From the Editor Last year at this time I was sitting here telling you about putting the final touches on our first guide. This year, season by season, we’ve shared some of our favorite New Jersey day trips. With every guide, our team of moms work to find fun things you can do with your family. We take out the work so you can focus on the fun. Inside these pages, you’ll find day trip ideas for when the sun is shining or when the rain drops are falling. You’ll find the must attend events for the fall and the playgrounds we love to visit. You’ll even find we’ve extended our coverage to give you ideas for those long weekends when you need a minivacation or getaway. This guide would not be possible without the team of moms who write for Jersey Family Fun. Beyond the blog posts, these moms are always hard at work searching their communities for fun and affordable family friendly events to add to our calendar of events. For our advertisers another thank you. It is your sponsorship that allows us to continue to do what we do, as a free service for New Jersey families, be the go to resource for parents, grandparents, and loved ones in New Jersey looking for things to do and ways to have fun with their children! So get out there and have some fun this fall. We’ll see you online, Jennifer Auer CEO, Editor & Publisher
The Jersey Family Fun Team Crystal Rodgers, Assistant Editor Writers
Julia Hunter Melissa Gardner Monica Leah Traci Murn Nancy Palutis Jillian Fletcher Lauran Jones Phelan Rose Connie Cortina Jessica Lopa Melanie Cortese Ellie North
Atlantic County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Sahl’s Father Son Farm Sahl’s Father Son Farm, at 420 West Pestalozzi Street in Galloway, is one of our favorite fall day trips. There is just something about it that reminds me of my youth and makes me toss away my concerns and just truly be in the moment with my kids playing in the hay, picking pumpkins and having a good ol time. Sahl’s admission prices include all their mazes and maze games, Kiddie Koral playground, pig races, rubber duck races, and as many hayrides as your heart desires. For a little more enjoy pony rides, bring home some pumpkins, and treat yourself to some concession stand items. Sahl’s Father Son farm will be open from September 20 November 1.
Rainy Day Fun
Atlantic City Aquarium, with summer crowds gone it’s the perfect time to explore their 3 floors of exhibits with touch tanks and hands on educational shows.
Estell Manor Park Hike, walk, bike, play or learn. Estell Manor offers so much for kids on its parks, playgrounds, trail and indoor Fox Nature Center. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. South Jersey Children’s Halloween Fest Hamilton Mall, Mays Landing October 25 & 26, 2014 Admission is free For more details visit our full event listing.
Bergen County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Abma’s Farm Market and Nursery
Rainy Day Fun
Abma’s Farm is located at 700 Lawlins Road in Wyckoff. Everything is homegrown with love, picked or cooked daily, and served fresh. Everyone loves to visit the petting zoo, pet the sheep or cow, feed carrot greens to the rabbits, see their baby chickens, fancy birds, goats, ponies, donkey, calf and pigs. What did the Navy use in different wars? Boats, submarines, and torpedoes are just a few of the things that you will see at the Naval Museum.
Meadowlands Environmental Canter
Located at 2 DeKorte Park, in Lyndhurst, this environmental center offers education programs for all ages ranging from animal visits, dip-netting in the marshes and nature-oriented painting workshops to astronomy talks and solstice celebrations. With acre after acre of parks, 8 miles of trails, and a butterfly garden, there are lots of reasons and ways to spend a fall day here.
Best Playground Van Saun Park With 146 acres this park offers a variety of activities sure to please the entire family. Between playing on one of the playgrounds, having a picnic, riding the train and taking a twirl on the carousel you can spend hours at Van Saun. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. National Fossil Day Bergen County Zoo, Paramus October 11, 2014 Free ->$4 depending on age For more details visit our full event listing.
A NEW JERSEY FAMILY FALL FAVORITE
HORSE SLEIGH FARM
A beautiful farm to bring the family during the Fall! With so many activities, you’ll never run out of things to do at Horse Sleigh Farm. From classic pumpkin picking and cornmazes, to horse drawn wagon rides and haunted hayrides, your family will have a blast this Fall, no matter what age! Huge 10 Acre Corn Maze
Authentic Pumpkin Picking
Horse Drawn Wagon Rides
Scenic Hayrides
Unique Farm Goods!
Haunted CornMaze, Hayrides, Trail of Terror & Barnyard
www.HorseSleighFarm.com
Discover the
The Official School of American Repertory Ballet
Joy of Dance!
