to 7pm • Wed., August 5th 4pm to 7pm • Wed., September 2nd 4pm to 7pm • Wed., October 7th 4pm to 7pm The Please Touch Museum is located at Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park 4231 Avenue of the Republic, (formerly North Concourse Drive) in Philadelphia.
Franklin Institute
Free Admission Days During special Target Community nights you can go to Franklin Institute for Free! Free Admission nights generally occur on the third Thursday of the month. No advance registration is required however registration on site might be requested. Parking is also a discounted rate of $6 during the evening! 2015 FREE Admission Day Summer Schedule • Wed., June 17th 5pm to 8pm - Ocean Science • Wed., July 15th 5pm to 8pm - Science of the City • There is no August schedule as of 3/26 • Wed., September 16th 5pm to 8pm - Neighborhood Night For tips on how to make the most of a Franklin Institute Free Admission Day click over to this blog post. The Franklin Institute is located at 222 N 20th Street in Philadelphia.
National Constitution Center Celebrates Wawa Hoagie Day with Free Admission Spend Independence Week learning about our country's history with FREE Admission to the National Constitution Center on Thursday, July 2. For the third consecutive year, the Constitution Center will participate in Wawa Hoagie Day. The museum will have extended hours on Thursday, July 2, 2015 (9:30 am to 8 pm). Wawa Hoagie Day is Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Deliciousness at its finest as 5 tons of hoagies will be assembled at the National Constitution Center and served free to thousands of people outside the Independence Visitor Center on Independence Mall starting at noon. Join in this patriotic event as Wawa salutes our military, fire, and police. Free Activities Include • Special exhibition about Wawa's history • Program on the history of the hoagie. • Free make & take activities. • Ceremonies, Concerts, & Shows. • Scholarly chats and walking tours, at the museum and at various Historic Philadelphia locations. The National Constitution Center is located at the Independence Mall at 525 Arch Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Check out our National Constitution Center series to learn more.
National Doughnut Day is Friday, June 5 From Dunkin' Donuts which dominates the tristate area for these tasty delicacies to the local and independent shops that offer their own creations, a doughnut flavor exists for everyone and Friday, June 5, you can get one for FREE. The first Friday in June has been National Doughnut Day since 1938. It was created as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army and in Chicago it still is used as a fundraiser for this organization. It is meant to raise awareness for the social programs offered by the Salvation Army and to commemorate the "donut lassies" who are women that in addition to providing various supplies to soldiers also served them coffee and doughnuts on the front lines during World War I. Where to Get Free Doughnuts on National Doughnut Day 2015 • Dunkin' Donuts (check your local store) • Krispy Kreme Receive a free donut. • Montclair Bread Company (113 Walnut St., Montclair) • Tim Horton's (1 Hudson Pl, Hoboken) • Top That Donuts (210 Ocean Ave, Point Pleasant Beach) • Shore Good Donuts • Duck Donuts So whether you are a traditionalist or a culinary daredevil, stop into one of the above vendors for a breakfast treat.
Free Slurpee Day! July 11th is 7-11 Free Slurpee Day at 7-11 stores nationwide from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm. Stop in to participating stores to get yours while supplies last.
Give yourself the night off from cooking at a discount! Take advantage of these restaurants in New Jersey offering kids a free meal! We suggest calling the location to confirm participation and terms. For the specific schedule by day and locations visit our complete listing online. Atlantic County
Pizza Hut, Denny’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Zona Fresca, IHOP, Mays Landing Diner, Friendly’s
Middlesex County
Denny’s, The Station Tavern, IHOP, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Hooters, Pizza Hut, Pizzeria Uno, Brother Jimmy’s, Moe’s, Arirang, Buffalo Wild Wings, Miller’s Ale House
Monmouth County
Bergen County
Moe’s Southwest Grill, IHOP, Jalapenos, Rocca, Hooters, Ho-Ho-Kus Inn, Miller’s Ale House, IKEA, Horizon Diner, Lakeside Grille and Bar, Bennigans, Que Pasta
Court Jester, Buffalo Wild Wings, Rosalita’s, All Seasons Restaurant Diner, IHOP, Valentino’s, Inkanto, Red Oak Diner, Park East, Shore Cafe, Chubby Pickle, Chapter House, Sycamore Grill, Bubbakoos, Brass Rail, Nino’s Coal Fired Pizza, Main Street Bar and Grill, Blue Swan, Molly Maguire’s Gastropub
Burlington County
Morris County
Dennys, IHOP, Charley’s Other Brother, Sonic, Pizzeria Uno, Marlton Tavern, Al Dente
IHOP, Andrea’s Dining Room, Buffalo Wild Wings, Moe’s, Scallopini
Camden County
Ocean County
Oceanside Seafood, Cabanas
Bubbakoo’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Nino’s Coal Fired Pizza, Bubbakoo’s, 21 South, Sandy’s Cozy Corner, Lamp Post Inn, Farrell’s, Burger 25, Four Seasons Diner, Perkins, Pizza Hut, Sand Castle Diner, Toms River Diner, Tiff’s, Tuscan House
Cumberland County
Passaic County
Bennigan’s, Denny’s, Friendly’s
Chevy’s, Pizzeria Uno, IHOP, Hooters,
Essex County
Salem County
Qdoba, Denny’s, Tortilla Press, Pop Shop, Miller’s Ale House, Bob Evans, IHOP
Cape May County
IHOP, Nikko, Calandra’s Mediterranean Grill, Moonshine Supper Club, Franklin Steakhouse, Toro Loco, Verona Inn
Denny’s, Elmer Diner
Gloucester County
Pizzeria Uno, Landmark, Mozzarella Grill, Val’s Seafood Trattoria, Denny’s
Moe’s, Willie McBride’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Trio, Stoney Brook Grille, Stage House, Melting Pot, Uproot, Buffalo Wild Wings
Hudson County
Sussex County
Somerset County
Otaiko, Arthur’s, Elysian Cafe, IHOP, Qdoba, Cheeseburger in Paradise
O’Reilly’s
Hunterdon County
Molly MaGuire’s, Oh’Brian’s on the Green, IKEA, IHOP, The Station, Chevy’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Arirang, Stage House Tavern, Pizza Vita, Tiff’s
Riley and Jakes, Lovin’ Oven, The Rail
Mercer County
Town Diner, Pizzeria Uno, IHOP, Moe’s, Tavern on the Lake, Hooters
Union County
Warren County
IHOP, Bea McNally’s
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For 9 weeks New Jersey Regal Cinemas will show select G & PG rated movies for only $1 a showing, Part of the proceeds of admission will benefit the Will Rogers Institute. The movies will be shown on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:00 am.
Week 4 Rio 2 G How to Train Your Dragon 2 PG
Week 5 Mr. Peabody & Sherman PG New Jersey Regal Cinemas locations The Book of Life PG Our Book of Life movie Regal Burlington, Stadium 20, Burlington - Week review 1 starts June 23 Week 6 Regal Hamilton Commons, Stadium 14, Mays Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb PG Landing - Week 1 starts June 23 Penguins of Madagascar PG Regal Commerce Center, Stadium 18, North Brunswick - Week 1 starts June 23 Week 7 Regal Hadley Theater, Stadium 16, South The Lego Movie PG Our The Lego Movie review Plainfield - Week 1 starts June 23 Regal Pohatcong, Stadium 12, Phillipsburg, Week Dolphin Tale 2 PG Our Dolphin Tale 2 movie review 1 starts June 16 Regal Cross Keys, Stadium 12, Turnersville Week Week 8 1 starts June 9 Muppets Most Wanted PG Our Muppets Most Regal Cumberland Mall, Stadium 14, Vineland, Wanted movie review Week 1 starts June 30 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, The movie schedule may vary slightly from Very Bad Day PG Our Alexander and the location to location. Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day movie review Summer Movie Express Movie
Schedule
Week 1 The Nut Job PG Our Nut Job movie review Annie PG Our Annie movie review Week 2 Earth to Echo PG The Boxtrolls PG Week 3 Paddington PG Turbo PG Our Turbo movie review
Week 9 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles PG Our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie review The Spongebob Movie PG
If you live near a Cinemark Theater boy are you in luck. This year for their summer movie clubhouse you can purchase a punch card that will grant you admission into all ten of the movies in their clubhouse for only $5 per person. No worries, if you can't get to the theater to purchase the tickets in advance you can purchase tickets at each showing for only $1 per person. The Summer Movie Clubhouse is a ten-week program of recently released G and PG films for kids. Day, times, and weeks of the series are determined by the local theatres.
NJ Cinemark Theater Locations Cinemark 16, Somerdale Cinemark 12, Hazlet
Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse - Movie Schedule Cinemark 16 Use this coupon for $1 off a snack pack. Showtimes are at 10:00 AM each Wednesday. 6/24 - Mr. Peabody and Sherman 7/1 - Penguins of Madagascar 7/8 - Night at the Museum and the Secret of the Tomb 7/15 - How to Train Your Dragon 2 7/22 - Alvin and the ChipmunksChipwrecked Our Alvin and the Chipmunks movie review 7/29 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days 8/5 - The Nut Job Our Nut Job movie review 8/12 - Rio 2 8/19 - Turbo Our Turbo movie review 8/26 - The Croods Our The Croods movie review
Cinemark 12, Hazlet Use this coupon for $1 off a snack pack. Showtimes are at 10:00 AM each Wednesday and Thursday. 6/24 and 6/25 - Mr. Peabody and Sherman 7/1 and 7/2 - Penguins of Madagascar 7/8 and 7/9 - Night at the Museum and the Secret of the Tomb 7/15 and 7/16 - How to Train Your Dragon 2 7/22 and 7/23 - Alvin and the ChipmunksChipwrecked Our Alvin and the Chipmunks movie review 7/29 and 7/30 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days 8/5 and 8/6 - The Nut Job Our Nut Job movie review 8/12 and 8/13 - Rio 2 8/19 and 8/20 - Turbo Our Turbo movie review 8/26 and 8/27 - The Croods Our The Croods movie review
The Marquee Cinemas Free Summer Movies is an 8 week program of recently released G and PG films for kids. Kids have their choice between 2 movies playing on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 9:30 am. Movie tickets are FREE! The New Jersey Marquee Cinema Orchard 10 is located at 1311 Rt 37 West in Toms River.
Summer Movies Series Schedule Orchard 10 7/7 & 7/8-Mr. Peabody & Sherman/Earth to Echo 7/14 & 7/15 - Rio 2/The Smurfs 2 Our Smurfs 2 movie review 7/21 & 7/22- Despicable Me 2/Paddington Our Despicable Me 2 movie review 7/28 & 7/29 - Penguins of Madagascar/Lego Movie Our The Lego Movie review 8/4 & 8/5- How to Train Your Dragon 2/ The Spongebob Movie 8/11 & 8/12 - Dolphin Tale 2/Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs Our Dolphin Tale 2 movie review 8/18 & 8/19 - Turbo/Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Our Turbo movie review 8/25 & 8/26 - Hotel Transylvania/Annie Our Hotel Transylvania movie review Our Annie movie review *Special discounts on popcorn and drinks.
Movies are presented By Pemberton Recreation and Pemberton Township Alliance Group on the Mirror Lake Beach. FREE Admission, FREE Popcorn, FREE Gift for Children in Attendance! Movies Series Schedule July 10th - The Boxtrolls July 17th - Big Hero 6 Our Big Hero 6 movie review July 24th - Dolphins Tale 2 Our Dolphin Tale 2 movie review July 31st - Paddington August 7th - Hunger Games The Mocking Jay August 14th - Annie Our Annie movie review August 21st - Guardians of the Galaxy August 28th - Cinderella
A Good Movie. A Bag of Popcorn. A Cone of Ice Cream or Maybe A Burger or Cotton Candy. Special times with friends. That's Movie Night at OSPAC. 7:30pm OSPAC Free Summer Movies will be at 4 Boland Drive in West Orange. Movie Nights Schedule Tuesday, August 4, 2015 ~ Frozen Our Frozen movie review Tuesday, August 11, 2015 ~ Malficent Tuesday, August 18, 2015 ~ The Lego Movie Our The Lego Movie review
7/22 The Lego Movie, Borough of Wenonah, Wenonah Park, East Mantua and South West Avenues Our The Lego Movie review 7/29, Dolphin Tale 2, Logan Township, 125 Main Street, Bridgeport Our Dolphin Tale 2 movie review
Bring your blankets and chairs to catch a free movie anywhere throughout the county all summer long!
Gloucester County Park Movie Schedule with Park Locations 5/8 Dolphin Tale 2, East Greenwich Township, Samuel Mickle School, 559 Kings Hwy., Mickleton Our Dolphin Tale 2 movie review 5/22, Dolphin Tale 2, Borough of Westville, Galbraith Park, River Drive Our Dolphin Tale 2 movie review 5/29, Annie-It’s a Hard Knock Life, Harrison Township, Ella Harris Park, 155 Commissioners Rd. Our Annie movie review
7/31, Paddington, Greenwich Township, Memorial Park, Memorial Avenue Gibbstown 8/5, Into the Woods, James G. Atkinson Park, 138 Bethel Mill Road, Sewell Our Into the Woods movie review 8/7, Frozen, Borough of Glassboro, New Street Park, 410 East New Street Our Frozen movie review 8/12, The Boxtrolls, Mantua Township, Chestnut Branch Park, 545 Main Street 8/14, Frozen, Monroe Township, Monroe Township Public Library, 713 Marsha Avenue Our Frozen movie review 8/21, Frozen, West Deptford, Riverwinds, 1000 Riverwinds Drive Our Frozen movie review
6/5, Frozen, Deptford Township, Fasola Park, 12 Sycamore Lane Our Frozen movie review
8/26, Paddington, South Harrison Township, Stewart Park, 67 Ferrell Road, Mullica Hill
6/12, Frozen, National Park ACA Fields, 700 Hessian Avenue Our Frozen movie review
8/28, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,Very Bad Day, Borough of Pitman, Sunset Auditorium, Laurel Ave Our movie review
6/19, The Boxtrolls, Woodbury Heights, 500 Elm Ave 6/26, Annie-It’s a Hard Knock Life, Woolwich Township Locke Avenue Park, 56 Locke Avenue Our Annie movie review 7/10, The Boxtrolls, Woodbury Heights, 500 Elm Avenue 7/15, Annie-It’s a Hard Knock Life, Woodbury, Stewart Lake Park, 235 East Red Bank Avenue Our Annie movie review 7/17, Annie-It’s a Hard Knock Life, Washington Township, Washington Lake Park Amphitheatre, 626 Hurffville - Cross Keys Road Our Annie movie review
9/9, Frozen, Franklin Township, Malaga Lake Park, Malaga Road Our Frozen movie review 9/11, Frozen, Borough of Paulsboro, Fort Billings Park, North Delaware Avenue Our Frozen movie review 9/18, Muppets Most Wanted, Sweedesboro, Swedesboro Lake Park, 701 Park Avenue Our Muppets Most Wanted movie review 9/25, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,Very Bad Day, Elk Township, Elk Township Park, 700 Whig Lane Road Our Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day movie review
Free Friday Flicks
at Kip’s Castle Very few castles exist in the United States. However in New Jersey, and more specifically, in Essex County is the home to Kip's Castle. The ten acre estate spans Montclair and Verona, but Kip's Castle originally built in the early 1900's is considered a resident of Verona. Originally referred to as "Kypsburg" it took over three years to build. After many years of neglect, in 2007 it acquired a new owner, the County of Essex which then became part of the Essex County Parks. Fast forward to Free Flicks on Fridays. This annual FREE activity is a fun tradition for residents in Essex County. The gates of Kip's Castle open at 6:30 PM on Friday nights in June to the public for movie nights. Prior to the start of the film there will be entertainment that ties into the film being shown. At dusk, the family friendly films are shown on the grassy lawn. Families are encouraged to bring a lawn chair, blankets, and just enjoy each other's company on spring nights. If the weather is not conducive to outdoor viewings, then the rain date is the following Saturday.
