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 32Day Trips 40Family Travel 71

The Jersey Family Fun Team

Editor Jennifer AuerEvents & Ast. Editor Crystal Rodgers

Writers & Team MembersMelanie Cortese

Joanna Gnudi CortinaJillian FletcherMelissa Garner

Lauran Randazzo JonesTraci Weston-Murn

Nancy Moore Palutis

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?

Its with that in mind that we created our BIGGEST day trips and destinations guide to date. Weve packed it with over 100 ways to have summer fun with your kids. From community events to vacation destinations we hope youll 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

Click the image for our complete calendar of events.

Bank of Americas 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 & 7thJuly 4th & 5thAugust 1st & 2ndSeptember 5th & 6th

Participating Museums in New JerseyMontclair Art MuseumLiberty Science CenterNewark MuseumAijira, a center for contemporary art (closed Sundays)Morris MuseumWheaton Arts & Cultural CenterThe Noyes Museum of Art at Richard Stockton CollegeGarden State Discovery Museum

Participating Museums in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia Museum of ArtNational Constitution CenterNational Museum of American Jewish HistoryAfrican American Museum in PhiladelphiaAllentown Art Museum Carnegie Museum of Art

Participating Museums in DelawareDelaware Art Museum (No Sundays)Delaware Museum of Natural History

Participating Museums in New YorkThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtThe Museum of Modern ArtStaten Island Children's MuseumBrooklyn Historical SocietyChildren's Museum of ManhattanQueens Museum of ArtLong Island Children's MuseumSuffolk County Vanderbilt MuseumLong Island Museum of American Art, History, & Carriages (Closed Jan-Feb)Old Westbury Gardens (May - Dec Only)

Philadelphia Museum of ArtDuring 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 27thSunday, June 7thWednesday, June 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24thSunday, July 5Wednesday, July 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29thSunday, August 2ndWednesday, August 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26thSunday, September 6

The Philadelphia Museum of Modern Art is located at 2600 Benjamin Franklin ParkwayPhiladelphia, PA 19130Phone 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 Park4231 Avenue of the Republic, (formerly North Concourse Drive) in Philadelphia.

Franklin InstituteFree 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.

TheNational Constitution Center is located at the Independence Mall at 525 Arch Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Check out ourNational Constitution Center series to learn more.

National Doughnut Day is Friday, June 5

From Dunkin' Donuts which dominates the tri-state 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, Dennys, Moes Southwest Grill, Zona Fresca, IHOP, Mays Landing Diner, Friendlys

Bergen County Moes Southwest Grill, IHOP, Jalapenos, Rocca, Hooters, Ho-Ho-Kus Inn, Millers Ale House, IKEA, Horizon Diner, Lakeside Grille and Bar, Bennigans, Que Pasta

Burlington County Dennys, IHOP, Charleys Other Brother, Sonic, Pizzeria Uno, Marlton Tavern, Al Dente

Camden County Qdoba, Dennys, Tortilla Press, Pop Shop, Millers Ale House, Bob Evans, IHOP

Cape May County Oceanside Seafood, Cabanas

Cumberland County Bennigans, Dennys, Friendlys

Essex County IHOP, Nikko, Calandras Mediterranean Grill, Moonshine Supper Club, Franklin Steakhouse, Toro Loco, Verona Inn

Gloucester County Pizzeria Uno, Landmark, Mozzarella Grill, Vals Seafood Trattoria, Dennys

Hudson County Otaiko, Arthurs, Elysian Cafe, IHOP, Qdoba, Cheeseburger in Paradise

Hunterdon County Riley and Jakes, Lovin Oven, The Rail

Mercer County Town Diner, Pizzeria Uno, IHOP, Moes, Tavern on the Lake, Hooters

Middlesex County Dennys, The Station Tavern, IHOP, Dickeys Barbecue Pit, Hooters, Pizza Hut, Pizzeria Uno, Brother Jimmys, Moes, Arirang, Buffalo Wild Wings, Millers Ale House