Photo Credit: George Jones, Michael Mancuso, Caroline Pallat, Jane Wilson-Brunner
Celebrating 60 years of excellence in dance education
Princeton • Cranbury • New Brunswick Live music • All ages and levels • Top faculty & facilities • Distinguished alumni • Performance opportunities
www.arballet.org/PBS • 609-921-7758
Burlington County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Historic Batsto Village This historic site in Wharton State Forest dates back to 1766, when it was a site for making glass and iron. Today, it reflects the agricultural and businesses it was known for in the late 19th century.
Rainy Day Fun
Over several acres is this breathtaking site with over 40 buildings that tell of a simpler time. Batsto Village includes an educational visitor’s center, mansion; ice, milk, wood, and The Secret Garden carriage houses, stables and barns, mills, shops, post office, at Moorestown Mall and colonial homes. is a perfect indoor playground for little ones From sitting on the mansion steps for a picnic lunch to to burn off energy on a peering into the river to figure out how fish swim upstairs rainy day. (you’ll have to go to find out), my family took it all in. We hope yours will to. Visit our blog posts for more details.
Smithville Park Walking beautiful trails with fall foliage. Play on a playground. You can even tour a mansion. This fall, see scarecrows on display and vote for your favorite. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. The Bordentown Cranberry Festival Farnsworth Avenue, Bordentown October 4, 2014 Free admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Camden County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Springdale Farms
Rainy Day Fun
It’s the last operational Farm in Cherry Hill. In 1931, when Cherry Hill was known as Delaware Township, 82 farms were in operation. Now the area has just one, but what fun that one is. What started as a farmer’s market has grown into a farm that offers families Garden State Discovery pumpkin picking, a corn maze, play yard, different varieties of fruits and vegetables, animals, and special events. It’s all Museum in Cherry Hill kinds of fall fun. Find our more in Melissa’s blog post. for its great indoor & interactive exhibits.
Other Day Trip Ideas
Camden County is home to several of our favorite New Jersey day trip destinations. Diggerland USA, Sahara Sams, Adventure Aquarium and more will all be putting their special twist on fall with great family friendly events.
Best Playground Jake’s Place Jake’s Place is great for all the ways it provides fun for all children of all ages, sizes, and needs. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series.
Blackwood Pumpkin Festival Gloucester Township Library, Blackwood October 5, 2014 Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Cape May County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Go back to the beach The crowds and the long days of summer maybe gone the beach still remains. Fall is a great time of year to visit the beach. While the ocean may be cold you can still fly a kite, play football, throw a frisbee or build a sandcastle. Some of the nicest beach days can be had as a family during the fall. Beach tags are not required in most towns after labor day weekend, but lifeguards are not typically on duty so be careful near the water. The Butterfly Boutique in Ocean City offers make Hereford Inlet Lighthouse and take crafts from seashells to piggy banks. This working lighthouse also serves as a museum. Through Price includes all your guided and self guided tours, families can learn about the crafting supplies. Hereford’s history and get a glimpse of the life of a lighthouse keeper in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Rainy Day Fun
34th Street Playground in Ocean City The 34th Street playground is one of our favorites and with the summer crowds gone it’s a great time to visit. Great lighting means after dinner fun is possible for those nights when you just want to keep playing. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. Boo at the Zoo Cape May County Zoo, Cape May Court House October 18, 2014 Admission is by donation For more details visit our full event listing.
Cumberland County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Delaware Bay Museum
Rainy Day Fun
On the Maurice River and surrounded by the Historic Bivalve wetlands, the Delaware Bay Museum and Folklife Center invites you to explore their Oyster Shipping Sheds & Wharves. Volunteers and staff can help you make the most of your visit as you go back in time to the heyday of the oyster industry Looking for fun on a in the 1920s. Watch a video to see the hows and whys. rainy day? Try the Legacy Use today’s technologies to listen to stories from the past. Lanes for bowling or the Interact with exhibits and activities as you all enjoy a great Skate 2000 Family Fun fall day on the bay. Center. Admission is free but donations are encouraged. The Delaware Bay Museum is open Tuesdays through Saturday. For more information visit their site.
Best Playground Bridgeton City Park The 1,100 acre Bridgeton City Park is its own destination with everything from walking trails and picnic areas to playing fields, basketball courts, and the Cohanzick Zoo, one of Cumberland County’s most visited attractions. For more park reviews with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series.