Here is the 2015 Free Friday Flicks at Kip's Castle Movie Schedule! • Frozen: June 5, rain date June 6. Come beforehand to meet and greet with the princesses of the film! 6:30pm. Our Frozen movie review • The Lego Movie: June 12, rain date June 13. Come beforehand to build with Legos with the help of Snapology. 6:30pm. Our The Lego Movie review • Divergent: June 19, rain date June 20. Come beforehand for a archery demonstration. 6:30 pm. • Eat, Pray Love: June 26, rain date June 27. Come beforehand for a cultural experience. 6:30 pm. Kip's Castle is located at 22 Crestmont Road in Verona (Essex County). Take your family and meet up with friends at this outdoor movie event!
The free fun Atlantic City events continues this summer with free movies 3 different nights a week at different locations. Families are invited to bring beach chairs, blankets and picnic baskets to enjoy the movies. Movies will take place at dusk on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays at the following locations.
Friday Nights at Bartram Ave Beach July 10 - The Lego Movie, PG Our The Lego Movie review July 17- Big Hero 6, PG Our Big Hero 6 movie review July 24 - Up!, PG July 31 - Paddington, PG August 7 - Tangled, PG August 14 - Ratatouille, PG August 21 - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, PG Our Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day movie review August 28 - Cinderella (2015), PG
Monday Nights at Historic Gardner's Basin July 13 - Annie (2014), PG Our Annie movie review July 20 - The Blind Side, PG-13 July 27 - Divergent, PG-13 August 3 - Mom's Night Out, PG August 10 - Maleficent, PG August 17 - Captain America Winter Soldier, PG-13 August 24 - The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay - Part 1, PG-13 August 31 - The Expendables 3, PG-13
Sunday Nights at Brighton Park July 12 - Into the Woods, PG Our Into the Woods movie review July 19 -Annie (2014), PG Our Annie movie review July 26 - Paddington, PG August 2 -Maleficent, PG August 9 - Dolphin Tale 2, PG Our Dolphin Tale 2 movie review August 16 - The Hundred Foot Journey, PG August 23 - Cantinflas, PG August 30 - Cinderella (2015), PG
More free movies from Shore Flicks Galloway Township Community Services Wildwoods Save this link to our Free & $1 Movies Series
Garden State Discovery Museum
Grubbin’ and Groovin’ Concerts Garden State Discovery Museum has announced the dates for their free summer concert series for 2015. Last year was the first year for the Garden State Discovery Museum’s free Grubbin' and Groovin' concerts. They were outside and there was good food and good music by live bands. This year Garden State Discovery Museum has announced the dates of the 3rd annual summer concert series. The Grubbin' & Groovin' Summer Concerts series will be every Wednesday starting July 1st until August 12th. The music entertainment will be there from 5 pm until 7 pm and the food trucks will be there until 8 pm. Along with these free concerts, admission to the Garden State Discovery Museum after 5 pm is only $5 so that's a great bargain. Garden State Discovery Museum has yet to release the summer concert series line-up but we are sure it won't disappoint. What to expect • Food Trucks • Outside Fun • Bounce Houses • After 5 pm only $5 admission • Music to dance to when outside Garden State Discovery Museum is located at 2040 Springdale Road Suite 100 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08003.
Bring the Magic of Live Theatre to your Family this Summer at Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre Beginning June 20, 2015, the outdoor theatre will kick off its season. There will be 9 family friendly shows on the weekends featuring some of our favorite fairy tales and stories, even a few of our Disney favorites. The open air theatre is attached to Washington Crossing State Park where you could go on a hike, take a tour and visit the site where George Washington crossed the Delaware River either before or after you see a performance.
Washington Crossing Open Air Theatre Children's Play Schedule for 2015 Beauty and the Beast - June 20, 21, 27, 28 - Saturdays at 11:00 am & Sundays at 4 pm The classic tale of a prince, turned into a beast by an evil witch. The Beast falls in love with the beautiful Belle. When Belle is imprisoned by the Beast, will her love be able to transform the creature back into a man? Alice in Wonderland - July 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12 - Fridays & Saturdays at 11:00 am & Sundays at 4 pm Join Alice on her trip through Wonderland as she meets some beloved characters, A Garden Of Beautiful Flowers, a truly Mad Tea Party, a mysterious grinning cat and the Queen and King of Hearts and their court. Disney's Aladdin Jr - July 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 - Fridays & Saturdays at 11:00 am & Sundays at 4 pm Welcome to Agrabah, City of Enchantment, where we're about to begin the fantastic tale of the street rat who became a prince! All of your favorite characters from the hit Disney film come to life with an Academy awardwinning score, with songs by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice. The Little Mermaid - July 31, August 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 - Fridays & Saturdays at 11:00 am & Sundays at 4 pm Based on the children’s story by Hans Christian Andersen, a little mermaid dreams of going on land. Banished by her father, the King of the Sea, she is forced to fend for herself. Disney's 101 Dalmations - August 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 - Fridays & Saturdays at 11:00 am & Sundays at 4 pm In a loving home in the city of London, Dalmatian parents, Pongo and Perdita happily raise their Dalmatian puppies, until the monstrous Cruella De Ville plots to steal them for her new fur coat! Join all the dogs of London, as they daringly rescue the puppies from Cruella and her bumbling henchmen. Disney's Cinderella Kids - August 28, 29, 30, September 5, 6 - Fridays & Saturdays at 11:00 am & Sundays at 4 pm Poor Cinderella is endlessly mistreated by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters and denied a chance to go to the royal ball. With a little help from her mice friends, and a lot of help from her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella's dreams come true. She goes to the ball, meets the Prince, and falls in love!
Box Office Information Adults & children New Jersey residents - $5.00 per person. Non New Jersey Residents are $7.00 per person. They only accept cash. The park does have a parking fee of $5 between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm. All seats are general admission on wooden benches. The park recommends bringing a blanket to be more comfortable. Please call 267-885-9857 for cancellations and delays due to weather. Picnic tables are available in the vicinity for you to enjoy before or after the show. Public restrooms are available adjacent to the box office. Washington Crossing’s Open Air Theatre is located at 355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road in Titusville.
Plays
in the
Park,
More Theater Fun for Families Are you looking for a fun and inexpensive way to introduce your family to live theater? Plays in the Park is a great way to introduce your child to live theater. Children age 12 and under are able to attend the shows for FREE and adults tickets are inexpensive. Imagine a night under the stars, (don't forget your lawn chair or blanket to sit on) enjoying a snack with your kids watching a family friendly play on a large outdoor stage. Sounds perfect right? The Plays in the Park program has been around for over 50 years and makes for some great childhood memories. Shows start at 8:30 pm and the box office opens at 5:30 pm to sell tickets. You can purchase your ticket, set up your chairs, and go explore the grounds of the park or spend the day at the park, pack a picnic dinner and then go see a show.
Plays in the Park 2015 Summer Performance Schedule
Plays in the Park Location
Young Frankenstein Wednesday, June 17 through Saturday, June 27 No Sundays | 8:30 pm
Plays in the Park is located in Roosevelt Park in Edison, off Route 1 next to Menlo Park Mall.
Oklahoma Wednesday, July 8 through Saturday, July 18 No Sundays | 8:30 pm Jesus Christ Superstar Wednesday, July 29 through Saturday, August 8 No Sundays | 8:30 pm Shows play every night of the week at 8:30 pm, except for Sundays
Box Office Information • All summer performances begin at 8:30 p.m. There are no performances on Sunday. • They only accept cash. • Adults - $7.00 • Senior Citizens - $5.00 • Children 12 and Under Free
Click these links to see what’s new in these series: • Family Friendly Concerts • Family Friendy Performances • Concert Calendar of Events • Performance Calendar of Events
New Jersey’s
Camden County Fair September 26 - 27, 2015
4H Fair Schedule
Cape May County 4H Fair July 16 - 18, 2015
Who doesn't love a day at the fair? We love everything about the fair: the animals, the shows, the rides, and all that wonderful fair food. No summer is complete without a trip to the fair and there are so many to choose from. We have compiled a list each county fair to help you find the closest one to you. We’ve listed dates here. For locations and more information please visit our full complete listing of 4H Fairs. Atlantic County 4H Fair August 6 - 8, 2015 Bergen County 4H Fair September 19 - 20, 2015 Burlington County Fair July 14 - 19, 2015
Cumberland County Cooperative Fair July 6 - 11, 2015 Gloucester County 4H Fair July 23 - 26, 2015 Hunterdon County 4H Fair August 19 - 23, 2015 Mercer County 4H Fair August 1 - 2, 2015 Middlesex County 4H Fair August 3 - 9, 2015 Monmouth County 4H Fair July 22 - 26, 2015 Morris County 4H Fair July 16 - 19, 2015 Ocean County Fair July 8 - 12, 2015 Passaic County 4H Fair August 13 - 16, 2015 (tentative dates) Salem County Fair August 4 - 7, 2015 Somerset County 4H Fair August 12 - 14, 2015 Sussex County Farm and Horse Show/New Jersey State Fair July 31, - August 9, 2015 Warren County Farmer's Fair July 25, - August 1, 2015
Jenkinson's Pavilion and Boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach is the place to be this summer! Families can enjoy live performances, weekly fireworks, movies under the stars and musical concerts. Admission to all of the events listed below is FREE. Parking is available at both the Jenkinson's Aquarium lot as well as private lots located on Ocean Ave. Rates for the lots varies by the day and hour.
Jenkinson's Free Summer Events for Kids Children's Variety Shows
All variety shows begin at 7 pm at the South Beach Stage (located across from the amusement park train) MONDAYS • June 29-Ron Valentine Comedy • July 6- Doc Swan's Magical Comedy Show • July 13-YOSI • July 20-Goowins Balloowins • July 27-John Bundy & Morgan Magic Illusion Show • Aug 3-Pinao Hula Show • August 10-YOSI • August 17- Breen Swanson Silly Circus • August 24-David Darwin One Man Show • August 31- Cow Larry's Wild West Show
Free Movies under the Stars
All movies begin at 8:30 pm at Jenkinson's Beach Pavilion on FRIDAYS (lineup not posted as of 5/18/15)
Musical Festival
All FREE concerts begin at 7:30 pm at the inlet beach WEDNESDAYS • July 1-Bronx Wanderers • July 8th-La Diva Tenors • July 15-British Invasion • July 22-Big Band Extravaganza • July 29-Festa Italiano • August 5-Broadway and Beyond • August 12-NJ State Opera • August 19-Irish Festival with Bobby Byrne • Aug 26-Larry Chance and the Earls
There's More to the Shore
On the beach across from Jenkinson's Aquarium: 5:30 -6:30 pm THURSDAYS Come meet with an Aquarium Interpreter as they talk about various animals that make the Jersey Shore their home. Learn about ways you can help keep their home clean. FIREWORKS: Fireworks occur every THURSDAY at dusk. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the show! From June 25th-Aug 31.
Thunder Over the Boardwalk.
Tips to Enjoy the Air Show With Your Kids The Atlantic City Airshow "Thunder Over The Boardwalk" returns to the skies over the beautiful free beaches and Boardwalk of Atlantic City on Wednesday, September 2 and we have your tips to enjoying the show. Our team has been taking our kids to the Atlantic City Air Show Thunder Over the Boardwalk for at least 6 years and we have some tips to make the Atlantic City Air Show Thunder Over the Boardwalk more manageable for parents. After all, it is a once-a-year event and we want you to be there when the Atlantic City Air Show returns.
Tips to enjoying Atlantic City’s Air Show Thunder Over the Boardwalk Take advantage of public transportation or the shuttles – shuttles usually run from Bader Field and a few other locations on the outside of Atlantic City. Beat the inflated parking prices and take the shuttle instead. Learn more about the options on our site later this summer. Arrive early! – Yes, admission is FREE. Get there early, whether you want to sit on the beach, on the boardwalk, or you’ve bought a VIP seat in a tent, get there early to claim your spot. Bathrooms – Nope, you don’t have to go trek into a casino when your child has to go potty. Behind the tents there are port-o-potties. They are spaced out, there was one every couple of feet. Make sure you have your flip flops or sandals on. Underneath the blaring sun the sand gets incredibly hot to walk on. Pack lunch and snacks – You’ve found your spot on the beach. You’re comfortable. The kids are good. Do you really want to track all the way up the beach to stand in lines for overpriced food? Enough said. Moms and dads you know what I mean. Pack, pack, and pack again – Atlantic City Air Show Thunder Over the Boardwalk will run for several hours. If you arrive early that can be a long day in the sun for the kids. Make sure you are prepared. Pack all the essentials. Keep following us online for the performance schedule and more details as the air show gets closer.
Get Fishing With Your Kids Grab your pole and head to the fishing hole on Saturday, June 13! New Jersey’s Free Fishing Days are a no-risk way to introduce your kids to freshwater fishing. • Children under 16 don't need a license. • All other regulations, including size and daily catch limits, remain in effect.
Free Fishing Day Locations Atlantic County: Hammonton Lake, Birch Grove Park Ponds, Lake Lenape & Mill Pond. Bergen County: Liberty Park Pond, Indian Lake Pond, Wild Duck Pond, & Scarlet Oak Pond. Burlington County: Atsion Lake, Bastso Lake, Crystal Lake & Strawbridge Lake. Camden County: Blackwood Lake, Cedar Pond, Cherrywood Lake & Cooper River Park Lake. Cape May County: Cape May Park Ponds, Dennisville Lake, East Creek Pond & West Pond. Cumberland County: Cumberland Pond, Cedar Lake, Sunset Lake & Union Lake. Essex County: Clarks Pond, Diamond Mill Pond, Orange Pond & Lake Vincent. Gloucester County: Alcyon Lake, Franklinville Lake, Mullica Hill Lake & Logan Pond. Hudson County: Duck Pond, Lincoln Park Lake, W. Hudson County Park Pond, & Woodcliff Lake. Hunterdon County: Amwell Lake, Echo Hill Pond, Dermott Pond, & Deer Path Park Pond.