Monmouth CountyCourt Jester, Buffalo Wild Wings, Rosalitas, All Seasons Restaurant Diner, IHOP, Valentinos, Inkanto, Red Oak Diner, Park East, Shore Cafe, Chubby Pickle, Chapter House, Sycamore Grill, Bubbakoos, Brass Rail, Ninos Coal Fired Pizza, Main Street Bar and Grill, Blue Swan, Molly Maguires Gastropub

Morris County IHOP, Andreas Dining Room, Buffalo Wild Wings, Moes, Scallopini

Ocean County Bubbakoos, Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Ninos Coal Fired Pizza, Bubbakoos, 21 South, Sandys Cozy Corner, Lamp Post Inn, Farrells, Burger 25, Four Seasons Diner, Perkins, Pizza Hut, Sand Castle Diner, Toms River Diner, Tiffs, Tuscan House

Passaic County Chevys, Pizzeria Uno, IHOP, Hooters,

Salem CountyDennys, Elmer Diner

Somerset County Moes, Willie McBrides, Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Trio, Stoney Brook Grille, Stage House, Melting Pot, Uproot, Buffalo Wild Wings

Sussex County OReillys

Union CountyMolly MaGuires, OhBrians on the Green, IKEA, IHOP, The Station, Chevys, Buffalo Wild Wings, Arirang, Stage House Tavern, Pizza Vita, Tiffs

Warren County IHOP, Bea McNallys

At Bright Horizons, we provide anexceptional place for children to thrive.Our individualized, flexible curriculumand experienced teachers inspirechildren at every age and stage.

Curriculum focusing on math, science, literacy, health and socialresponsibility Consistent with local schools social and academicexpectations Experienced, certified teachers

Contact us to schedule a visit.Multiple locations serving many communities.To find a location near you, visitwww.brighthorizons.com

Ready forschool andbeyond.

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.

New Jersey Regal Cinemas locations Regal Burlington, Stadium 20, Burlington - Week 1 starts June 23Regal Hamilton Commons, Stadium 14, Mays Landing - Week 1 starts June 23Regal Commerce Center, Stadium 18, North Brunswick - Week 1 starts June 23Regal Hadley Theater, Stadium 16, South Plainfield - Week 1 starts June 23Regal Pohatcong, Stadium 12, Phillipsburg, Week 1 starts June 16Regal Cross Keys, Stadium 12, Turnersville Week 1 starts June 9Regal Cumberland Mall, Stadium 14, Vineland, Week 1 starts June 30The movie schedule may vary slightly from location to location.

Summer Movie Express Movie Schedule

Week 1The Nut Job PG Our Nut Job movie reviewAnnie PG Our Annie movie review

Week 2Earth to Echo PGThe Boxtrolls PG

Week 3Paddington PGTurbo PG Our Turbo movie review

Week 4Rio 2 GHow to Train Your Dragon 2 PG

Week 5Mr. Peabody & Sherman PGThe Book of Life PG Our Book of Life movie review

Week 6Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb PGPenguins of Madagascar PG

Week 7The Lego Movie PG Our The Lego Movie reviewDolphin Tale 2 PG Our Dolphin Tale 2 movie review

Week 8Muppets Most Wanted PG Our Muppets Most Wanted movie reviewAlexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day PG Our Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day movie review