Wheaton Wide Open Wheaton Arts Village, Millville Select Weekends this fall Free admission For more details visit our full event listing.
New Jersey $5 Farms for 2014 Jersey Family Fun’s listing of New Jersey Farms that offer some activities that are $5 or less. (Information is accurate as of 09/14/14. Some counties are unlisted because we are unaware of any $5 farms in that area.)
Atlantic County Farms R & J Farm Bergen County Farms Abma’s Farm Demarest Farms DePiero’s Country Farm Secor Farms Burlington County Farms Conte's Farm Haines Berry Farm Indian Acres Tree Farm Johnson's Corner Farm Johnson’s Locust Farm Hall Strawberry Hill Farm Cape May County Farms LeGates Farm Market Cumberland County Farms Marlboro Farm Market & Garden Center Gloucester County Farms Duffield’s Farm Heritage Wine NJ Hill Creek Farms Maugeri Farms Moods Farm Market McCann’s Farm Triple Dog Dare You Christmas Tree Farm Hunterdon County Farms Melicks Town Farm Phillip’s Farms
Mercer County Farms K & S Farm Sunshine Acres Lee Turkey Farm Oasis Family Farm Terhune Orchards Howell Living History Farm Middlesex County Farms Giamarese Farm Stults Farm Habiak Farms Pops Farm Market and Garden Center Cheesequake Farms Monmouth County Farms Acasola Farms Battleview Orchards Bullock Farms Dearborn Market Eastmont Orchards Slopebrook Farm Twinpond Farm Wemrock Orchard Triple C Nurseries Morris
County Farms Alstede Farms Bader Farms Conklin Upick Hamilton Farms Orts Farm Riamede Stonyhill Gardens Wightman’s Farms Brookhollow Farm Sun High Hacklebarney Cider Mill
Ocean
County Farms Argo’s Farm Beachview Farms Emery’s Farm Hallock’s Upick
Passaic County Farms Ploch’s Farm Farm’s View Richfield Farms Salem County Farms Coombs Barnyard Scarecrow Hollow Somerset County Farms Doyles Farm Suydam Farms Norzhill Farm Hillsboro Farm Sussex
County Farms Beemerville Orchard Ideal Farm and Garden Pochuck Valley Farms Sussex County Strawberry Farm
Union County Farms William’s Nursery Warren County Farms Country Fresh Farm Donaldson Farms Race Farm LLC Marshall’s Farm Market Mackey’s Orchard Long Meadow Farm Horse Sleigh Farm Four Sisters Winery Tranquillity Farm
Jersey Family Fun Fall Word Find J B N C A N D Y L I M A F S O S C A U X
J A O E E S H I L Y P W V A C G T W S X
R R C A E A T P T Q N G E H O Q R X O R
H E L K Y W P R J O N U R L S X X K C P
ACORN APPLES BAKING CANDY CORN COSTUME FAMILY FUN GOURD HALLOWEEN HAYRIDE
G C Q R O A O D A I M E F S T L A P J B
R T I N T L T L V W T M J F U V G M H I
I D Z C V U A I L F Y P Q A M W K J Z G
E J H C N J G N I A D D H T E M A J N B
U C R U Q S A P T V H B Q H G C V W B G
T R I C K O R T R E A T U E O V P R N S
R M X N B L P W I L R F F R U A G I K N
Z I A C G B X O C Y E N R S R N K D H H
D H C W E E H R O W Y A P O D A G F A I
T A P P L E S C F V N E V N B M E Z U H
Q Q E R A O A E L L R W K E X E X N E I
O K N D C D U R U C O I S R S O N H Q H
A P K V U O Q A R A C V A Y U R M U I Z
A F C Q A G S C P X J E L Y O T H I C M
JACKOLANTERN LEAVES PATCH PUMPKIN SAHLSFATHERSON SCARECROW SQUASH STRAW THANKSGIVING TRICKORTREAT TURKEY
A S A O N W X S P Y X O U C V R C I O O
K H N N I K P M U P N A A Z N J E H Q F
Essex County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Van Vleck Gardens Van Vleck Gardens is open 365 days a year from dusk to dawn. They offer famlies not only a meditative space to relax but also educational programs for families to take together or children to do on their own. Located at 21 Van Vleck Street in Montclair, guests can tour the many gardens at their own pace, or that of their kids’, for free. Van Vleck Gardens are designed to always have plants in bloom that are local to the area. For families looking to spend more time together outdoors, they offer monthly Guided Birding Hikes through the Van Vleck gardens and grounds for families with children ages 5 and up. Learn more at their site.