Middlesex County: Bissets Pond, Green Acres Park, Hooks Creek Lake, & Milltown Pond. Monmouth County: Allentown Pond, Deal Lake, Echo Lake, & Shadow Lake. Morris County: Atwater Lake, Budd Lake, Speedwell Lake & Mt. Hope Lake. Ocean County: Butterfly Bogs Pond, Turn Mills Pond, Success Lake, & Wells Mill Lake. Passaic County: Dundee Lake, Mill Pond, Sally's Pond & Surprise Lake. Salem County: Avis Mill Pond, Daretown Lake, Rainbow Lake & Salem Canal. Somerset County: Best Pond, Spooky Brook Lake, Spring Lake & Powder Mill Pond. Sussex County: Blue Mountain Lake, Cranberry Lake, Jefferson Lake & Saw Mill Lake.
Union County: Milton Lake, Brookside Park Mercer County: Baldwin Lake, Grovers Mill Pond, Pond, Seely's Pond & Surprise Lake. Erta Lake & Whitehead Mill Pond. Warren County: Blair Lake, Catfish Pond, Sunfish Pond & Delaware Lake.
Kids Bowl Free with the
Kids Bowl Free Program Kids Bowl Free provides bowling games to children nationwide age 15 and under at participating centers. It’s a great way to start a busy day of fun or to wind down after a long day of running. The free bowling is also a great perk on a rainy day. It gave the kids a reason to get some exercise and get out of the house for a bit. Many programs started this month.
How The Kids Bowl Free Program Works: •Complete the FREE registration form on KidsBowlFree.Com for the bowling alley you want to attend. (Please note you can go to more than one participating alley but you will need to register for each one separately using a different email address as per the KidsBowlFree.Com website). •Kids get to bowl up to 2 free games per day, all summer long. Some of the alleys are actually starting their free game passes this month. You can find out start and end dates on each location’s registration page or the Jersey Family Fun website. •The Kids Bowl Free playing times are available 7 days a week. Check the registration page for the times your alley allows. •Kids must be 15 years old or younger. •Shoe rentals are not included, but some of the bowling alleys do offer a shoe rental pass for purchase. You would have to check with your bowling alley for fees. •Some alleys offer a discount on food, check with each individual alley. •You’ll receive an email every Sunday containing a link to the coupons for that week. Just print them out and bring them with you. •There’s also a Family Pass that allows up to 4 adults to bowl all summer. The pass costs $24.95 and can be added on to your account at any time. An adult is considered anyone 16 and up.
Find participating bowling alleys at these sites:
• Jersey Family Fun • Kids Bowl Free
Kids Skate Free
this
Summer
Did you know there are roller skating rinks around the country that offer FREE roller skating for kids? Kids Skate Free has a nationwide listing of where kids can skate for free. We’re sharing the listing of New Jersey locations.
New Jersey locations where Kids Can Roller Skate for Free in New Jersey
To view more details or register for a center please click on their name. You will then be brought to their page where you will be able to sign up and start skating for free. About once a week you will get an email with information to download your free passes. You can register up to 4 children under the age of 12. Roller Skating Rinks in Mays Landing, Atlantic County, New Jersey Young’s Skating Center, 763 Park Rd., 609-625-1191 Roller Skating Rinks in Mt. Laurel, Burlington County, New Jersey International Sports, Skating, and Fun Centre of Mt. Laurel, 1 Hovtech Blvd, 856-273-2828 Roller Skating Rinks in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey International Sports, Skating, & Fun Centre, Cherry Hill, 600 Kresson Road, 856-428-8588 Roller Skating Rinks in Deptford, Gloucester County, New Jersey Deptford Skating & Fun Center, 510 Deptford Ave, 856 845 7353 Don't see your local skating center? Try to recruit them to be part of the program. Click here to print out a letter from Kids Skate Free for your local skating center.
Michael’s Passport to Imagination Your Kid’s Passport to Fun This summer Michael's Passport to Imagination is offering a 7- week program where kids can create crafts focusing on the 7 continents. Michael's Passport to Imagination Classes meet Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 am - 12 pm. The cost is only $5 per day or $12 for 3 sessions and registration is recommended. 3 Reasons to Sign Your Kids Up 1. Beat the Heat! These crafts are a great way to keep your kids busy while staying cool. 2. Family Bonding! This a great opportunity to work together with your child to create something you are both proud of! 3. Educational without the kids knowing! Art boosts creativity, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and spatial awareness.
Themes for Passport to Imagination
• Wednesday - Travel Memory Game • Friday - Faux Stained Glass
Week of June 14 - Pirates • Monday - Pirate Doubloon Necklace & Eye Patch • Wednesday - Spyglass and Treasure Map • Friday - Parrot Puppet
Week of July 12 - Celebrate the Arts • Monday - Crayon and Watercolor Painting • Wednesday - Pinch Pot Monster • Friday - Tissue Paper Art
Week of June 21 - Week at the Lake • Monday - Paper Sailboat • Wednesday - Felt Picnic • Friday - Fun Fishing Day
Week of July 19 - Celebrate Music Festival • Monday - Fringed Bell Anklet • Wednesday - Music Themed Painting • Friday - Water Bottle Holder
Week of June 28 - County Fair • Monday - Woven Flower • Wednesday - Craft Stick Ferris Wheel • Friday - Hot Air Balloon
Week of July 26 - Flea Market Fun • Monday - Duck Tape Bracelet • Wednesday - Duck Tape Wallet • Friday - Make Believe Camera
Week of July 5 - Strolling Down Main Street • Monday - Patterned Pinwheel
Contact your local Michael’s Passport to Imagination or visit them online to register.
Lowe’s Build & Grow Clinics Lowe's Build and Grow Kids Clinics are the perfect Saturday morning activity for kids ages 4 and up.
Here is what you need to know about Lowe's Build and Grow Kids Clinics: • Available two Saturdays a month from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm (some exceptions may apply) • Registration is highly recommended. • Waivers must be signed for each child participating. • The Lowe's Build and Grow Kids Clinics are FREE! • Great for children ages 4 and up. • At every Lowe's Build and Grow Kids Clinics each child gets a free building kit, goggles, apron and patch. • Each Lowe's Build and Grow Kids kit comes with easy to follow directions. • Friendly Lowe's employees are on hand to help parents and children. • If you don't have time to the Lowe's Build and Grow Kids project that day, you can pick up a kit to take home (They make great projects for a snow day or school vacation.)
Why we LOVE Lowe's Build and Grow Kids Clinics:
• These Lowe's Build and Grow Kids Clinics are a great option for play dates and family days. Kids have such a fun time working together and showing each other their finished projects. • Each clinic has a theme that is usually associated with an upcoming movie or event. • Lowe's Build and Grow Kids Clinic participation helps children develop valuable skills. Building these amazing kits helps children enhance fine motor control and strength, increase eye-hand coordination and improve listening skills as they learn to follow directions. Social skills are also enhanced as children work together with friends and parents to make the projects. We have made so many fun and interactive projects last year at the Lowe's Build and Grow Kids Clinics. We are really looking forward to all the great projects Lowe's Build and Grow Kids Clinics will offer this upcoming year. Registration usually opens the Monday after the last workshop, and it is highly recommended as the clinics fill up very quickly.
Upcoming Clinics
• June 13 - Iron Man's Avenjet • June 27 - Captain America Motorcycle To find the latest Lowe's Build & Grow Clinics visit our Calendar of New Jersey Events or the Lowe's Build & Grow Clinics Schedule.
Home Depot Kids Workshops From race cars to boats to desktop calendars, Home Depot Kids Workshops offers a different workshop the first Saturday of the month intended for children ages 5-12. You can drop in between 9 am - 12 pm and have your kids create that month’s project. While Home Depot requests the Kids Workshop attendees register online, they can accept walk ins.
Here is some information about the Home Depot Kids Workshops and why we enjoy them. • Free and fun Home Depot Kids Workshops are for children ages 5-12. • Home Depot Kids Workshops are offered the first Saturday of the month at your local Home Depot store between 9 am – 12 pm. • All children keep their craft, receive a certificate of achievement, a workshop apron (for new attendees), and a commemorative pin. • Home Depot staff are there to assist with the projects. • This is first come, first serve. The apron and workshop kit is given to those who arrive earlier so there may not be sufficient supplies towards the end of the workshop. • Children need to be present at the store to participate in the Home Depot Kids Workshops. • At some stores, paint is offered for each project so it might be best to dress the kids for mess. • Registration for the Home Depot Kids Workshops is available online and is requested to ensure that there is sufficient supplies for all the attendees. • Finished projects can make great gifts for grandparents, godparents, or other relatives. • Summer workshops may be held outside. Make sure to register for Home Depot Kids Workshops on Home Depot’s website.
Home Depot Kids Workshops Summer Schedule • June 6, 2015 • July 4, 2015 • August 1, 2015
Click over to read more about Jersey Family Fun’s experiences at the Home Depot Kids Workshops.
Lakeshore Learning Store
Free Make & Takes for Kids Every Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm Lakeshore Learning Store hosts a free craft and registration is not required. The crafts are for children 3 and older. The crafts are based on themes like current events or the season.
Upcoming Make and Take Events • May 23rd- Memorial Day Flag • May 30th- Hello Sunshine Mobile • June 6th- Beaded Bubble Wands • June 13th- Design Your Own Racecar • June 20th- Great Catch Fishing Pole • June 27th- Storybook Cottage • July 11th- My Aquarium • July 18th- Jumping Jellyfish • July 25th- Stay Cool Sun Visor Lakeshore also offers: • A giant smart board where your children can play interactive multi-player educational games. • They also have tons of toys around the store that are open that your kids can test out before they buy them.
NJ Lakeshore Learning locations Cherry Hill Marketplace at Garden State Park 2020 Marlton Pike West Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 856-910-0888 East Brunswick 275 State Route 18 East Brunswick, NJ 08816 732-967-8585 The East Brunswick Lakeshore also offers FREE crafts on Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm. Hackensack 449 Essex St. Hackensack, NJ 07601 201-441-9214
Currently listing events for Michael’s Home Depot Lowe’s Lakeshore Learning Stores
Coming Soon Event listings A.C. Moore Joann’s Fabrics & More
Coming Soon Event listings for Shoprite Whole Foods Market Wegmans & More
New Jersey Towns
Selling Discount Amusement Park Tickets Tickets are available but may sell out, so if something interests you act fast! Purchase of these tickets may be limited to residents only. Atlantic County Egg Harbor Township has tickets for Adventure Aquarium, Morey’s Piers, Steel Pier, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Philadelphia Zoo, Hershey Park, Splash Zone, Clementon Park, Sahara Sam’s, and IPlay America. Bergen County Rutherford has tickets for Crayola Experience, IPlay America, Action Park, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Dorney Park, Diggerland, and Hershey Park. Burlington County Pemberton has tickets for Adventure Aquarium, Morey’s Piers, Crayola Experience, Hershey Park, Six Flags, Diggerland, Iplay America, Philadelphia Zoo, Sahara Sam’s, and Splash Zone – Wildwood. Camden County Gloucester has tickets for Adventure Aquarium, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Morey’s Piers, Philadelphia Zoo, Hershey Park, Sahara Sam’s, Steel Pier, Dorney Park, and Clementon Park. Essex County Roseland has tickets for Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Morey’s Pier, Casino Pier, Hershey Park, Philly Zoo, IPlay America, Dorney Park Splash Zone, and Adventure Aquarium. Gloucester County • Deptford has tickets for Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Philadelphia Zoo, Morey’s Piers, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Splash Zone, Adventure Aquarium, Clementon Park, and Dutch Wonderland. • East Greenwich has tickets for Camel Beach, Clementon Park, and Sahara Sam’s. • Glassboro has tickets for Sahara Sam’s, Philadelphia Zoo, and Adventure Aquarium. • Washington Township has tickets for Adventure Aquarium, Clementon Park, Splash Zone, Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Dutch Wonderland, Great Adventure, Morey’s Piers, Mountain Creek, Philadelphia Zoo Sahara Sam’s, and Steel Pier. • West Deptford 2015 information coming June 1
• Harrison Township has tickets for Hershey Park, Splash Zone, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, Morey’s Piers, Philadelphia Zoo, Adventure Aquarium, Steel Pier, Sahara Sam’s, Clementon Park, Crayola Experience, Diggerland, and Medieval Times. Middlesex County • Middlesex has tickets for Adventure Aquarium, Morey’s Piers, Six Flags Great Adventure, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Dorney Park, Philadelphia Zoo, Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach, Mountain Creek Water Park, Hershey Park, and The Steel Pier. • South River has tickets for the Somerset Patriots. Morris County Montville has tickets for Action Park, Adventure Aquarium, Casino Pier, Clementon Park, Crayola Experience, Digglerand, Dorney Park, Hershey Park, iPlay America, Morey’s Piers, Philadelphia Zoo, Sahara Sam’s, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Splash Zone, and Steel Pier. Ocean County • Brick has tickets for Philadelphia Zoo, Morey’s Piers, Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Crayola Experience, Diggerland, Great Adventure, and Casino Pier. • Jackson has tickets for Great Adventure. Passaic County Clifton has tickets for Hershey Park, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Dorney Park, Philadelphia Zoo, Diggerland, Action Park and the Crayola Experience. Union County • Berkeley Heights has tickets for Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Dorney Park, Mountain Creek Water Park, and Hershey Park. • Clark has tickets for Great Adventure, Morey’s Piers, Hershey Park, and Dorney Park. • Westfield has tickets for Morey’s Piers, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Medieval Times, Clementon Park/SplashWorld, Action Park, Steel Pier, Sahara Sam’s, IPlay America, Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach, Adventure Aquarium, and Diggerland. If you don’t see your community listed please keep following this post where we’ll share updates.
Put Your Library Card to Great Use with the Museum Pass Program Many New Jersey libraries are participating in museum pass programs. The museum pass program varies from library to library contact your library for more information. The basic way it works is to visit your library and sign out passes to take your family to visit your favorite museums. Some libraries allow you to sign out the passes for 3 days at a time though some may require a refundable cash deposit. The New Jersey counties that have libraries that participate in the Museum Pass Program are listed below. Click here to see our complete listing that lists and links to participating libraries.