Week 9Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles PG Our Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie reviewThe 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, SomerdaleCinemark 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 Sherman7/1 - Penguins of Madagascar7/8 - Night at the Museum and the Secret of the Tomb7/15 - How to Train Your Dragon 27/22 - Alvin and the Chipmunks- Chipwrecked Our Alvin and the Chipmunks movie review7/29 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days8/5 - The Nut Job Our Nut Job movie review8/12 - Rio 28/19 - Turbo Our Turbo movie review8/26 - 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 Sherman7/1 and 7/2 - Penguins of Madagascar7/8 and 7/9 - Night at the Museum and the Secret of the Tomb7/15 and 7/16 - How to Train Your Dragon 27/22 and 7/23 - Alvin and the Chipmunks- Chipwrecked Our Alvin and the Chipmunks movie review7/29 and 7/30 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days8/5 and 8/6 - The Nut Job Our Nut Job movie review8/12 and 8/13 - Rio 28/19 and 8/20 - Turbo Our Turbo movie review8/26 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 107/7 & 7/8-Mr. Peabody & Sherman/Earth to Echo7/14 & 7/15 - Rio 2/The Smurfs 2 Our Smurfs 2 movie review7/21 & 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 review8/4 & 8/5- How to Train Your Dragon 2/ The Spongebob Movie8/11 & 8/12 - Dolphin Tale 2/Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs Our Dolphin Tale 2 movie review8/18 & 8/19 - Turbo/Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Our Turbo movie review8/25 & 8/26 - Hotel Transylvania/Annie Our Ho-tel 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 BoxtrollsJuly 17th - Big Hero 6 Our Big Hero 6 movie reviewJuly 24th - Dolphins Tale 2 Our Dolphin Tale 2 movie reviewJuly 31st - PaddingtonAugust 7th - Hunger Games The Mocking JayAugust 14th - Annie Our Annie movie reviewAugust 21st - Guardians of the GalaxyAugust 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 reviewTuesday, August 11, 2015 ~ MalficentTuesday, August 18, 2015 ~ The Lego Movie Our The Lego 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-Its a Hard Knock Life, Harrison Township, Ella Harris Park, 155 Commissioners Rd. Our Annie movie review

6/5, Frozen, Deptford Township, Fasola Park, 12 Sycamore Lane Our Frozen movie review

6/12, Frozen, National Park ACA Fields, 700 Hessian Avenue Our Frozen movie review

6/19, The Boxtrolls, Woodbury Heights, 500 Elm Ave

6/26, Annie-Its 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-Its a Hard Knock Life, Woodbury, Stewart Lake Park, 235 East Red Bank Avenue Our Annie movie review

7/17, Annie-Its a Hard Knock Life, Washington Township, Washington Lake Park Amphitheatre, 626 Hurffville - Cross Keys Road Our Annie 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

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

8/26, Paddington, South Harrison Township, Stewart Park, 67 Ferrell Road, Mullica Hill

8/28, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good,Very Bad Day, Borough of Pitman, Sunset Auditorium, Laurel Ave Our 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 Kips CastleVery 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 reviewJuly 17- Big Hero 6, PG Our Big Hero 6 movie reviewJuly 24 - Up!, PGJuly 31 - Paddington, PGAugust 7 - Tangled, PGAugust 14 - Ratatouille, PGAugust 21 - Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, PG Our Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day movie reviewAugust 28 - Cinderella (2015), PG

Sunday Nights at Brighton Park

July 12 - Into the Woods, PG Our Into the Woods movie reviewJuly 19 -Annie (2014), PG Our Annie movie reviewJuly 26 - Paddington, PGAugust 2 -Maleficent, PGAugust 9 - Dolphin Tale 2, PG Our Dolphin Tale 2 movie reviewAugust 16 - The Hundred Foot Journey, PGAugust 23 - Cantinflas, PGAugust 30 - Cinderella (2015), PG

Monday Nights at Historic Gardner's Basin

July 13 - Annie (2014), PG Our Annie movie reviewJuly 20 - The Blind Side, PG-13July 27 - Divergent, PG-13August 3 - Mom's Night Out, PGAugust 10 - Maleficent, PGAugust 17 - Captain America Winter Soldier, PG-13August 24 - The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay - Part 1, PG-13August 31 - The Expendables 3, PG-13

More free movies from

Shore Flicks Galloway Township Community ServicesWildwoods

Save this link to our Free & $1 Movies Series

Garden State Discovery Museum

Grubbin and Groovin ConcertsGarden 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 Museums 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 TheatreBeginning 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 pmThe 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 pmJoin 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 pmWelcome 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 award-winning 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 pmBased on the childrens 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 pmIn 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 pmPoor 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 Crossings Open Air Theatre is located at 355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road in Titusville.