Rainy Day Fun
The Kidgits indoor playarea at the Livingston Mall offers lots of ways for kids to climb and play. It even has a large playhouse with a slide, perfect for those rainy days.
The Regatta Playground The nautical themed playground contains ships for playing on for kids of all ages and offers brightly colored adirondack chairs as seating for parents For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. Octoberfest Essex County Environmental Center, Roseland October 4, 2014 Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Gloucester County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Creamy Acres
Rainy Day Fun
For the past 4 years, Leah and her family and friends have had been visiting Creamy Acres, located in Mullica Hill. They have never been disappointed with their experience and plan to continue the tradition of going year after year.
The Deptford Skating Creamy Acres offers a 30 minute round-trip hayride and Fun Center is a great around the farm with a stop at the pumpkin patch! There place to visit on a rainy is a “petting zoo” that you can visit anytime before or day because it has various after your hayride with chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, a activities for kids of all donkey, and cows. Creamy Acres is also home to a fenced-in ages! playground with two wooden play sets with swings and slides and a huge wooden pirate ship. Read more about Cream Acres here in Leah’s blog post.
Best Playground Field of Dreams Park in West Deptford The best thing about it is that it is HUGE! There is so much to do and imaginations can really run wild at this park. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series.
Italian Heritage Festival Riverwinds Community Center, West Deptford September 28, 2014 Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Hudson County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Field Station Dinosaurs Here, you will find over 30 life size animatronic dinosaurs that will amaze and thrill all the wanna be paleontologists in your family! With daily educational and entertaining programs there’s always something that will thrill everyone in the family.
Rainy Day Fun
But when the sun goes down, it’s time to do Dinosaurs After Dark. There’s a new sense of mystery and danger as Calling firefighters of all you walk the Field Station Dinosaurs’ trails with only a ages, the Hoboken Historical flashlight. Prepare for the ghosts of Snake Hill to set the Museum Fire Museum mood. Play a special nighttime edition of Olympics style offers lots of indoor ways T-Rex games. And while catching a view of the NYC your kids can pretend to skyline at night join a dinosaur sing-a-long and a campfire be firefighters. complete with roasted marshmallows and s’mores. Read more about Field Station Dinosaurs in our blog posts.
Newport Green Park in Jersey City The playground structures are top notch! Free viewfinders let kids gaze across the Hudson, and educational signs teach visitors about wildlife along the waterfront. An added bonus, the walkway offers a great way to exercise as you explore the area. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. Hoboken Harvest Festival Pier A Park, Hoboken October 18, 2014 Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Hunterdon County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park
Rainy Day Fun
Canoeing, jogging, hiking, bicycling, fishing and horseback riding are just some of the fall fun activities families can have at the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park. The canal and the park are part of the National Recreation Trail System connecting many fields Hunterdon County’s small and forests that are home to animals of all sizes. With its town book stores offer lots wooden bridges and 19th century bridge tender houses, remnants of locks, cobblestone spillways and hand-built of nooks & crannies for stone-arched culverts, the canal is a tremendous attraction kids to cuddle up with a for history lovers and lots of fun for kids. good book on a rainy day.
Learn more at their site.
Best Playground Alexandria Park in Milford This is one of the most amazing parks that Hunterdon County has to offer. A great playground with climbing structures for all ages. With its huge open fields with speculator views you can watch for hot air balloons or people parachuting out of planes! For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. Milford Alive Milford September 27, 2014 Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Corn Maze Scavenger Hunt On your visit to a corn maze this month see if you can complete these tasks. Count how many times you turn left before finding your way out. Bury someone with you in hay. Have 2 animals race. Find one interesting fact about the corn maze shape. Take your picture with a prop. Find a pumpkin that isn’t orange. Post a photo of you at the corn maze on Jersey Family Fun’s Facebook page. Count how many different insects you find. Learn the name of one of the animals. Ask the farmer something about visitors to the maze. Find a piece of corn that fell off the stalk. Sing Old McDonald while walking through the maze. Shake hands with someone wearing a uniform. Tell 2 people about Jersey Family Fun. Bring home a great memory. For other great Scavenger Hunt ideas visit our Scavenger Hunt Series.