Check out these
• Bergen County • Burlington County • Camden County • Essex County • Gloucester County • Hudson County • Hunterdon County • Middlesex County • Monmouth County
Cape May Zoo Cohanzick Zoo Cape May Point State Park nature trails & buildings Egg Harbor Township Nature Reserve Howell Living History farm Barnegat Lighthouse Heritage Glass Museum New Jersey State Police Museum Princeton University Art Museum Atlantic City Art Center Southern New Jersey All Sports Museum and Hall of Fame Hopewell Museum Cape May County Museum Princeton Arts Museum Princeton Historical Society New Jersey State House Twin Lights Historic Site Somers Point Mansion Sea Girt Lighthouse C.A. Nothnagle Log House Fort Hancock Historic District Kuser Farm Mansion Historic Batsto Village US Coast Guard Training Center The Korean War Memorial Zimmerli Art Museum
• Morris County • Passaic County • Somerset County • Sussex County • Union County • Warren County
NJ Day Trip locations with Free Admission
Gardens & Arboretums In Atlantic County Egg Harbor Twp Arboretum 609-926-4093 In Bergen County Theilke Arboretum 201-447-0452 James McFaul Environmental Center Garden 201-891-5571 In Burlington County Butterfly Garden 609-265-5858 Smithville Mansion Garden 609-265-5858 Barton Arboretum 609-654-3000 Sculpture Garden 609-894-9311
In Camden County Camden Children’s Garden 856-365-8733 Barclay Farmstead 856-795-6225 In Cape May County Emlen Physic Estate 609-884-5404 Butterfly Garden 609-861-0700 Leaming’s Run 609-465-5871 Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Garden 609-898-2300 In Essex County Presby Iris Gardens 973-783-5974 Avis Campbell Gardens 201-746-9614 Cora Hartshorn Arboretum 973-376-3587
Greenwood Gardens 973-2584026
In Ocean County Edith Duff Gwin Gardens
In Hunterdon County Hunterdon County Arboretum 908-788-1202
In Passaic County New Jersey Botanical Garden 973-962-9534 Laurelwood Arboretum 973-202-9579
In Mercer County Grounds for Sculpture 609-5860616 Sayen Park Botanical Garden 609-890-3630 Drumthwacket Garden 609-609-683-0057 Herrontown Woods Arboretum 609-303-0700
Morven Museum & Garden 609-924-8144 In Middlesex County Bucceluch Mansion Gardens 732-745-5112 Rutger’s Gardens 732-932-8451 In Monmouth County David Shaw Arboretum Deep Cut Gardens 732-671-6050 In Morris County Willowwood Arboretum 973-326-7600 Frelinghuysen Arboretum 973-326-7603
In Somerset County Cross Estate Gardens 973-5392016 Leonard J. Buck Garden 908-234-2677 Duke Gardens 908-722-3700
Colonial Park Arboretum & Rose Garden 732-873-2459 Wagner Farm Arboretum 908-350-7383 In Union County Cedar Brook Park Shakespeare Garden 908-527-4900 Reeves Arboretum 908-273-8787 In Warren County Merrill Creek Reservoir Butterfly Garden 908-454-1213 Pohatcong Native Arboretum 908-343-5274
New Jersey Nature Centers In Atlantic County Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Warren E. Fox Nature Center In Bergen County Closter Nature Center Demarest Nature Center Flat Rock Brook Nature Center Lorrimer Sanctuary Meadowlands Environmental Center Ridgefield Nature Center Tenafly Nature Center James A McFaul Environmental Center In Burlington County Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Preserve Rancocas Nature Center Paws Nature Center Palmyra Cove Nature Center In Camden County Camden Co. Environmental Center In Cape May County Cape May Bird Observatory Nature Center of Cape May Cape May Point State Park The Wetlands Institute
In Cumberland County Albert J. Kolonich Jr. Nature Trail Meadow Wood Environmental Facility Maurice River Bluffs Nature Preserve
Huber Woods Environmental Center Poricy Park Allaire State Park Nature Center
In Morris County Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center Kay Environmental Center In Essex County Bamboo Brook Outdoor EducaEssex Co. Environmental Center tion Center Cora Hartshorn Bird Sanctuary Schiff Nature Preserve The Raptor Trust In Gloucester County Scotland Run Park Nature Cen. In Ocean County Greenwich Lake Park Jakes Branch County Park Lighthouse Center for Natural In Hudson County Research Liberty State Park Interpretive Island Beach State Park Nature Center Center Cooper Environmental Center In Hunterdon County Wells Mills Nature Center Whittemore Wildlife Sanctuary In Mercer County Lawrence Nature Center Stonybrook Millstone Watershed Washington Crossing State Park Nature Center In Middlesex County Plainsboro Preserve In Monmouth County Manasquan Reservoir Env. Cen.
In Passaic County Garret Mountain Reservation In Salem County Alloway Creek Watershed In Somerset County Somerset Co. Environmental Center Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary Bernardsville Duke Farms In Sussex County Kittatinny Valley State Park In Union County Trailside Nature & Science Center In Warren County Pequest Trout Hatchery Merrill Creek Reservoir
New Jersey Zoos Turtle Back Zoo (Essex County) - 560 Northfield Ave, West Orange. 973-731-5800. Our review Space Farms Zoo & Museum (Sussex County) 218 County Road 519, Sussex. 973-875-5800. Bergen County Zoo (Bergen County) - 216 Forest Ave, Paramus. 201-262-3771. Our review Popcorn Park Zoo (Ocean County) - 1 Humane Way, Forked River. 609-693-1900. Our review
Pennsylvania Zoos Local to NJ
Elmwood Park Zoo - 1661 Harding Blvd, Norristown, PA. 610-277-3825. Lehigh Valley Zoo - 5150 Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville, PA. 610-799-4171. Philadelphia Zoo - 3400 W. Girard Ave, Philadelphia, PA. 215-243-1100. Our review
Cape May County Zoo (Cape May County) - 707 Route 9 North, Cape May. 609-465-5271. Our review Cohanzick Zoo (Cumberland County) - 45 Mayor Aitken Drive, Bridgeton. 856-453-1658. Our review
Other NJ Places to View Animals Lakota Wolf Preserve (Warren County) - 89 Mt Pleasant Road, Columbia,. 908-496-9244. Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (Morris County) - 568 Tempe Wick Road, New Vernon. 973-538-3500. Pequest Trout Hatchery (Warren County) - 605 Pequest Road, Oxford. 908-637-4125. Six Flags Great Adventure (Ocean County) - 1 Six Flags Blvd, Jackson. (732) 928-2000
New York Zoos Local to NJ Bronx Zoo - 2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY. 718367-1010. Central Park Zoo - 64th Street and 5th Avenue, New York, NY. 212-439-6500. Prospect Park Zoo - 450 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. 718-399-7339. Staten Island Zoo - 614 Broadway, Staten Island, NY. 718-442-3100. Our review
Dive into fun without getting wet at
New Jersey’s Aquariums Who doesn't love exploring an aquarium? There are so many great animals living under the sea, and an aquarium is a great place to check them out. Fish, seals, dolphins, and sharks! How can you pick a favorite? You have to check them all out. We are lucky enough to have several local aquariums for you to check out this summer. We've listed them here to help you plan your summer adventures.
Aquariums in New Jersey
• Adventure Aquarium (Camden County) 1 Riverside Dr. Camden, NJ 08103 (856) 3653300, Click over to read our Adventure Aquarium review. • Jenkinson's Aquarium (Ocean County) 300 Ocean Ave. Point Pleasant, NJ 07842 (732) 892-0600, Click over to read our Jenkinson's Aquarium review. • Atlantic City Aquarium (Atlantic County) 800 North New Hampshire Ave. Atlantic City, NJ 08401 (609) 348-2880, Click over to read our Atlantic City Aquarium review. • Marine Mammal Stranding Center (Atlantic County) 3625 Brigantine Boulevard, Brigantine, NJ 08203 (609) 266-0538. This is not an aquarium but does teach about aquatic life and may have other rescued animals in shallow pools.
Aquariums in New York
• New York Aquarium 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx, New York 10460 (718) 2205100 • Long Island Aquarium 431 East Main Street Riverhead, NY 11901 (631) 2089200
New Jersey Lighthouses
In Atlantic County
Absecon Lighthouse 31 S Rhode Island Ave, Atlantic City Admission adults $7 to climb, seniors $5, children 4-12 $4, Atlantic City residents with ID $3, Active military & kids under 4 free.
In Cape May County
Cape May Lighthouse 215 Light House Ave, Cape May Point Admission adults $7, children 3-11 $3, free for under 3 (If you go the visitor’s center they give you free tickets to children 12 and under.) Our review Hereford Inlet Lighthouse 111 N Central Ave, Wildwood Oct. 20 - May 23 Open Wednesday - Sunday 10 AM - 2 PM. Please call to confirm hours during these months. May 24 - Oct 21 Open daily from 9 am – 5 pm. Admission adults 12 yrs. and up $4, 11 yrs. and under $1. Call 609 522-4520. Buy combination tickets for both Cape May County lighthouses at Hereford Lighthouse. Our review
In Cumberland County
East Point Lighthouse 10 Lighthouse Rd, Heislerville There is no online available information about admission but you can call (856) 546-7810.
In Gloucester County
Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse 2nd St, Paulsboro No fee to climb but they ask for a donation. Our review
In Monmouth County
Twin Lights Lighthouse 2 Light House Rd, Highlands There is no fee to climb. Sandy Hook Lighthouse Gateway National Recreation Area, Highlands There is no online available information about admission but there is a number to call.
Sea Girt Lighthouse 9 Ocean Ave, Sea Girt There is no online available information about admission but you can call (732) 974-0514.
In Ocean County
Tuckerton Seaport Tucker’s Island Lighthouse 120 W Main St #1, Tuckerton Climb is included in Tuckerton Seaport admission. Our review Barnegat Lighthouse 208 Broadway, Barnegat Light Admission is free before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. Our review
In Salem County
Finn’s Rear Range Lighthouse Old Fort Mott Rd, Pennsville No fee to climb but they ask for a donation. Our review
New Jersey Beaches Below is a list of New Jersey Beaches by county and information about their daily/weekly beach Badges/ Tags rate. More detailed information about each beach and their tags is available on our site.
Atlantic County Beaches • Atlantic City - Free • Brigantine - Daily $8, Weekly $14. • Longport- No daily information available. Season long badges available. • Margate - $10 weekly. • Ventnor - $10 weekly. Margate badges are honored in Ventnor. Cape May County Beaches • Wildwoods - Free • Avalon - $12.00 weekly and daily $6.00. Beachtag reciprocity between Avalon and Stone Harbor • Cape May - Daily $6, Three-day $12, Weekly $18, • Cape May Point - Daily $10, Weekly $20 • Ocean City - Daily $5, Weekly $10 • Stone Harbor - Daily $6, Weekly $12. Beach-tag reciprocity between Avalon and Stone Harbor. Monmouth County Beaches • Allenhurst - Daily badge $7 • Asbury Park - Weekday $5, Weekend $6 • Avon-By-the-Sea - Daily $9 • Belmar- Daily $8.
• Bradley Beach - Daily $8 • Deal - Weekday $8, Weekends/holiday badge: $10 • Highlands - Free access to river beaches • Keansburg - 732 787-0214, call to see if bay beaches will be open. • Loch Arbour - Monday- Thursday $5, Friday - Sunday and holidays $8 • Long Branch - No daily information available. Season long badges available. • Manasquan - Daily $9 Weekly $40 • Monmouth Beach - Daily $9 •Ocean Grove - Daily $8, Weekend special: $12, Weekly special $40 • Sandy Hook (Gateway National Recreation Area)- There is no entrance fee to Sandy Hook, there is a $15.00 per car parking fee • Sea Bright - Daily, $8 • Sea Girt- Daily $10 • Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park - Weekdays $8 Weekends and holidays, $8 for individuals. Daily parking is $8 • Spring Lake - Daily $10 • Union Beach - Bay beach is free; parking available Ocean County Beaches • Point Pleasant Beach - Daily-Weekdays- $2.50 (children 5-11) $8.50 (children 12-adult), children under 5 are free. Weekends- $2 (children 5-11) $9.50 (children 12-adult), children under 5 are free. • Barnegat Light - Daily $5, Weekly $20 • Beach Haven - No daily information available. Season long badges available. • Brick - Daily $5, • Harvey Cedars - Daily $6, Weekly $20, Seniors $9 for season. Badges needed for age 11 and older • Long Beach Township - Weekly $20, Daily $5, • Ship Bottom - Daily $7, Weekly $20 • Surf City - Daily $7, Weekly $17 • Seaside Heights - $6 daily • Seaside Park - No daily information available. Season long badges available. • Lacey Township - $5 daily for children 5-adult
Have Splashtastic Fun with these
New Jersey Splash Pads Below is a list of New Jersey splash pads by county and information about their rates. More detailed information about each one is available on our site. Bergen County • Jewel Street Spray Park ~ FREE for Garfield residents, $5/day for non residents • Phelps Park ~ FREE • Borough Park ~ Fee • Lyndhurst Town Park ~ $1.00 Admission • Walter Lubbe, Jr. Playground - FREE • Inwood Terrace and Juanita Place ~ FREE • Polifly Park Splashppad, • Hackensack, Pollitt Driver, Must be an Elmwood Park resident. Burlington County • Johnson's Corner Farm ~ $7.50 per child, $3.75 ages 13 & up Camden County • 4th & Washington St. Park ~ FREE • 7th & Clinton St. Park ~ FREE • Pyne Poynt Park ~ FREE • Ralph Williams Park ~ FREE • Alberta Woods Park ~ FREE Cumberland County Bridgeton City Park/Cohanzick Zoo ~ $2
Essex County • West Side Park ~ FREE • Riverfront Park ~ FREE • Weequahic Park ~ FREE Hudson County We have a significant listing for Hudson County, more than we can list here. Please visit this link for more information. Mercer County • Nassau Park Pavilion ~ FREE Middlesex County • Veterans Park ~ FREE • Veterans Field & Carteret Waterfront Park ~ FREE Monmouth County • Dorbrook Recreation Area ~ FREE • Asbury Splash Park • Michael J. Tighe Park Morris County • Randolph Park ~ $5 for residents, $10 for non-residents • Mt. Olive ~ Turkey Brook Park coming soon Ocean County Sprayground in Pine Lake Park ~ Fees Passaic County Frank Aaccaria Park Weasel Brook Park Somerset County • Michael Lepp Park Union County • Phil Rizzuto Park ~ FREE • Kellogg Park ~ FREE • Snyder Ave Park ~ FREE • Warinanco Park ~ FREE • Pine Street Park ~ FREE • Ponderosa Farm Park ~ FREE • Cedar Brook Park ~ FREE • Mattano Park ~ FREE • Mickey Walker Spray Grounds ~ FREE
Wonderful Water Parks for Families New Jersey is home to 20 water parks both indoors and outdoors making it easy to find a place to splash within a short drive. There is nothing like splashing in a wave pool or hearing your child scream with delight as your family conquers the family raft ride or a giant water slide at their favorite water park.