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,More Theater Fun for Families

Click these links to see whats new in these series:

Family Friendly Concerts Family Friendy Performances Concert Calendar of Events Performance Calendar of Events

Plays in the Park 2015 Summer Performance Schedule

Young FrankensteinWednesday, June 17 through Saturday, June 27No Sundays | 8:30 pm

OklahomaWednesday, July 8 through Saturday, July 18No Sundays | 8:30 pm

Jesus Christ SuperstarWednesday, July 29 through Saturday, August 8No 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

Plays in the Park Location

Plays in the Park is located in Roosevelt Park in Edison, off Route 1 next to Menlo Park Mall.

New Jerseys 4H Fair ScheduleWho 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. Weve listed dates here. For locations and more information please visit our full complete listing of 4H Fairs.

Atlantic County 4H FairAugust 6 - 8, 2015

Bergen County 4H FairSeptember 19 - 20, 2015

Burlington County FairJuly 14 - 19, 2015

Camden County FairSeptember 26 - 27, 2015

Cape May County 4H FairJuly 16 - 18, 2015

Cumberland County Cooperative FairJuly 6 - 11, 2015

Gloucester County 4H FairJuly 23 - 26, 2015

Hunterdon County 4H FairAugust 19 - 23, 2015

Mercer County 4H FairAugust 1 - 2, 2015

Middlesex County 4H FairAugust 3 - 9, 2015

Monmouth County 4H FairJuly 22 - 26, 2015

Morris County 4H FairJuly 16 - 19, 2015

Ocean County FairJuly 8 - 12, 2015

Passaic County 4H FairAugust 13 - 16, 2015 (tentative dates)

Salem County FairAugust 4 - 7, 2015

Somerset County 4H FairAugust 12 - 14, 2015

Sussex County Farm and Horse Show/New Jersey State FairJuly 31, - August 9, 2015

Warren County Farmer's FairJuly 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 ShowsAll 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 StarsAll 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 ShoreOn the beach across from Jenkinson's Aquarium: 5:30 -6:30 pm

THURSDAYSCome 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 KidsThe 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 Citys 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 youve bought a VIP seat in a tent, get there early to claim your spot.

Bathrooms Nope, you dont 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 Youve found your spot on the beach. Youre 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 KidsGrab your pole and head to the fishing hole on Saturday, June 13!

New Jerseys 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, Den-nisville 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.

Mercer County: Baldwin Lake, Grovers Mill Pond, Erta Lake & Whitehead Mill 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, Speed-well 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 Pond, Seely's Pond & Surprise Lake.

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. Its 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 locations 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.

Youll receive an email every Sunday containing a link to the coupons for that week. Just print them out and bring them with you.

Theres 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 summerDid 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. Were sharing the listing of New Jersey locations.

New Jersey locations where Kids Can Roller Skate for Free in New JerseyTo 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 JerseyYoungs Skating Center, 763 Park Rd., 609-625-1191

Roller Skating Rinks in Mt. Laurel, Burlington County, New JerseyInternational Sports, Skating, and Fun Centre of Mt. Laurel, 1 Hovtech Blvd, 856-273-2828

Roller Skating Rinks in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New JerseyInternational Sports, Skating, & Fun Centre, Cherry Hill, 600 Kresson Road, 856-428-8588

Roller Skating Rinks in Deptford, Gloucester County, New JerseyDeptford 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.