Mercer County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Howell Living History Farm The Howell Living History Farm is an example of farming as it was practiced in New Jersey between 1890-1910 and as a museum of sorts where one can find evidence of over 250 years of farming. Come learn how families lived and farmed over different time periods or take part in one of their special activities or events. In the fall their family programing includes corn mazes and farmhand programs where kids can practice digging potatoes, husking corn, picking pumpkins, making cider. Learn more at the Howell Living History Farm site.
Rainy Day Fun
Step inside the NJ State Museum planetarium for a fun way to see the stars and explore the sky without getting all wet.
Mercer County Park in West Windsor It has a wonderful walking trail, playgrounds, tennis courts, basketball courts and fishing areas. There is a special place called Grandparent’s Grove set up with benches and checkers games. During the fall, they host different cultural festivals. For more park reviews with photos visit our Parks & Playground series. Fall Food Truck Fiesta Mercer County Park, West Windsor October 18, 2014 $5 For more details visit our full event listing.
Middlesex County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Rutgers Football Home Games
Rainy Day Fun
Games are held on Saturdays in the fall, and there are 4 home games left. Whether you went to Rutgers or not, you can’t get this experience anywhere else in the tri state area! Get there early and see the team walk through the Scarlet Walk. Cheer them on to victory while the marching band plays and you won’t mind Tiny Town in the the kids yelling. Woobridge Center Mall might be for your tiny When you go to a Rutgers football game there’s more to (little) kids but it offers see than just football! Take some time to see the campus, BIG fun on a rainy day. jump in some bounce houses in the Kids Zone and enjoy the atmosphere of big time college football and its fans!
Best Playground Merrill Park As the leaves start to change, bundle up and head outside to Merrill Park for the big playground, the walking paths and of course, the Animal Haven. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series.
BBQ Showdown Raritan Bay Waterfront Park, South Amboy September 28, 2014 Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Monmouth County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Poricy Park Conservancy You could easily spend a day at the conservancy and not see everything it has to offer. On over 250 acres of land you will see wildlife in their natural habitats, explore fossil beds and see the fall colors emerge on all the trees on the nature trails. Poricy Park is home to many different events in the fall that bring residents from all over the state to Monmouth County. Families will have a great time at the Apple & Scarecrow Creation and Exhibit in October. For Who says you can’t play families who are brave enough there are also haunted tag, ride rides, or play history walks and a Halloween Haunt toward the end boardwalk games on of the month complete with story telling, crafts and a a rainy day? At iPlay moonlight mystical trail ride. America you can.
Rainy Day Fun
Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park This is the ideal playground to visit for fall. The weather is still warm enough to enjoy the beach setting without having the crowds of the summertime. Pack a picnic, let the kids play on the playground or in the sand, and enjoy the ocean breeze. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. Halloween Hayride Event Allaire Village, Farmingdale October 17-18, 2014 & October 24-25, 2014 $10-$15 For more details visit our full event listing.
Morris County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Morris Museum
Rainy Day Fun
The Morris Museum is a great place to take families to learn about New Jersey dinosaurs, American Indians, and art. Their traveling exhibits feature such topics as nano science, clay and and even our four-legged friends, dogs. In addition to great exhibits, they also offer fabulous family activities in the fall including: With inflatable slides, a Super Science Saturdays, the pet family festival, Lenape bounce house basketball court, and an obstacle course family day and a spooky scavenger hunt with fun prizes Jump on In in Boonton offers and pumpkin painting. kids lots of ways to bounce out their energy.
Best Playground Grove Street Playground in Chester The best thing about it is that there is plenty of fun for the kids but it’s small enough for parents to keep track of multiple kids easily. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series.
Fall Festival at Ort Farms Ort Farms, Long Valley Weekends Price per activity For more details visit our full event listing.
Ocean County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Argos Farm Don’t let the idea that Ocean County is all shore town fool you! Argos Farm is an amazing farm right here in a county otherwise known for its beaches and lakes. They offer not only pumpkin picking, but also fall frolicking with activities like a 4 acre corn maze, jumping pad, animal races, hay mountain and more. Learn more at Lauran’s blog post.