Monmouth County Water Parks • Runaway Rapids, 275 Beachway Ave, Keansburg (732) 495-1400
Burlington County Water Parks • CoCo Key Indoor Water Park, 915 rt 73, Mt Laurel (856) - 234-7300 *See our review, please note the giveaway is over* • Splashing Speedway at The Funplex 3320-24 rt 38, Mt Laurel (856) 273-9666
Ocean County Water Parks • Thundering Surf Water Park, Taylor & Bay Ave, Beach Haven (609) - 492-0869 • Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, 537 Monmouth Rd, Jackson (732) 928-1821 • Breakwater Beach, 800 Terrace Ave, Seaside Heights (732) 793-6488
Camden County Water Parks • Clementon Splash World, 114 Berlin Rd, Clementon (856) 783-0263, See our review • Sahara Sams Oasis Indoor/Outdoor Water Park, 535 North Rt 73, West Berlin (856) 7677580 *JFF Partner in Fun* See our reviews Cape May County Water Parks • OC Water Park, 728 Boardwalk, Ocean City (609) 399-0483 • Montego Bay Indoor Waterpark, 1800 Boardwalk, North Wildwood (800) 962-1349 • Raging Waters (Morey's Pier), 3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood (609) 522-3900 • Ocean Oasis (Morey's Pier), 3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood (609) 5223900 • Splash Zone Water Park, 3500 Boardwalk, Wildwood (609) 7295600 Mercer County Water Parks • Waterworks Aquatic Park, 271 Clarksville Rd, West Windsor (609) 799-2400 Middlesex County Water Parks Crystal Springs, 380 Dunhams Corner Rd, East Brunswick (732) 390-6981
Morris County Water Parks • Splashplex at The Funplex, 182 NJ Rt 10, East Hanover (973) 428-1166
Sussex County Water Parks • Biosphere Pool Complex at Crystal Springs Resort, Route 94 Hamburg (855) 842-0558 • Tomahawk Lake Water Park, 155 Tomahawk Trl, Sparta (973) 398-7777 *Cash Only* • Action Park Mountain Creek, 2000 Rt 94, Vernon (973) 827-2000 Warren County Water Parks • Pirates Cove, 354 Great Meadows Rd, Hope (908) 459-9000
Sahara Sam’s
Providing Inside & Outside Water Fun for Families Sahara Sam’s, located in West Berlin, has come to be a favorite water park among the Jersey Family Fun team. With so much to do inside and out there’s always guaranteed to be a way to have fun.
Some things we love about Sahara Sam’s
• They have life jackets galore. For little ones that aren’t good swimmers yet, it is great that they have these available all throughout the park for the kids to use. • It is unbelievably clean. We have visited other water parks and spraygrounds in the past where water shoes felt necessary because things were a bit icky. Sahara Sam’s has been spotless from top to bottom. The bathrooms were impeccable and had nonslip rubber mats for wet feet. • It is laid out perfectly. With little ones wanting to play in the toddler area and older kids wanting to explore Tim-buk-tu area, they are able to be next to each other, with chairs stationed in the middle, for parents to watch everyone at once. • The lifeguards were great. We frequently see the lifeguards go out of their way to keep the kids safe.
What Sahara Sam’s has to offer: • Tim-bu-Tu which includes two slides one closed and one open slide. • Mt. Kill Family slide for children 42 inches and taller. • The Mile Nile for children 48 inches and taller that is a body slide! • Snake Eyes: two slides side by side using a joined tube. • Lazy river • Lizard Lagoon only for the littler ones 42 inches and smaller. • Indoor surfing simulator (must be at least 8-years-old and 48 inches, waiver needed to be signed before using) • Basketball area in water • Outdoor Splash Pad during warmer months • Outdoor pool for warmer months Sahara Sam’s really does make it easy for a simple day trip. All you really need is your bathing suits and towels. Don’t feel like lugging around a heavy bag of clothes? Rent a locker! Not in the mood for lunch at the snack bar/café? Feel free to go eat somewhere down the road or picnic in your car - your bracelet allows you to come and go out of the park as you please! It’s the perfect day trip for a family on a rainy OR sunny day. Check the Sahara Sam’s website for the most up-to-date schedule. Sahara Sam’s Oasis is located at 535 North Route 73 in West Berlin in Camden County.
New Jersey Museums Our list of New Jersey Museums was so extensive we just couldn’t fit it in this guide. Please click over to see our listing on Jersey Family Fun with New Jersey’s museums listed by county.
Terrific Times Ahead with the
Tuckerton Seaport
If you’ve been a Jersey Family Fun reader for a while you know how awesome we think Tuckerton Seaport is. Whether it’s a great event or an interactive exhibit, there’s always so much to explore with the kids.
Tuckerton Seaport Upcoming Events Privateers & Pirates Festival - June 6
• The day’s activities begin at 11 am with a Pirate Meet & Greet. Get your hands on a treasure map as you enter to join in the fun of a treasure hunt. Wear your best pirate costume and you might win a prize. Enjoy live entertainment throughout the day with Pirates for Sail and be immersed in an interactive pirate adventure for a swashbuckling good time. If it’s treasured memories you seek, spend the day at the Seaport and live the pirate’s life of plunder. Cost: $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $3 for children, and free for Seaport Members.
Baymen’s Seafood & Music Festival - June 20 & 21
• Enjoy delicious Jersey fresh clams, crabs, scallops and shrimp from the finest local seafood purveyors. Drink from the brew court featuring crafted beers from New Jersey’s own River House Brewery. Shop for gifts and souvenirs from dozens of unique vendors. Listen and dance to the music from local favorites. Bring the whole family and plan to spend the day. Cost: $8. Parking is free.
Ice Cream Social- July 4
• Taste testing kits $8.00. Vote for your favorite South Jersey ice cream parlor!
“Truck”erton Truck and Brew Fest- Aug 15 & 16 •Fourteen food trucks serving up food and fun!
When you add fun Tuckerton Seaport activities to these unique upcoming events there’s plenty of reasons to visit the Tuckerton Seaport. Tuckerton Seaport Admission & Parking Rates: Adults $8, Seniors $6, Children ages 5-12 $5. Under 5 and Seaport members free. Tuckerton Seaport is located in Tuckerton at 120 West Main Street. You can check out our past articles about Tuckerton Seaport to see more reasons why it’s a great family day trip.
Save $2 with code JERSEY at ansp.org
ANIMAL GROSSOLOGY
SQUISHY, SLIMY, STINKY FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!
MAY 16–AUGUST 30
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 215-299-1000 | ansp.org
Animal Grossology.... where getting grossed out is fun With a daughter constantly asking her “how does this work?” and “why does this happen?”, JFF writer Lauran was beyond thrilled when she was offered the chance to take a trip to the Drexel Academy of Natural Sciences. Not only were they excited because it was her preschooler’s first visit to a museum, but also because they were able to get a sneak peek at the brand new exhibit “Animal Grossology”.
About the 'Animal Grossology' Exhibit
The 'Animal Grossology' exhibit is based upon the best-selling Grossology children's book series by Sylvia Branzei and offers a fresh take on gross things that animals do. The exhibit uses play to introduce young people to the world of biology and features sophisticated animatronics and imaginative animated characters to engage visitors. One of our favorite areas is “Slimy, Slimier, Slimiest!" This is an interactive game where a snail, sea cucumber and a hagfish compete to see who is the ultimate slimiest. The children got to push buttons on the Slime-o-meter to guess who indeed is the slimiest. Blood Suckers Slime isn't the only thing that animals need in order to survive. Insects feed off of human blood. I know, disgusting...but very true. And 'Animal Grossology' does a great job of turning something so disgusting into a fun learning experience with a insect station that allowed us visitors to squeeze pumps and watch as huge model insects become filled with blood. There was also a game in which children can vote on what color blood animals have. Each time they push the correct answer their empty container fills with fake blood-first to get to the top wins! Vomit Munchers The grossest part of the exhibit was when we learned about how some animals eat their food. The hilarious Freddie the Fly explains that he doesn't have teeth so in order to eat he first vomits on anything he lands on food wise, making it all mushy, in order for him to slurp it up-definitely not for the faint at heart! More importantly we learned that flies carry many germs and that is best never to eat anything a fly has landed on! We played with a statue of a cow and helped pass food along her FOUR stomachs. The Gas We Pass Children love talking about poop and the exhibit encouraged just that! We played a game in which we had to match the poo to the perpetrator and in the end solved the case of the party pooper! We got the chance to smell what a skunk scent was like and even watched a video of a tapeworm squirming around in someone's belly and then measured how long an actual tapeworm would be! We had such a silly and interesting time. Who knew that science could be so much fun! The Animal Grossology Exhibit runs until August 30th. There is a $5.00 entrance fee to view the exhibit (this is additional to the regular general admission price. Read more about the Academy of Natural Sciences in our blog series. The Academy of Natural Sciences is open daily: Monday-Friday 10 am - 4:30 pm and weekends 10 am - 5 pm. The Academy of Natural Sciences is located at 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Go Back in time with the Roebling Museum JFF writer, Nancy recently visited the Roebling Museum on a beautiful Saturday. Here she shares her experience during her first time at the museum. The Roebling Museum had the right mix of fun and learning to make the day great for both adults and children. What My Kids Loved About the Roebling Museum: • On the day we visited, there was a really fun family craft scheduled. We made a family photo album and were able to print out photos for inside the album right there. The kids really loved painting and decorating the covers as well as pasting the pictures inside. It came out beautifully and it's a great keepsake for our family. • There were cool little models and figurines spread throughout the museum. It was a perfect way to get them to learn some historical information while they checked them out. They were genuinely interested and wanted us to read to them the description of what the models were about. • The outdoor portion of the museum is a huge fenced-in, grassy area. After behaving so well and checking out all of the exhibits inside, they loved to stretch their legs and run in the grass while we saw the outdoor area. What I Loved About the Roebling Museum: • All of the displays were extremely pleasing to the eye. With tons of pictures, enlarged quotes, and model displays, it wasn't just a typical museum layout. It really encouraged the kids to ask questions about what they were seeing. • The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. It's clear the staff loves telling visitors the history of the Roebling Museum and they did a great job of explaining it to both children and adults. • The family craft was a perfect way to get the kids to warm up to the museum and to get excited to see the other things in the museum. It was an added bonus to see the kids working so well together on their album. The Roebling Museum's mission exhibits the history of John A. Roebling's Sons Company, the Roebling family, and the village of Roebling. It is located at 100 Second Avenue in Roebling, New Jersey in Burlington County. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and children 6-12, and free for members and children under 6. For operating hours, special events and programs, please visit their website. To see more Roebling Museum photos from our visit, please visit our Jersey Family Fun Facebook photo album.
The Miller Cory House About the Miller - Cory House Museum Built in 1740 and retaining many of its original qualities, the Miller Cory House in Westfield is a hidden Union County treasure that has been standing for centuries. The home has been owned primarily by two families, the Millers, then the Corys, and has been in the possession of the Westfield Historical Society since 1972. It is currently run by volunteers and open Sundays 2-4, for special programming (see Winter 2015 schedule below). It's a low cost way to spend an afternoon learning about local history! What You'll Find at the Miller-Cory House If your children are interested in the past, or studying colonial times currently, the Miller-Cory House offers a step back into that time. Rooms are set up as they would be when there were 8 children and two parents living there. The ceilings are low, the beds are small and the "kitchen" is a fireplace. Many of the floors are original and an exposed area of the wall shows how the house was constructed. Docents are available in each room to educate guests, describe what life was like, and explain the collections inside. The interior is small enough for younger children to not get overwhelmed or uninterested. The picturesque grounds are more extensive, and have all plantings identified. In the warmer months they offer a great outside activity! Trained artisans in period costumes also offer open-hearth cooking demonstrations beginning in March. JFF Writer, Melanie’s Recent Visit to the Miller-Cory House Earlier this year Melanie took her children and a friend to the museum's snow globe activity day. They had never been to the Miller-Cory House, but after a visit to Philadelphia and the colonial period attractions there, her 9 year old and her friend had some knowledge about the time period. They were all amazed at how 8 children could sleep in one room! The Milk Room was a favorite, with all the dishware, pottery, spinning wheels and candle-making supplies. Snow globes were displayed in one bedroom, and the second bedroom had a docent reading winter stories. In the main room/kitchen area volunteers offered a snow globe craft and snacks! Both the 4 year old and 9 year olds were happy to have a craft, and as they created they were aware of more items on display. There is a gift shop with unique items, educational and decorative and fun! We spent just under an hour there and look forward to going back for future events to learn more about the colonial era. Admission (unless otherwise noted): $3.00 age 13 & older; $2.00 ages 3-12; free under age 3. Miller-Cory House Museum is located at 614 Mountain Avenue in Westfield, New Jersey. 908-232-1776
9 Must Do Summer Activities
at Liberty Science Center This spring, we had the incredible opportunity to visit the Liberty Science Center. This is one of those museums that had been on our bucket list for a while, but being from the southern half of the state the drive isn't always doable. But with a beautiful day and with an invitation from the Jersey Moms Blog to a blogger event, we had lots of reasons to make the trip. I'm so glad we did. It was just under 2 hours from Atlantic County. While we could go on and on about the reasons to visit, the boys and I came up with our list of the must do activities at Liberty Science Center.
• Every hat tells a story, listen to stories from different construction workers. • Magnetize the nano magnets. • Activate earthquake forces against your structure in just one of the Skyscraper's exhibits many interactive areas. • Climb the Infinity Climber. This is a suspended multi-story play space with some areas as high as 35 feet above the floor. Kids and their parents can climb on 64 petal-like platforms anchored to large curved steel pipes. It may weigh 21,000 pounds and be the world’s first suspended climbing play space but it feels completely secure and is totally fun. See more Liberty Science Center photos by checking out our Facebook Gallery. To learn more about the Liberty Science Center, please visit their site at http://lsc.org.
Must Do Activities • Be a part of science experiments. ~ Check the Liberty Science Center schedule when you arrive to see what science experiments your kids can sign up to be a part of or demonstrations they might have a chance to volunteer in. • Build a microbe and battle body invaders. • Use your muscles to generate hydropower. • Walk across a steel beam 20 feet high in the air. • Examine cells under a microscope.