Michaels PassPort to imaginationYour Kids Passport to Fun

This summer Michael's Passport to Imagination is offering a 7- week program where kids can cre-ate 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 ses-sions 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

Week of June 14 - Pirates Monday - Pirate Doubloon Necklace & Eye Patch Wednesday - Spyglass and Treasure Map Friday - Parrot Puppet

Week of June 21 - Week at the Lake Monday - Paper Sailboat Wednesday - Felt Picnic Friday - Fun Fishing Day

Week of June 28 - County Fair Monday - Woven Flower Wednesday - Craft Stick Ferris Wheel Friday - Hot Air Balloon

Week of July 5 - Strolling Down Main Street Monday - Patterned Pinwheel

Wednesday - Travel Memory Game Friday - Faux Stained Glass

Week of July 12 - Celebrate the Arts Monday - Crayon and Watercolor Painting Wednesday - Pinch Pot Monster Friday - Tissue Paper Art

Week of July 19 - Celebrate Music Festival Monday - Fringed Bell Anklet Wednesday - Music Themed Painting Friday - Water Bottle Holder

Week of July 26 - Flea Market Fun Monday - Duck Tape Bracelet Wednesday - Duck Tape Wallet Friday - Make Believe Camera

Contact your local Michaels Passport to Imagina-tion or visit them online to register.

Lowes Build & Grow ClinicsLowe'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 WorkshopsFrom 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 months 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 Depots website.

Home Depot Kids Workshops Summer Schedule June 6, 2015 July 4, 2015 August 1, 2015

Click over to read more about Jersey Family Funs experiences at the Home Depot Kids Workshops.

Lakeshore Learning Store

Free Make & Takes for KidsEvery 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 HillMarketplace at Garden State Park2020 Marlton Pike WestCherry Hill, NJ 08002856-910-0888

East Brunswick275 State Route 18East Brunswick, NJ 08816732-967-8585The East Brunswick Lakeshore also offers FREE crafts on Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm.

Hackensack449 Essex St.Hackensack, NJ 07601201-441-9214

Coming SoonEvent listings for

ShopriteWhole Foods MarketWegmans& More

Currently listing events for

MichaelsHome DepotLowesLakeshore Learning Stores

Coming SoonEvent listingsA.C. MooreJoanns Fabrics& More

New Jersey Towns Selling Discount Amusement Park TicketsTickets are available but may sell out, so if something interests you act fast! Purchase of these tickets may be limited to residents only.

atlantic countyEgg Harbor Township has tickets for Adventure Aquarium, Moreys Piers, Steel Pier, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Philadelphia Zoo, Hershey Park, Splash Zone, Clementon Park, Sahara Sams, and IPlay America.

Bergen countyRutherford has tickets for Crayola Experience, IPlay America, Action Park, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Dorney Park, Diggerland, and Hershey Park.

Burlington countyPemberton has tickets for Adventure Aquarium, Moreys Piers, Crayola Experience, Hershey Park, Six Flags, Diggerland, Iplay America, Philadelphia Zoo, Sahara Sams, and Splash Zone Wildwood.

camden countyGloucester has tickets for Adventure Aquarium, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Moreys Piers, Phila-delphia Zoo, Hershey Park, Sahara Sams, Steel Pier, Dorney Park, and Clementon Park.

essex county Roseland has tickets for Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Moreys 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, Moreys Piers, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Splash Zone, Adventure Aquari-um, Clementon Park, and Dutch Wonderland. East Greenwich has tickets for Camel Beach, Clem-enton Park, and Sahara Sams. Glassboro has tickets for Sahara Sams, Philadelphia Zoo, and Adventure Aquarium. Washington Township has tickets for Adventure Aquarium, Clementon Park, Splash Zone, Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Dutch Wonderland, Great Adven-ture, Moreys Piers, Mountain Creek, Philadelphia ZooSahara Sams, 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, Moreys Piers,Philadelphia Zoo, Adventure Aquarium, Steel Pier, Sahara Sams, Clementon Park, Crayola Experience, Diggerland, and Medieval Times.

middlesex county Middlesex has tickets for Adventure Aquarium, Moreys 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 countyMontville has tickets for Action Park, Adventure Aquarium, Casino Pier, Clementon Park, Crayola Experience, Digglerand, Dorney Park, Hershey Park, iPlay America, Moreys Piers, Philadelphia Zoo, Saha-ra Sams, Great Adventure, Hurricane Harbor, Splash Zone, and Steel Pier.

ocean county Brick has tickets for Philadelphia Zoo, Moreys Piers, Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Crayola Experience, Dig-gerland, Great Adventure, and Casino Pier. Jackson has tickets for Great Adventure.