Rainy Day Fun
Fright Fest at Great Adventure
Jenkinsons Aquarium in Point Pleasant with all the exhibits Halloween at Six Flags is great fun for all ages. Daytime of a large facility but small events are perfect for little ones who want to see the park and comfy enough to do in an decorated, trick or treat with the characters and enjoy non hour, it’s a good way to break up a rainy day. scary entertainment. Frights by Night is great for teen/tweens
who love that extra scare factor. There are terror trails, scary clowns, and zombies around every corner.
Windward Beach Windward Beach brand playground with a water view, brand new facility , riverviews, two separate playground areas based on age, is a big hit with kids and parents. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. Harvestfest Downtown Toms River October 18, 2014 Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Passaic County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Hiking, Farm Visiting, & Movie Watching
Rainy Day Fun
All this kind of fun is available during one day in Passaic County, with each location just minutes from each other. Start your day with a hike at Wawayanda State Park in West Milford. It’s great any time of year but it’s especially fun during the fall when you Rack N Roll indoor play can take in the leaves changing color or find more creatures out in their habitat. space offers over 100
different arcades, foosball, Then visit Pennings Farmer’s Market, only two miles up the air hockey, basketball road, for apple picking, their petting zoo, and more. games and rides for children. Extend the day a little longer with a movie at the Warwick Drive-in, across the street from Pennings.
Best Playground Ringwood Forest Community Playground in Ringwood With 2 big wooden tree houses, 5 slides and lots of climbing features, Ringwood Forrest Community Playground is a big hit among locals. The gazebo provides a great place for a picnic while the stream provides a great view to enjoy. To learn about more parks visit our Parks & Playground series. West Milford Autumn Lights Festival Union Valley Road October 11, 2014 Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Salem County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Scarecrow Hollow Cornfield Maze Scarecrow Hollow is not your typical get on a hayride and pick a pumpkin fall attraction. They offer a corn maze, pumpkin painting, kids crafts, face painting and scarecrow building. On October 5, they will host their yearly fall festival that will include a puppet show, magic show, and kids games throughout the day. My kids’ favorite part about this farm is the flashlight corn maze, as it’s not a haunted maze. They love that they can have the fun of the maze at night without worrying about getting scared. Actually, none of The YMCA is always the attractions at Scarecrow Hollow are scary making it a great place to run, great for all ages.
Rainy Day Fun
swim, jump, and play on rainy days.
Green Branch Park Kids love the unique climbing structures and round monkey bars on the 3 play structures that are new and interesting for them to climb and explore. Green Branch Park even has a cool bouncing contraption. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. South Jersey Pumpkin Show Salem County Fairgrounds, Woodstown October 10-12, 2014 Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Somerset County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Planetarium at Raritan Valley College
Rainy Day Fun
Take a journey under the stars and lights of the neon moon at the planetarium. During the fall they have shows that will delight everyone in your family. For the tween/teens there are laser light shows featuring some of their favorite music including hit songs by One Direction and Carley Rae Jepsen. Parents will Climb through a multi level playmaze. Play an arcade game. love Laser Beatles and Rock of Ages showcasing some of Tag a buddy in laser tag or their favorite songs from the band or hair raising anthems practice your hitting in the of their youth. In October, families will delight in spooky batting cages. Branchburg skies where you will look for werewolves and Frankenstein Sports Complex offers lots in the stars or the Fright Light laser show featuring songs of indoor fun. like Michael Jackson’s Thriller and everyone’s Halloween favorite the Monster Mash.
Best Playground Colonial Park This park has toddler and older kid structures that sit on a rubber surface so it’s great for when it rains (no messy mulch chips to find in your shoes or on your clothes!). Another great feature is they have a min golf course steps away from the playground area. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. 3rd Annual River Fest & Rubber Duck Race Canal Street Park, Raritan September 28, 2014 Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Lots of ways to have fun, just a few clicks away.
Sussex County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Sterling Hill Mine Museum Go on a mining tour to explore the zinc mines, learn more about fossils, and pan for minerals. As a bonus all guests visiting the underground mines receive a free fluorescent mineral. Don’t forget to check out the mining statues that depict different times in the life of a miner. There is vast mining history that your family will enjoy learning about.
Rainy Day Fun
Wild West City The Wild West is still open for a few more weekends, so there is still time for a visit. Travel back to 1880 and explore Main Street, take a ride on a stage coach, pan for gold, and be sure to visit the barnyard zoo to say hello to Billy the goat and sno-ball the pony. Grab your boots and cowboy hat and head on out west.