National Liberty Museum, a trip through Life, Liberty, & Freedom Recently, JFF writer, Melissa took a trip to the National Liberty Museum in the heart of Philly. She was pleasantly surprised and very moved by what she saw. When you first enter the National Liberty Museum you are to check in and given a bar code to use for the games and quizzes on different floors. The National Liberty Museum Galleries • First Floor: Liberty Hall & Voyage • Second Floor: Hall of Expression & Heroes of Expression • Third Floor: Gallery 321 & The Glass Room • Fourth Floor: The Great Room, Liberty Studio & Liberty Lab My favorite floor contained Hall of Expression & Heroes of Expression. These I believed were simple enough for young children to understand and appreciate. You can read the full review for details on the other floors on Jersey Family Fun. Second Floor Features of Hall of Expression/Heroes of Expression: • Young Heroes Wall: No matter how young you are you can make a difference in your school, community, and the world. See pictures and the stories of different people who have won this award. • The Jelly Bean Children: Life Sized jelly beans put together to look like children. Showing us that we are all the same inside but different on the outside just like jelly beans. • The Shredder: Use the pieces of paper to write down a bad word or something not nice that someone said to you that has bothered you. Put it in the shredder and get rid of it forever! • Use the flashlight and magnifying glass to look at a glass ant hill. • Learn about Anne Frank • See the Nelson Mandela exhibit, leave a note about he has impacted your life. Through-out the center of the National Liberty Museum on each level you will see a beautiful red "Flame of Liberty" by Dale Chihuly 20 ft glass sculpture that is simply breath taking. National Liberty Museum Admission Costs: • Adults $7.00, Seniors $6.00, Students $5.00 • Children ages 5-17 with an adult $2.00 • Children under 5 years no charge. • “Family Admission” $15, includes two adult family members and all of their children. • Museum members are admitted free. National Liberty Museum Hours: • 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Tuesday-Saturday • 12 noon to 6:00 pm on Sunday. • Open daily during the summer ending on Labor Day. • Call for schedule on holidays, as these are subject to change. The National Liberty Museum is located at 321 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia.
Amusement Parks in New Jersey • Six Flags Great Adventure (Ocean County) - 1 Six Flags Blvd, Jackson, NJ. 732-928-2000. Read our reviews. • Morey's Piers (Cape May County) - 3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, NJ. 609-729-3700. • Casino Pier (Ocean County) - 800 Ocean Terrace, Seaside Heights, NJ. 732-793-6488. • Action Park (Sussex County) - 200 NJ-84, Vernon Township, NJ. 973-827-2000. • Bowcraft Amusement Park (Union County) 2545 US 22 W, Scotch Plains, NJ. 908-389-1234. • Clementon Amusement Park (Camden County) - 144 Berlin Road, Clementon, NJ. 856783-0263. • Gillian's Wonderland Pier (Cape May County) - Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ. 609-399-7082. • Land of Make Believe (Warren County) - 354 Great Meadows Rd, Hope, NJ. 908-459-9000. Read our review. • Steel Pier (Atlantic County) - 1000 Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ. 609-345-4893. • Diggerland USA (Camden County) - 100 Pinedge Ct, West Berlin, NJ. 856-768-1110. Read our series about Diggerland USA. • Keansburg Amusement Park (Monmouth County) - 275 Beachway Ave, Keansburg, NJ. 732495-1400.
• iPlay America (Monmouth County) - 110 Schanck Road, Freehold, NJ. 732-5778200. Read our series of blog posts on iPlay America. • The Funplex (Burlington County) - 3320-24 Route 38, Mt Laurel, NJ. 856-2739061. • Fantasy Island Amusement Park (Ocean County) - 320 7th Street, Beach Haven, NJ. 609-492-4000. • Wild West City (Sussex County) - 50 Lackawanna Dr, Stanhope, NJ. 973-3478900. • Jenkinson's Boardwalk (Ocean County) - 300 Ocean Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ. 732-892-0600. • Eagleswood Amusement Park (Ocean County) - 597 Main Street, West Creek, NJ. 609-978-6606. • Storybook Land (Atlantic County) - 6415 E Black Horse Pike, Egg Harbor Township, NJ. 609-646-0103. • Blackbeard's Cave (Ocean County) 136 Atlantic City Blvd, Bayville, NJ. 732-2864414.
Amusement Parks in Pennsylvania • Knoebels Amusement Resort - 391 Knoebels Blvd, Elysburg, PA. 570-672-2572. • Sesame Place - 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, PA. 215-752-7070. Read our reviews. • Hershey Park - 100 W Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA. 717-534-3900. Read our review. • Dorney Park - 3830 Dorney Park Rd, Allentown, PA. 610-395-3724. • Dutch Wonderland - 2249 Lincoln Hwy E, Lancaster, PA. 866-386-2839. Read our series of blog posts on Dutch Wonderland.
Amusement Parks in New York • Luna Park, Coney Island - 1000 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. 718-373-5862. • Darien Lake - 9999 Alleghany Road, Darien Center, NY. 585-599-4641. • Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park 3059 Deno Vourderis Place, Brooklyn, NY. 718372-2592. • Rye Playland - 1 Playland Pkwy, Rye, NY. 914813-7010. • Adventureland - 2245 NY-110, Farmingdale, NY. 631-694-6868.
Are Your Kids Digging Diggerland? Diggerland USA is the most unique amusement park we have ever been to! The rides at Diggerland are fun and exciting but they are not your typical roller coaster type rides. Read our Diggerland series to learn about the fun we’ve had. The attractions at Diggerland are real life construction vehicles. What other theme park will allow you to operate a back hoe or take a ride on the sky shuttle? Visitors can practice their digger operating skills at one of the various digger attractions or try their hand at the dumper obstacle course. There are mini rovers and barrel train for smaller visitors, and full size diggers for the grown ups. There is also a ropes course for taller visitors and a huge playground for smaller children. A day at Diggerland USA provides so many new experiences that your children will be talking about it for weeks. My kids still talk about our first visit there in the fall. Keep checking our page for updates about special events going on this summer at Diggerland USA! On Saturday June 13, 2015, they will be celebrating dinosaur mascots, Digger and Daisy's first birthday. There will be lots of birthday fun throughout the day. On June 21st they will be celebrating Father's Day by letting dads in free with a paid kid's admission. Click over to learn more about Diggerland USA from (their site). our blog post series, and our videos of their rides and shows.
El Diablo
Six Flags Great Adventure's Newest Roller Coaster Recently, we were invited to attend the opening of Six Flags Great Adventures newest thrill coaster El Diablo. JFF assistant editor, Crystal took her thrill seeking 15 year old and her daughter’s best friend. These girls love a good thrill ride! Six Flags Spokeswoman Kristin Siebeneicher explained how El Diablo came to town. The park was looking for a ride that families could ride together, something that younger patrons who wanted a thrill but weren't quite ready to tackle one of the larger coasters. Park research showed that this ride was just what they needed a "thrill seeker training ground" if you will to help bridge the gap between kiddie ride and the drops of El Toro or Nitro. Standing 7 feet tall the ride rockets riders around the fiery loop, six times leaving hearts racing and full of excitement. This will help those younger guests conquer their fears and before they know it they will be riding with the parks biggest thrill seekers! It's an exciting transition for park guests! El Diablo is located in the Mexican-themed Plaza del Carnaval standing bright red next to El Toro. Kristen introduced Park El Hefe aka Park President John Fitzgerald who told us a bit more about the folklore and naming of El Diablo. As we know New Jersey is full of folk lore about the Leeds family and the Jersey Devil our Hockey team is even named the Devils. With this being the parks 13th roller coaster and the lore stating that Mrs. Leeds 13th child was born to haunt the pine barrens of NJ which the park borders, the naming was a natural fit. Fitzgerald stated "The New Jersey Devil is now here to haunt thrill seekers ... and is going to help thrill seekers of all ages graduate to our major coasters." We couldn't agree more, I can't wait to bring my 11 year old to try it out in the coming weeks. Jersey Family Fun was among the first riders on El Diablo The girls loved it. They got off the ride with their hair a mess and smiles on their faces. They could understand how this was the training ride for park guests. When asked their thoughts they said it was "Fun, Scary, Super Cool and fast when it went fully around" Their favorite part of the ride was when it stops at the top for a brief moment. They felt safe and secure with the shoulder harness and additional seat belt. They are looking forward to riding it with their younger siblings.
El Diablo By The Numbers
• 24 riders sit in "face-off" seats • Rocket forward ad backward pendulum style • Complete 6 revolutions with maximum hang time • 7 stories tall • 48 inch height requirement • 13th roller coaster
To see more photos from the El Diablo Media Preview Day check out our Facebook album.
8 Ways to Spend a Day at
Sandy Hook Sandy Hook (part of Gateway National Recreation Center, a 3 part National Park in New York and New Jersey) is the peninsula at the intersection of ocean and bay, in Monmouth County. It's a New Jersey treasure that has hosted generations of family beach days, class trips, and outdoor adventures. We packed up bikes and beach gear and traveled to Sandy Hook in April. The weather was 80 degrees at home, but certainly cooler at the shore. It was a perfect day to explore. 1. Biking/Hiking Hit the paved trails at Sandy Hook and see ocean, bay, and forest all in one trip! The multiuse pathway is 7 miles long, with plenty of parking lots along the way, so you can choose multiple places to start your journey. During the summer you can rent a bike on the island so, no bike rack, no worries. 2. History Sandy Hook is home to Fort Hancock, a Nike Missile Base, and multiple hidden historical landmarks. Veterans of the Nike Missile system offer monthly tours and living historians offer tours of the park's gun batteries on select dates. Park rangers also offer throughout the day and early evening. While exploring we found plenty of monuments and educational information to stop and learn about. 3. Lighthouse While we didn't make it there during our visit, the Sandy Hook Lighthouse offers tours beginning at 1 PM daily until 4:30 PM. Children 48 inches and over can climb the lighthouse. Find the lighthouse in Fort Hancock, and don't miss seeing the on your way in and out of the park. 4. Beach Of course, there's the beach! Lifeguards are only on duty in season, and in posted areas. There's plenty of sand to play on though, and the breeze is perfect for kite flying. Search for shells, sea glass, or lounge with a book. 5. Camping Make it an overnight at Sandy Hook and reserve one of the 20 campsites offered in Horseshoe Cove. Sites are primitive with only a fire ring, grill and picnic table. Camping is available April-October. 6. Nature Walks Sandy Hook is a perfect place for plant identification and birding. We were shocked to find cactus as we wandered. The American Littoral Society plans many FREE events on Sandy Hook for families. Take a solstice walk, search for horseshoe crabs, or learn how to identify native trees and plants. There are 325 species of
birds, and seals often find their way to Sandy Hook as well. 7. Picnicking Picnic on the beach or anywhere in the park. The views are different everywhere you go - bay side, ocean side, shaded or sunny. There are grills and tables in Fort Hancock and in season Sandy Hook hosts food trucks. Remember Sandy Hook has a garbage in garbage out policy so anything you bring in that becomes trash needs to be taken back out. 8. Fishing The American Littoral Society offers surf fishing classes for a fee and also manages the tagged fish program. If you catch a tagged fish, the Society can tell you where the fish has been. Salt water fishing needs a permit, so plan before you go! There's plenty more to Sandy Hook - you're bound to have a full day doing these 8 things or the countless more.
9 Atlantic City Day Trips for Kids Keep playing in the sand on the Atlantic City Beaches where admission is always FREE. Walk the boardwalk. Visit Gardener's Basin and watch the boats come in and out. Feed a stingray at the Ocean Life Center Aquarium Climb the Absecon Lighthouse, one of the tallest in New Jersey Watch a kid friendly show at the Tropicana Imax Theatre Take a walk through or climb on a 6 story elephant named Lucy. Ride the rides at Steel Pier Stay still the sun goes does and watch the Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall light up with their nightly free shows that mix music, special effects, and lighting for an incredible experience.
More Great Summer Day Trips in New Jersey Insectropolis
Camden Children’s Garden
If you have a bug lover in the family you need to check out Insectropolis- The Bugseum of New Jersey in Toms River. You can spend your day exploring many types of bugs and the habitats they live in. Investigate how bugs eat, how they move, and why they do the things they do. There are even examples of bugs from around the world.
The Camden Children’s Garden is open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm and would be a great place to visit during spring break. Spend some time exploring the different gardens on the property including the dinosaur, butterfly, and fitness gardens. Take a ride on the carousel or train. There’s even a ride that simulates what it’s like to be a butterfly. Read our review.
World of Wings World of Wings, in Teaneck, is a fun and educational way to spend a spring break day. Start your visit by seeing the reptile and amphibian exhibits. Spend some time checking out the butterfly atrium where you can explore a tropical oasis of plants and flowers while watching butterflies in their natural habitat. Next, you can visit the illusion room and see if you can trick your mind. Finally, you can end your visit by stopping at the “Just Bounce” floor. Children can spend 30 minutes bouncing, sliding, and jumping!
Grounds for Sculpture
Located within a hour’s drive from the Jersey Shore, it’s a garden, an art gallery, a restaurant and a wedding venue all rolled into one. Spend the day on the beautifully landscaped grounds enjoying all sorts of life-sized, and bigger than life sized sculptures. Wander through areas, along a lake and through the woods enjoying the art, the air and even the restaurant. It’s a garden of surprises. Check out My Virtual Vineyard’s review.
More Great Summer Day Trips in Philadelphia From Mommy Entourage Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia Nestled between Boathouse Row and the Art Museum off of Kelly Drive, the Fairmount Water Works is a great place to take the kids and is open to the public. Your kids will have a blast learning, exploring the exhibits and then playing outside and looking out over the Schuylkill River. Read her review here. Explore Philadelphia Food Tours with Vimbly Looking for a guided tour of the Liberty Bell or a taste testing of Philly cheesesteaks? Vimbly offers open time slots and reservations for events, activities, classes and date night ideas on their website that covers the city of Philadelphia. Special features include food tours of South Philadelphia, Segway tours and historical walks! Read her review here.