Passaic countyClifton 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, Moreys Piers, Hershey Park, and Dorney Park. Westfield has tickets for Moreys Piers, Great Adven-ture, Hurricane Harbor, Hershey Park, Dorney Park, Medieval Times, Clementon Park/SplashWorld, Ac-tion Park, Steel Pier, Sahara Sams, IPlay America, Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach, Adventure Aquari-um, and Diggerland.

If you dont see your community listed please keep following this post where well share updates.

Put Your Library Card to Great Use with the Museum Pass ProgramMany 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.

Bergen County Burlington County Camden County Essex County Gloucester County Hudson County Hunterdon County Middlesex County Monmouth County

Morris County Passaic County Somerset County Sussex County Union County Warren County

Cape May ZooCohanzick ZooCape May Point State Park nature trails & build-ingsEgg Harbor Township Nature ReserveHowell Living History farmBarnegat LighthouseHeritage Glass MuseumNew Jersey State Police MuseumPrinceton University Art MuseumAtlantic City Art CenterSouthern New Jersey All Sports Museum and Hall of Fame Hopewell MuseumCape May County MuseumPrinceton Arts MuseumPrinceton Historical SocietyNew Jersey State HouseTwin Lights Historic SiteSomers Point MansionSea Girt LighthouseC.A. Nothnagle Log House Fort Hancock Historic DistrictKuser Farm Mansion Historic Batsto VillageUS Coast Guard Training CenterThe Korean War MemorialZimmerli Art Museum

Check out these NJ Day Trip locations with Free Admission

Gardens & Arboretumsin atlantic county Egg Harbor Twp Arboretum 609-926-4093

in Bergen county Theilke Arboretum 201-447-0452James McFaul Environmental Center Garden 201-891-5571

in Burlington county Butterfly Garden 609-265-5858Smithville Mansion Garden 609-265-5858Barton Arboretum 609-654-3000Sculpture Garden 609-894-9311

in camden county Camden Childrens Garden 856-365-8733Barclay Farmstead 856-795-6225

in caPe may countyEmlen Physic Estate 609-884-5404Butterfly Garden 609-861-0700Leamings Run 609-465-5871Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Garden 609-898-2300

in essex county Presby Iris Gardens 973-783-5974Avis Campbell Gardens 201-746-9614Cora Hartshorn Arboretum 973-376-3587

Greenwood Gardens 973-258-4026

in hunterdon county Hunterdon County Arboretum 908-788-1202

in mercer county Grounds for Sculpture 609-586-0616Sayen Park Botanical Garden 609-890-3630Drumthwacket Garden 609-609-683-0057Herrontown Woods Arboretum 609-303-0700

Morven Museum & Garden 609-924-8144

in middlesex countyBucceluch Mansion Gardens 732-745-5112Rutgers Gardens 732-932-8451

in monmouth county David Shaw ArboretumDeep Cut Gardens 732-671-6050

in morris county Willowwood Arboretum 973-326-7600Frelinghuysen Arboretum 973-326-7603

in ocean county Edith Duff Gwin Gardens

in Passaic county New Jersey Botanical Garden 973-962-9534Laurelwood Arboretum 973-202-9579

in somerset county Cross Estate Gardens 973-539-2016Leonard J. Buck Garden 908-234-2677Duke Gardens 908-722-3700

Colonial Park Arboretum & Rose Garden 732-873-2459Wagner Farm Arboretum 908-350-7383