What a way to spend a rainy day, Monkeydoodles offers a pretend kitchen, a ball pit, and many other ways for little ones to play, stretch, crawl and explore.
Hopatcong State Park Hopatcong State Park is the perfect park to visit this fall! Families can enjoy picturesque views of Lake Hopatcong while hiking, fishing, playing in the playground or just relaxing and enjoying time with family! For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series. Waterloo Canal Heritage Days Waterloo Village, Stanhope Select days Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Union County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Downtown Cranford Scarecrow Stroll
Rainy Day Fun
Pick a day or evening before October 27th and enjoy Cranford! The quaint downtown offers all kinds of restaurants, ice cream, coffee, gift shops and a top notch children’s consignment store.
Plan to spend an hour or two and watch your kids delight at Trailside Nature and finding all the scarecrows lined along the road. Scarecrows Science Center offers were built, created, and conceived by local businesses and lots of ways for kids to explore nature, on a rainy organizations. You’ll be amazed at some of the creativity: Harry Potter, rainbow looms, Lego, hockey, Wizard of Oz day, without ever getting and so many more! Vote for your favorite also; signs will rained on. indicate where you can take and return ballots. Find out more and see pictures in Melanie’s blog post.
Best Playground The Loop in Mountainside The Loop is perfect for climbing and exploring and even taking a little hike after, out in the wilderness of the Watchung Reservation. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series.
Celebrate Fall Reeves Reed Arboretum, Summit October 26, 2014 $5 For more details visit our full event listing.
Warren County Fall Fun Our Favorite Day Trip Ideas Delaware River Railroad Excursions We may have mentioned this one to you in the past but that’s because of how awesome it is. You get to jump on a locomotive and tour scenic Warren County while heading out to your destination. There are three excursions that operate in the fall months the Dinosaur Train themed corn maze, the Great Pumpkin Train which will take you along the Delaware with a stop at Carpentersville Lime Kilns pumpkin patch, and the popular Mine Train ride to Riverside Kids has open the ever popular Susquehanna Mining company where gym hours and much more. you can tour the mine and pan for real gems to take home.
Rainy Day Fun
With climbing structures and trampolines, kids have lots of way to beat the rainy day blues.
Sycamore Park in Blairstown Sycamore Park beckons to all for a visit. With both a tot lot and older child’s play area, children can be entertained for hours. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series.
Family Harvest Weekends Four Sisters Winery, Belvidere Weekends in October Free Admission For more details visit our full event listing.
Our Favorite Philly Destinations Academy of Natural Sciences It’s more than just dinosaurs at the Academy of Natural Sciences. The Academy with their interesting dioramas, interactive activities, and rotating exhibits makes learning fun yearround. Multiple floors means there is always so much to see, feel, and do. Coming this fall, Chocolate! Visitors to Chocolate: The Exhibition will explore the plant, the products, the history, and the culture of chocolate through the lenses of botany and ecology, anthropology and economics, conservation and popular culture. Read more about the Academy in our blog posts.
Rainy Day Fun
National Constitution Center The National Constitution Center provides your kids a unique way to learn about our country’s history. We’ve told you in earlier blog posts about our visits, but for a limited time there’s a new feature exhibit called Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello. As parents it’s important for us to teach our kids about the past and this exhibit gives us a way to do that. This new exhibit, as it traces the history of Jefferson’s slaves and their families, reveals things that some of parents never even knew through films, exhibits, signage, models, and hands on learning experiences.
Best Playground Smith, The Kid’s Play Space Smith, The Kid’s Play Space, is a playground, playhouse, and tot lot for the under 10 crowd. This isn’t just one park, it’s like parks within parks. It is the size of 6 football fields. The playground equipment is unlike any you’ve seen before and the playhouse provides 3 floors of inside fun. For our full review with pictures visit our Parks & Playground series.
Second Sunday Workshop: Etruscan Sarcophagus Penn Museum, Philadelphia October 12, 2014 Free -> $15 depending on age For more details visit their full event listing.
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.
Thank you for reading! Please be sure to visit us online to find even more family fun this fall.
WWW.JerseyFamilyFun.com Facebook Twitter YouTube Google+ Pinterest Instagram