Rain or Shine find more fun at these places
Make it an Overnight Adventure Sheraton Society Hill in Old City Philly We love hotels that offer spacious comfortable accomodations for families, the Sheraton Philadelphia Society Hill does just that. Not only is it, positioned nicely between Penn’s Landing and Philadelphia’s best attractions, but it also can accommodate larger families with their various room arrangements. For example on a recent stay, we had 3 connecting rooms: standard room with 2 double beds, standard room with 1 king size bed, and a Parlor Suite with a lounge area, eating area, and Murphy Bed. This was such an amazing stay for us. Our rooms were spacious. The pool was open late. And the Club Lounge is great for feeding kids (and adults), hungry after a busy day exploring Philadelphia. It was just what I needed for a joint vacation with my sister and her kids. Our stay at the Sheraton is one BIG reason why we will remember our time together fondly, as will our boys. We can’t fit everything we have to say about the Sheraton Society Hill in the pages of this guide, so be sure to visit our full review with video and pictures on Jersey Family Fun. The Sheraton Society Hill is located at 1 Dock St. (2nd & Walnut Sts.) in Philadelphia. You can visit their site here.
with One of our Favorite Hotels Hyatt Place Secaucus After 3 visits to the Hyatt Place Secaucus, I can confidently call this my go-to hotel for the area. With it’s convenient locations, incredbily spacious rooms, and great customer service, my stays have always been enjoyable and relaxing. It’s no wonder why we keep returning. The Hyatt Place Secaucus nestled in the Plaza at the Meadows and surrounded by great shopping options and a large selection of restaurants, means you won’t get bored or starve. There’s something for everyone. Plus it’s a great reason to make a weekend of it with either a short drive to Field Station Dinosaurs, where you can visit with the dinosaurs or travel over the bridge to some of your favorite New York spots.
The Hyatt Place Secaucus Meadowlands rooms have a large living space that is separated from the main sleeping area with a semiprivate wall, providing some privacy between the two areas. The cozy corner couch also opens to a sofa bed for additional sleeping space. It’s the perfect room for traveling with a large family. The inroom mini fridge, free wifi, free parking, and complimentary breakfast, are just extra bonuses that make this a hotel we love to visit. Find our full review online. The Hyatt Place Secaucus is located at 575 Park Plaza Drive in Secaucus.
A Campout to Remember Baker’s Acres Our most recent adventure took us to the Baker’s Acres in Little Egg Harbor where we stayed in the two story Blue Cabin. By day, we enjoyed the pool, playground, and Wet & Wild Weekend activities. By night, we fed our bellies and got comfortable in the cabin. We cooked meals outside on the grill and roasted marshmallows on our first campfire. And when it was time to rest, the kids slept downstairs on a bunk bed with three beds and I enjoyed the privacy and spaciousness of the loft. It was a weekend full of fun indoor and outdoor activities and you can read all about it in our blog post here.
Sea Pirate Campground My family enjoyed our first camping trip at Sea Pirate Campground in Tuckerton during the summer of 2013. It was the perfect place to experience camping for the first time. We stayed in a deluxe 2 room cabin, with 2 sets of bunk beds in one room and 1 full bed in the other. Sea Pirate offers a bit of the comforts of home while also the setting of a campsite. The Campground has a pool, playground, courts, a catch & release fishing pond and more. Read more about them in this blog post.
A Sleepover They’ll Never Forget Safari Overnights Want to sleep with dinosaurs and live to tell about it? You can with the Academy of Natural Sciences’ Safari Overnights. This is your family’s chance to experience the Academy after dark with interactive activities and live animals all led by experienced and enthusiastic naturalists! And when the evening fun is done, you can sleep next to lions, tigers, or even the Tyrannosaurus Rex, but don’t worry. We promise they don’t bite. To learn more about the Safari Overnights visit the Academy’s site.
40 Winks with the Sphinx Our night at the Penn Museum’s 40 Winks, was everything an Indiana Jones wanna be kid could ask for. We had museum exploration, hands on activities, tours, and a chance to sleep with mummies. We started our night with some on-our-own exploration, before learning about the our schedule for the night. With activities scheduled until 11 pm we were in for a great night of fun. Yoga, Learning How to Write Hieroglyphics, Make and Take Cuneiform Tablets, and a question and answer session with the mummies were all offered. We did not have to pick one activity over another, we had time to enjoy all of them. Just when we thought we couldn’t have anymore fun, it was off to the trivia game. Later with flashlights in hand, we were off to explore the Penn Museum galleries at night. Read all the details here.
A Night at the Museum,
A Unique Overnight Adventure in New York Looking for a memorable overnight experience? You can't beat the American Museum of Natural History sleepovers. Not only do you get to imagine yourself in the Night at the Museum movies, but you have hours to explore the museum with no crowds. You will find so much you never knew was there! Jersey Family Fun was invited to February's sleepover as a guest of Animal Jam online games, and we are still talking about the unique experience we had. Read about our experience here. After checking in, set up your cot under the whale or in any of the other picturesque locations (determined by the museum) - we slept by a caribou in the glassed in display. Then comes time to get your pajamas on and explore. Exhibits are open and special activities are set up throughout, or watch the 3D show in the LeFrak theater. Find fossils in the dark of the dinosaur room. See a live animal demonstration and do a related craft (for us it was sea stars). Wifi is available so you can use the museum app to find your way around, but there's plenty of staff on hand to help. Lights out at midnight and up again at 7 with breakfast until 8. Your sleepover admission gets you in for the next day too, if you haven't gotten your museum fill. Summer dates are July 17 and August 7. Sleepover nights fill fast so make your summer plans soon! Click over to the American Museum of Natural History for more information.
Hershey Park, Delicious Fun We Can’t Wait to Explore This summer we’re delighted to be returning to Hershey Park! We are looking forward to sharing all of our experiences on Jersey Family Fun, but in the meantime we’re sharing 3 reasons we’re excited to take a family vacation in our region’s most delicious destination. 1. Chocolate! Going to a town where its rumored that the streets smell like chocolate sounds perfectly delightful. We love history and can't wait to learn the Hershey Story at the Hershey Museum and Trolley Works tour. A great vacation is one that combines learning and fun. 2. Rides! Hershey Park offers a great variety of family and thrill rides that we all will enjoy. 13 roller coasters will sure keep us busy. This year's new Laff Trakk roller coaster is going to be our first stop! We're hoping for warm enough weather that we can explore the water rides but especially the Wave Rider so we can get our surf on. 3. Kid Friendly Accommodations! When we check in at the Hershey Lodge, our children will get their own special check in complete with chocolate, games and their own ID. The Lodge not only has indoor and outdoor pools, but has activities like Hershey character visits, animals from ZooAmerica, and games and crafts. We plan on having so much fun on Hershey Park trip - a great kickoff to the summer season! Read more about our Hershey Park experiences and those from Momma Lew Experiences and See Mom Click.
Snack & Learning Fun at Herrs Snack Factory Herrs Snack Factory Tour is Free for the whole family and fun! One of the best things about summer is all the time to spend on car trips and having new experiences. A recent one Jersey Family Fun family decided to check out was Herr's Snack Factory located in Nottingham, Pennsylvania. It's just outside of Maryland! I have always wanted to go since I saw a package of Herr's potato chips with the cute little character Chipper on the side. I have watched the factory tour video over and over again when I was little and had memorized it. So as an adult when I realized that the factory and tour itself was just a small car ride away I decided to call and schedule our free tour. We decided to go early in the morning, which was a great idea. We went the first tour time available at 9 am, it was not busy at all and neither was traffic, just missing the morning commute. What to expect during the Free Herrs Snack Factory Tour It is expected to last for about an hour. The tour starts in Chipper's theater to watch a video about Herr, the gentleman that started the whole company. The video is 10 minutes but is pretty interesting and it includes a younger version of the owner and his wife as well as their mascot Chipper so your children will not get bored. During the tour you are guided from room to room. It is suggested that you do the Herrs Snack Factory Tour during the beginning of the month to see the most production. The first stop on the production line is the pretzel area followed by the tortilla chip area, and concluded with the chip area and seasoning area. At the completion of the tour everyone receives fresh, hot potato chips right out of the oven on the factory line! I thought it was amazing and so did the kids, they will never be able to eat chips as fresh as they did that day! Herrs also has some very interesting flavors you can get from the gift shop, one of the newest flavors my children enjoyed was the cotton candy balls! (sounds disgusting but it tastes just like cotton candy!) There’s also the $.17 "oops" potato chip bags in the gift shop, there isn't anything wrong with them except for the fact that they did not meet up to Herr's standards. Herrs Snack Factory Tour Hours • Monday-Thursday 9 am to 3 pm (extended hours upon request) • Friday 9 am-11 am (can not guarantee production running on Friday) • You can go online and schedule a tour or call 1-800-63-SNACK • Herr’s is closed for certain holidays. Herrs Snack Factory is located at 217 Old Baltimore Pike in Nottingham, Pennsylvania.
The Turkey Hill Experience ...going behind the scenes to
see how ice cream is made
On a rainy day in the Hershey Park area don’t hide in the hotel. Instead check out the Turkey Hill Experience in Columbia. Here a past writer Gioia shares her experience! The Turkey Hill Experience is all about ice cream! It’s about a 40 minute drive from Hershey. We found it easily. The admission prices were very reasonable at $9.95 for adults and $7.95 for children (ages 4 and under are free). We were greeted by a very friendly staff that explained the venue to us and how best to experience it. As you enter the hallway on the second floor you realize how large this attraction really is. We were greeted by a very large cow that tells us to get ready to see how milk gets to turn into ice cream! As we enter we found the history of Lancaster county and its dairy farm. The boys loved pretending to drive the old-fashioned ice cream truck. They learned about cows and where milk comes from. They even got to actually milk a fake cow! A nice ice cream counter is available where you can try all the ice cream you can eat one scoop at a time. Since it was a vacation we let the twins dig in and taste a lot of ice cream! Then, we had a chance to go to the tea room where we got to sample some great Turkey Hill ice teas. We were ready to move on to the interactive exhibits. We were impressed by the flavor area where you can smell all the different flavors that are offered by Turkey Hill. The boys had a great time smelling them all! This is a bridge to learning about what flavors of ice cream that you like in order to create your own ice cream. The boys also learned about keeping things clean and bacteria. They learned that all of the milk needs to be microbe free. They especially liked seeing the "bugs" under the giant sized microscope. After all that science they went into the next room where there was a gigantic fan and a fun slide. The kids took turns sliding over and over again. They then practiced turning the fan. We then went to make our own individual ice cream flavor. While you can't take your creation home with you (yet), you can be really creative. There are a lot more exhibits at this Lancaster attraction, that deserve honorable mention. We loved the area where the kids can pretend to load ice cream and it changes color based on the flavor you place in it. We thought the freezer room was amazing! Into a freezer you go to experience how cold it really needs to be to keep the ice cream cold! The adults really loved all the history that was easy to read as our kids enjoyed the interactive areas. Heck, they even had a ball pit for little ones to run off all that ice cream sugar! The Turkey Hill Experience is located at 301 Linden Street in Columbia, Pennsylvania.
Making the Most Out of a Day Out With Thomas Wouldn't your kids be thrilled to ride aboard a train pulled by a full-size Thomas the Tank Engine? We have had that great experience and seeing the response we got on to our photos and details, we know many of you are looking forward to your own Day Out With Thomas. Here’s soem details to help you make the most out of it when you do go. First there are a few types of Day Out With Thomas tickets ~ You can learn more about them online. • Regular Tickets ~ Thomas Train - $21, Percy Package - $26 • Combo Tickets ~ Combo - $28, Strasburg Combo + Percy - $31
Which Day Out With Thomas ticket should you buy?
That depends on your needs and interests. If you just want the experience of riding Thomas or Percy and want to visit other train-related attractions in the area a regular ticket will be fine. If the love of trains runs from the youngest to the older members of the family, enjoy the combo tickets. Then, take advantage of the other included activities.
What's included in your Day Out With Thomas tickets (both ticket types) • • • • • • • • • •
Underneath tent activities Listen to stories Watch a movie Choose from several temporary tattoos Play with different types of trains and tracks Build with Mega Bloks Color Thomas the Train coloring packets (Although we suggest bringing a small pack of crayons because we didn't see any available.) Photos with Sir Topham Hatt around the station. Listen for announcements of where he will be. Photo backdrops are located throughout the station so you can get some cute pictures of your kids. On the Station side you can ride or pump different train cars
For more information and Tips For Your Day Out With Thomas visit our blog post.
Day Out With Thomas Summer Schedule • June 20, 2015-June 28, 2015 • Sept. 12, 2015-Sept. 20, 2015 Call 866-468-7630 for more information.
9 Reasons to Visit the Amish Village in Lancaster Ahh, to experience the life of the Amish, if only for a little while is to have a bit of relaxation from the rush, rush, rush, of our typical daily lives. It's also a lesson in how different cultures live and an appreciation for what we have. With that in mind we give you our reasons to slow down and visit The Amish Village in Lancaster.
• Learning is more fun in a 1 room schoolhouse where your siblings are in your class. • Several buildings & shops to explore. • It's legal to make your child work hard. (Don't worry; they will be too busy having fun to know it's work.) • Trying new foods isn't a hassle, especially
when it's something so yummy. • Feed animals you don't get to see everyday. • Learn how an Amish child dresses differently than your own children • Burn off energy running on the grass or exploring the playground. • Countless places for great family pictures. • There is so much to learn.
What you need to know about visiting The Amish Village
• 25 minute guided tours of the Amish House are available as well as 90 minute tours of the Amish area. • You can self-explore the grounds and other buildings on the 12-acre property. • Admission prices vary by age and include the house tour. Adults: $8.50 Children 5-12: $5.25, 4 & younger FREE • The Amish Village is open Monday - Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm and Sundays 10 am - 5 pm. • The Amish Village is located at 199 Hartman Bridge Road, Ronks, Pennsylvania. • To view our Amish Village pictures visit our Facebook Gallery.
Hang out With Snoopy & Friends
at
Dorney Park’s Planet Snoopy Debbie Zelasny, a.k.a. The Jersey Momma, ventures to Allentown, Pennsylvania to review Planet Snoopy. Situated inside of Dorney Park, Planet Snoopy is home to over 15 Peanuts-themed rides for kids, as well as daily meet and greets and live action shows featuring your favorite Peanuts characters. Read her review.
New York City can seem overwhelming, but the list of family friendly activities is long and worthwhile! 1. Get a different view of the city on the High Line. Free to the public, filled with art and nature and vendors, the High Line is not to be missed. Enter at various points from 34th Street to Gansevoort Street in Chelsea. Be ready for some art discussions, plant identification and people watching. 2. The Bronx Zoo is one of the premier zoos in the US and is a reasonable drive from New Jersey! Ride a camel, experience the 4D theater or watch a penguin feeding. And of course explore their 50+ varieties of animals. The Zoo is free all day on Wednesdays! 3. New York theater is legendary, but if Broadway is too expensive or the shows are too long, try an off broadway show or special children's performance. TADA! Youth Theater will offer Princess Phooey in July and August and all TADA! shows are family friendly. Enjoy the nice weather and find an outdoor show - Story Pirates at Hudson River Park. It is just one of the Monday night programs held at Pier 25 in Tribeca. 4. New York City offers dozens of museums but one of our favorites is the American Museum of Natural History. The dinosaurs, the planetarium, the whale - prepare to spend a whole day and learn a whole lot! You won't be able to see it all in one day so plan your visit in advance and be ready to plan a second visit soon after. Whatever you choose to do in NYC, bring your camera, your walking shoes and your sense of adventure. There's something different every day!