In Union County Cedar Brook Park Shakespeare Garden 908-527-4900Reeves Arboretum 908-273-8787

in warren county Merrill Creek Reservoir Butterfly Garden 908-454-1213Pohatcong Native Arboretum 908-343-5274

new Jersey nature centersin atlantic countyEdwin B Forsythe National Wildlife RefugeWarren E. Fox Nature Center

in Bergen countyCloster Nature CenterDemarest Nature CenterFlat Rock Brook Nature CenterLorrimer SanctuaryMeadowlands Environmental CenterRidgefield Nature CenterTenafly Nature CenterJames A McFaul Environmental Center

in Burlington county Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Preserve Rancocas Nature CenterPaws Nature CenterPalmyra Cove Nature Center

in camden county Camden Co. Environmental Center

in caPe may countyCape May Bird Observatory Nature Center of Cape May Cape May Point State Park The Wetlands Institute

in cumBerland countyAlbert J. Kolonich Jr. Nature TrailMeadow Wood Environmental FacilityMaurice River Bluffs Nature Preserve

in essex countyEssex Co. Environmental Center Cora Hartshorn Bird Sanctuary

in gloucester countyScotland Run Park Nature Cen. Greenwich Lake Park

in hudson county Liberty State Park Interpretive Center

in hunterdon county Whittemore Wildlife Sanctuary

in mercer county Lawrence Nature CenterStonybrook Millstone Water-shed Washington Crossing State Park Nature Center

in middlesex countyPlainsboro Preserve

in monmouth county Manasquan Reservoir Env. Cen.

Huber Woods Environmental CenterPoricy ParkAllaire State Park Nature Center

in morris countyPyramid Mountain Natural His-toric AreaGreat Swamp Outdoor Educa-tion Center Kay Environmental CenterBamboo Brook Outdoor Educa-tion CenterSchiff Nature Preserve The Raptor Trust

in ocean county Jakes Branch County ParkLighthouse Center for Natural Research Island Beach State Park Nature CenterCooper Environmental Center Wells Mills Nature Center

in Passaic county Garret Mountain Reservation

in salem county Alloway Creek Watershed

in somerset county Somerset Co. Environmental Center Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary BernardsvilleDuke Farms

in sussex county Kittatinny Valley State Park

in union county Trailside Nature & Science Center

in warren countyPequest Trout HatcheryMerrill Creek Reservoir

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

new york Zoos Local to NJ

Bronx Zoo - 2300 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY. 718-367-1010.

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

new Jersey ZoosTurtle 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

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

Dive into fun without getting wet at New Jerseys AquariumsWho 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) 365-3300, 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) 220-5100

Long Island Aquarium 431 East Main Street Riverhead, NY 11901 (631) 208-9200

New Jersey Lighthousesin atlantic county Absecon Lighthouse31 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 countyCape May Lighthouse215 Light House Ave, Cape May Point Admission adults $7, children 3-11 $3, free for under 3 (If you go the visitors center they give you free tickets to children 12 and under.) Our review

Hereford Inlet Lighthouse 111 N Central Ave, WildwoodOct. 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 countyEast Point Lighthouse10 Lighthouse Rd, HeislervilleThere is no online available information about admission but you can call (856) 546-7810.

in gloucester countyTinicum Rear Range Lighthouse2nd St, Paulsboro No fee to climb but they ask for a donation. Our review

in monmouth countyTwin Lights Lighthouse2 Light House Rd, Highlands There is no fee to climb.

Sandy Hook LighthouseGateway National Recreation Area, Highlands There is no online available information about admission but there is a number to call.

Sea Girt Lighthouse9 Ocean Ave, Sea GirtThere is no online available information about admission but you can call (732) 974-0514. in ocean countyTuckerton Seaport Tuckers Island Lighthouse120 W Main St #1, TuckertonClimb is included in Tuckerton Seaport admission. Our review

Barnegat Lighthouse208 Broadway, Barnegat LightAdmission is free before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. Our review in salem countyFinns Rear Range LighthouseOld Fort Mott Rd, PennsvilleNo fee to climb but they ask for a donation. Our review

New Jersey BeachesBelow 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. Beach-tag 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 $9Ocean 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 PadsBelow is a list of New Jersey splash pads by county and information about their rates. More detailed in-formation about each one is available on our site.

Bergen county Jewel Street Spray Park ~ FREE for Garfield resi-dents, $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-resi-dents Mt. Olive ~ Turkey Brook Park coming soon

ocean county Sprayground in Pine Lake Park ~ Fees

Passaic county Frank Aaccaria ParkWeasel 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 FamiliesNew 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.

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

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) 767-7580 *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) 522-3900 Splash Zone Water Park, 3500 Boardwalk, Wildwood (609) 729-5600

Mercer County Water Parks Waterworks Aquatic Park, 271 Clarksville Rd, West Windsor (609) 799-2400

Middlesex County Water ParksCrystal Springs, 380 Dunhams Corner Rd, East Brunswick (732) 390-6981

Monmouth County Water Parks Runaway Rapids, 275 Beachway Ave, Keansburg (732) 495-1400

Morris County Water Parks Splashplex at The Funplex, 182 NJ Rt 10, East Hanover (973) 428-1166

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

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 sams Providing Inside & Outside Water Fun for FamiliesSahara Sams, 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 theres always guaranteed to be a way to have fun.

Some things we love about Sahara Sams They have life jackets galore. For little ones that arent 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 Sams has been spotless from top to bot-tom. 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 Sams 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 Sams really does make it easy for a simple day trip. All you really need is your bathing suits and towels. Dont feel like lugging around a heavy bag of clothes? Rent a locker! Not in the mood for lunch at the snack bar/caf? 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!

Its the perfect day trip for a family on a rainy OR sunny day.

Check the Sahara Sams website for the most up-to-date schedule. Sahara Sams Oasis is located at 535 North Route 73 in West Berlin in Camden County.

Our list of New Jersey Museums was so extensive we just couldnt fit it in this guide. Please click over to see our listing on Jersey Family Fun with New Jerseys museums listed by county.

New Jersey Museums

Terrific Times Ahead with

the tuckerton seaPortIf youve been a Jersey Family Fun reader for a while you know how awesome we think Tuckerton Seaport is. Whether its a great event or an interactive exhibit, theres always so much to explore with the kids.

tuckerton seaPort uPcoming events

Privateers & Pirates Festival - June 6 The days 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 its treasured memories you seek, spend the day at the Seaport and live the pirates life of plunder. Cost: $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $3 for children, and free for Seaport Members.

Baymens 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 Jerseys 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! Truckerton Truck and Brew Fest- Aug 15 & 16Fourteen food trucks serving up food and fun!

When you add fun Tuckerton Seaport activities to these unique upcoming events theres 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 its a great family day trip.

GROSSOLOGYSQUISH Y, SLIMY, STINKY FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

ANIMAL

Save $2 with code JERSEY at ansp.org

1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103215-299-1000 | ansp.org

MAY 16AUGUST 30

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 preschoolers 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' exhiBitThe '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 SuckersSlime 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 Grossol-ogy' does a great job of turning something so dis-gusting 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 MunchersThe 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 im-portantly 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 PassChildren 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 regu-lar 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 HouseAbout the Miller - Cory House MuseumBuilt 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 HouseIf 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, Melanies Recent Visit to the Miller-Cory HouseEarlier 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.

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.

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 worlds 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.

national liBerty museum,a trip through Life, Liberty, & FreedomRecently, JFF writer, Melissa took a trip to the National Liberty Museum in the heart of Philly. She was pleas-antly 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 chil-dren.

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. 856-783-0263.

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. 732-495-1400.

iPlay America (Monmouth County) - 110 Schanck Road, Freehold, NJ. 732-577-8200. Read our series of blog posts on iPlay America. The Funplex (Burlington County) - 3320-24 Route 38, Mt Laurel, NJ. 856-273-9061. 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. 973-347-8900. 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. 732-286-4414.

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. 718-372-2592.

Rye Playland - 1 Playland Pkwy, Rye, NY. 914-813-7010.

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 weve 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 bar