Check out these
New York City Museums with Free Admission Enjoy our listing of New York City museums with free admission. You can learn more about each of these museums in our detailed listing here. New York City Museums with FREE Admission Everyday (or PWYW pay what you wish) • American Folk Art Museum • American Museum of Natural History (PWYW) • Bronx Museum of Arts (PWYW) • Brooklyn Museum (PWYW) • The Cloisters (PWYW) • El Museo del Barrio (PWYW) • Metropolitan Museum of Art (PWYW) • Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology • Nuseum of American Illustration • Museum of Biblical Art (PWYW) • National Museum of the American Indian— Smithsonian Institution • New York City Police Museum (PWYW) • P.S.1 MoMA (PWYW) • Socrates Sculpture Park • Staten Island Museum (PWYW) • Studio Museum in Harlem (PWYW) Museums with FREE Admission days or hours Monthly free hours • Bronx Museum (First Friday, 6-10 pm) • Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Second Weekend, before 11 am) • Brooklyn Museum (First Saturday, 5-11 pm) • El Museo del Barrio (Third Saturday, 11 am-8 pm) • Neue Gallerie (First Friday, 6-8 pm) • Noguchi Museum (First Friday, (PWYW)) • South Street Seaport Museum (Third Friday, 6-8:45 pm) Weekly free days or hours Mondays • Yeshiva University Museum Tuesday • Brooklyn Botanic Garden • China Institute 6-8 pm • Staten Island Museum 12-2 pm • Wave Hill 9 am-noon
Wednesday • Bronx Zoo (PWYW) • Brooklyn Children’s Museum 2-5 pm • Museum of Jewish Heritage 4-8 pm • New York Botanical Garden • Queens Botanical Garden April-October, 3-6 pm • Van Cortlandt House Museum • Yeshiva University Museum 5-8 pm Thursday • China Institute 6-8 pm • Museum of Arts and Design 6-9 pm (PWYW) • Museum of Chinese in America • New Museum of Contemporary Art 7-9 pm • Trinity Church: Concerts at One 1-2 pm (September through May) Friday • International Center for Photography 5-8 pm (PWYW) • Japan Society 6-9 pm • Morgan Library & Museum 7-9 pm • Museum of Modern Art 4-8 pm • Neue Galerie 6-8 pm • New-York Historical Society 6-8 pm (PWYW) • New York Aquarium 3 pm-closing (PWYW) • New York Hall of Science 2-5 pm (September through June) • Rubin Museum of Art 7-10 pm • Staten Island Museum 12-2 pm • Whitney Museum of American Art 6-9 pm • Yeshiva University Museum Saturday • Brooklyn Botanic Garden 10 am-noon • Jewish Museum • New York Botanical Garden 10 am-noon • Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 5:45-7:45 pm (PWYW) • Wave Hill 9 am-noon Sunday • Frick Collection 11 am-1 pm (PWYW) • New York Hall of Science 10-11 am (September through June) • Queens Botanical Garden April-October, 4-6 pm • Studio Museum in Harlem
Bronx Zoo presents “NY Is Wild” this Summer New York City is home to some amazing sights and activities. One of the best is the Bronx Zoo, which provides an educational and fun-filled experience for people of all ages. This summer, the Bronx Zoo will turn NYC into a city-wide social photo safari by inviting consumers to learn about “120 Ways #NYisWild.” The more people share their in-park photos using the #NYisWild hashtag, the more chances they have to win a trip to Belize, one of the locations where the Wildlife Conservation Society—owner and operator of the Bronx Zoo – does some exciting and relevant conservation work.
What does the Bronx Zoo have to offer families?
• Over 19 animal exhibits including: Baboon Reserve, Sea Lion Pool, Butterfly Garden, World of Reptiles and many more • 4-D Theater: An immersive experience featuring sensory effects and visual drama. Ages 6 and up. • Camel Rides • Bug Carousel-Your favorite bugs from beetles to grasshoppers are ready to take a spin with you. • Penguin Feedings- Watch the penguins bob for fish daily at 3:30pm. Friendly zookeepers are on hand to answer any questions about these Magellanic Penguins. • Wild Asia Monorail-take a ride into the heart of Asian Wilderness. Tour guides will point out the exotic animals such as the Red Pandas, elephants and rhinos. • Sea lion pool-Come feed the sea lions twice a day at 11:00 am & 3:00 pm. Sea lions are curious and the interaction they have with the visitors is great stimulation for them! • Zoo Trolley-With over 265 acres the zoo is very large. The zoo trolley makes seeing every inch of the zoo possible
Ticket information for the Bronx Zoo
(both Total Experience tickets & Premium Memberships include unlimited access to all programs and zoo experiences listed above) • Total Experience Tickets: Adults(ages 13 and older) $30.55 online and $33.95 at the gate • Total Experience Tickets: Child (ages 3-12) $21.55 online and $23.95 at the gate • Total Experience Tickets: Senior( ages 65 and older) $26.05 online and $28.95 at the gate. • Children under 2 are FREE Tickets can be purchased online at http://bronxzoo.com/tickets. Exclusive offer!!! For a limited time you will receive a 20% discount when you purchase tickets at https://NYisWild.com.
Traveling Outside New Jersey? Get to Know these Great Sites ALABAMA Northern Alabama – Rocket City Mom ARIZONA Yuma – Yuma Mom ARKANSAS Northwest Arkansas – nwaMotherlode CALIFORNIA Bay Area – 510 Families Los Angeles – Mommy Poppins La Jolla – La Jolla Mom Sacramento – Sacramento Kids COLORADO Denver Metro – Colorado Moms DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA/WASHINGTON, DC/MARYLAND DC Metro & Maryland/Virginia suburbs – A Parent in Silver Spring & Our Kids DC Metro – DC Cool Kids, Kid Friendly DC, & DC Thrifty Mom FLORIDA Flagler County – Flagler County Family Fun Orlando – Orlando Kids’ Directory Pensacola – Pensacola with Kids! Tampa Bay – What’s Doing Tampa Bay GEORGIA Atlanta – Atlanta With Kid Forsyth County – Cumming Local ILLINOIS Champaign-Urbana – Chambanamoms.com Chicago– Toddling Around Chicago & Chicago Kids Far western suburbs of Chicago – Go West Young Mom Lake County (North Suburbs of Chicago) – Little Lake County Near west suburbs of Chicago – {kidlist} activities for little kids INDIANA Indianapolis – Indy with Kids Terre Haute – Haute Happenings KENTUCKY Hardin County – Elizabethtown Family Louisville – Louisville Family Fun LOUISIANA Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge Moms City of New Orleans & Jefferson Parish – Jefferson Parish Parent Gulf Coast – MS Gulf Coast Parent North Shore New Orleans – North Shore Parent MASSACHUSETTS Boston – Boston Mamas MICHIGAN Ann Arbor – Ann Arbor with Kids Ann Arbor/Detroit – Kids Out and About Ann Arbor and Detroit Bay, Midland, and Saginaw Counties – Great Lakes
Bay Moms Grand Rapids – Grand Rapids Kids (grkids.com) Kalamazoo – Kalamazoo Kids MISSOURI St. Louis – stlparent.com & St. Louis Sprout & About NEBRASKA Omaha – Family Fun in Omaha NEVADA Las Vegas – Las Vegas Kids NEW HAMPSHIRE Portsmouth – Find and Go Seek NEW YORK Albanay – Albany Kid Saratoga County – Saratoga Mama Rockland – Rockland NY Mom (just outside NYC) OHIO Cincinnati – Family Friendly Cincinnati Columbus – cBus Mom Northeast Ohio – Northeast Ohio Family Fun PENNSYLVANIA Chester County – Chester County Moms Delaware County – DelcoPaMoms & Delaware County Moms Lehigh Valley – Lehigh Valley Family Fun & Find and Go Seek Montgomery County – Montgomery County Moms Philadelphia – Local Fun for Kids & Philly Fun 4 Kids SOUTH CAROLINA Greenville – Kidding Around Greenville TENNESSEE Nashville – Nashville Fun For Familes TEXAS Austin – Free Fun In Austin Houston – Big Kids Small City San Antonio – San Antonio Moms Blog VERMONT Vermont – Find and Go Seek VIRGINIA Dulles/Fairfax County/Loudoun County – Dulles Moms Fairfax County and Northern Virginia – Fairfax Family Fun Hampton Roads – My Active Child WASHINGTON Seattle – Seattle’s Child South Puget Sound Area – Sounds Fun Mom WISCONSIN Appleton (and surrounding communities) – Go Valley Kids Madison – Madison with Kids & Madison Mammas Milwaukee – Miltown Moms Waukesha County/Metro Milwaukee – Lake Country Family Fun
visit, your Fastpass+ reservations scheduled and then just enjoy the little moments. Like when they have that first Mickey bar. Those are the things they will talk about long after the trip is over. The whole point of a Disney vacation is to enjoy time with your family. I visit Disney World multiple times a year and STILL have not done it all, no one can do it all in a week--so don't try and really don't stress. There are lots of touring tips and strategies, etc which are important and will help... but as you are riding the bus and waiting in lines... remember to savor the time you all are spending together. ~ Dana (I plan people's trips for free as a travel agent who specializes in Disney--- my website is www.traveldealsbydana.com • Don't try to do it all. Plan in some downtime. ~ Julia
30+ Tips for Your Disney World Vacation from Families like Yours The Auer family just had our first Walt Disney World vacation. It was a blast! Since we needed tips, we asked our readers for help. We're sharing their tips. Overall Disney World Planning Trips • You will not see everything. Don't try. I've been more over 30 times AND I used to work there and I still haven't done everything. Pick one attraction for each family member-do those. Anything above and beyond is a bonus. ~ HD • Go to www.disboards.com for all kinds of discussion boards for all things disney. It's an amazing board if u have time to look at all the posts. I was just there a few weeks ago and had an amazing time. Have fun!!! ~ RS • I think the biggest thing is to not worry about which attractions you see or how many rides you can fit in a day, have each person pick their must-do each day before you leave (or on the plane ride there.) Have your meals planned ahead of time, parks you want to
Tips for the Walt Disney World Parks • Use the crowd calendar. Get early morning reservation at Hollywood & vine if you want Jedi training. Leave 30 min between fast passes. ~ GD • Make sure you take advantage of the Fast Passes. Fast Pass for early in the day and then you can add additional Fastpasses in the park after you use your first 3! ~ LK • Www.kennythepirate.com is the best site ever! Best tips on everything especially characters and which rides to FP. ~ NS • Basic plan. { HAVE FUN } also be careful and vigilant. ~ JK • We signed up for Fast Passes but some lines weren't so bad so we'd use the regular line and transfer the fast pass to something else. We brought our own glow sticks and necklaces for night time parades and saved a ton of money that way. We also rented a stroller before hand (didn't think we'd need it with 4 & 8 year olds but they were sooo happy we had it). Make sure you get your Magic Bands. Have fun!!! ~ GD • My son-in-law found an app for his android that helped us guide through wait times. ~ EW • The most important advice I think is use the Fast Pass, book ur favorite rides in the morning through FP and after they r used u can try to book more rides during the afternoon, the best rides book fast, so get them out of the way in the am. ~ CJ • Disney App..lets you know how long each wait is for rides, gives you a map of rides and location of characters, you can also adjust your fast pass with it. ~ DL • Plan ahead and read as much as you can about the parks. Checking crowd calendars really helps make the parks more enjoyable. Go first thing in the morning (arrive a half hour before opening so you can wander and look at things before the crowds arrive) Bring backpacks with water, flip flops, sunscreen, snacks, a poncho and your autograph books. Take breaks and
don't worry if you miss things - you will! It all can't be done in one visit. Impossible. And then enjoy! ~ LS • Take breaks. We go in the morning take a break to nap or swim in the afternoon then go back to a park at night. ~ MC • My best advice then is to make sure you book your dining and fast passes. I try to book my fast passes based on when and where my dining reservations are so that I don't have to worry about getting to another park. ~ Jessica Dining & Food • Ohana Breakfast is our absolute favorite. You don't need a park ticket to go and it's cheaper than many of the other character breakfasts (food is much better too!). ~ LK • And we also stocked up with Garden Grocer (both were delivered to our hotel). Water. Water. Water. We definitely felt ripped off by Chef Mickeys and wouldn't recommend it. ~ GD • To plan for our meals we visited the disneyfoodblog. com to read their reviews and allears.net to take a look at restaurant menus and prices. If u r on dining plan, Be our Guest for lunch is the best bang for ur (Quick Service) buck. ~ CJ • Bring snacks into the park and single serve drink packets you can add to the water. We do the dining plan now that has the snack credit built in but many moons ago before we did that I would each kid they got $5 a day for a snack so to use it wisely and make sure it was on something they really wanted. ~ Crystal • We love Ohana breakfast too. If you're buying the meal plan our favourite restaurants are O'Hana, Whispering Winds Cafe, and Prime Time Cafe. ~ LS • You can ask for a cup of water for free at any food counter. ~ RS • Grocery delivery is your best friend! I would recommend cases of water & snacks at a minimum, my family eats most of our breakfasts & lunches from the room, dinner out. ~ JM Shopping & Souvenirs • At home we converted chore money into Disney Dollars. I found a template on the Disboards and printed it and put them into an envelope then before each trip I would run and buy a gift card for each kid with what they earned so they were in control of their own spending money so to speak. ~ Crystal Pictures • If you plan for Hollywood Studios and your kids are Buzz and Woody Fans... Get that photo done ASAP as that line rarely dropped under an hour wait. ~ GD • Take advantage of all the photopass/memory maker
photographers it's a great way to make sure you get included in some of the photos. Even if you didn't purchase the memory maker they will still take a photo for you with your camera. ~ Crystal Special Touches • We brought our own glow sticks and necklaces for night time parades and saved a ton of money that way. ~ GD • Oh and you can buy pins on Ebay ahead of time much cheaper to trade if you're planning on doing that. ~ LS • I did my 5 year old's hair every morning like a princess--some tiara headbands from Claire's, tight bun, and glitter from our arts and craft stash at home. Saved us a lot! Plus I think she looked a whole lot cuter than some of the $250+ hairdos from Bibbitty Bobbity Boo! ~ CB • Main Street Barbershop is a hidden gem! We go there for haircuts and pixie dust every trip! (Much cheaper than home!). ~ LK • I used to surprise my kids with gifts from the characters I would hit the local Disney store or even Target and Dollar store and get trinkets then I would leave it each night of our stay from a different character. I also create my own autograph book each year its unique and different then the $14 dollar ones in the park. ~ Crystal • I created a fun letter from Mickey and friends personalized for the boys. ~ Tina We hope these tips help you as much as they helped us.
Happy Travels!