Sure, you can take the kids to a museum where they can just look at not touch, but at the Discovery Museum, not only is touching encouraged, it’s mandatory!  Every ‘exhibit’ in the museum is interactive from the sports stadiums which include basketball court and hockey rink to full service play diner.    

Some highlights of the museum which children always seem to gravitate to include the fully functional televisions studio which includes a news desk, working television cameras, weather map and everything that’s needed for children to pretend they’re in a real live television studio. 

The Silver Diner play area has a fully functional play kitchen in which tiny line order chefs take orders and prepare their culinary creations for eagerly waiting moms and dads in the diner booths.   Little waiters and waitresses run around, taking orders, bussing tables and handing out menus and there’s even bar service.

The museum also has a medical wing where our future doctors and veterinarians check mom and dad in their scrubs, taking xrays, reading charts and most importantly scheduling follow up visits.    For future veterinarians, there’s a pets to check and care for.

After a hard day’s work at the clinic children can head “Down the Shore” and take a fishing expedition on a fishing boat.  For the would be blue collar workers who want to get their hands dirty, there’s a huge construction site that needs lots of fixin’ and the museum provides the children with the tools necessary to get the job done? Can they build it?  They always do.

The possibilities of fun and hands on creativity at the Garden State Discovery Museum are endless.   A fully functioning theater, a rock climbing wall, a garden center and more await your child’s eager hands and buzzing minds.    If you’re looking for something to do on the next rainy weekend, head on down to Cherry Hill and visit the Garden State Dsicovery Museum.

Jackson, NJ – Fright Fest at Great Adventure is New Jersey’s most popular Halloween spectacle and it all happens each October, right here in Jackson.     Each weekend tens of thousands of people from the tri-state area and beyond descend upon Jackson to take in the the thrill and chills of Fright Fest.    For our family, Halloween is not a day, it’s a season that runs through the entire month of October, it’s a time when kids can be kids and dress up in costumes and be whoever they want to be without having to worry about getting strange looks at the supermarket.

For some kids, frightfest can be downright scary, so Six Flags hands out ghoul repelling whistles that th children can blow to frighten off the evil spirits.   The best part about Fright Fest compared to other homegrown scare adventures is that the staff is great and understand that children are children and don’t need to be frightened to death.  They mostly linger about the moms, dads and teenagers and are typically very friendly and courteous creatures of the night when it comes to the wee ones.  

Beyond the freaks roaming the park (no not the city folks), there’s lots to do and see during Fright Fest, perhaps more than you can pack into a single day.

There’s many exciting activities and shows each year at Fright Fest, but the single most popular performance is Dead Man’s Party, a theatrical stage presentation backed by rock themed ghastly songs on the stage at the Big Wheel.   Dead Man’s Party has in recent years become a cult favorite.    Just a few years ago, DMP would attract a few hundred spectators, but in 2008, crowds of thousands packed the makeshift courtyard elbow to elbow and the show has turned into a concert.   People travel from all over the tri-state area just to see DMP and the cast has built quite a following in recent years.

For the kids they usually have a Looney Toons show at the lakeside theater,  but most kids actually love DMP just as much, if not more.    

There’s haunted trails, some rides get themed makeovers and you can’t miss Professor Slithers in the main courtyard.   It is by far.. hands down the best show for young children during Fright Fest.

Each year at GoKidsNJ, we have complete Fright Fest coverage and this year, that coverage will come to JacksonNJOnline as well.   So if you’re a Fright Fest junkie like we are, check back often for the latest updates, photos, videos and reports from Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson.   You can also check the GoKidsNJ YouTube channel GKNJ for more Fright Fest Videos.

Six Flags Great Adventure   Check out the Fright Fest Ticket Promotions! Jackson Township is home to Six Flags Great Adventure.Visit Jackson and get Discount Six Flags Season Passes.   More Fun.  More Flags.

Seaside Heights, NJ -   Until this year, Seaside Heights, NJ used standard parking meters to charge vacationers for parking.  This year, those old meters were removed and replaced with an electronic ticketing system that has created many woes for local travelers.

On a recent visit to Seaside about a month ago, it was a stormy and rainy day.  I had parked in spot 174.  I put a few hours on the spot and placed the ticket on my dashboard.   A short while later, I ran back outside in the pouring rain and while getting soaked while the machine was rejecting my now wet dollar bills, I inadvertantly punched in 147.     I figured, I paid $5, and there was no number or meter reader in sight to correct the problem, so I placed this new ticket on my dashboard to show that I did infact pay for time to park, and since spot 147 was taken, I could not move to that spot.

I was shocked to find that despite having 2 hours left of paid parking on my dashboard, I was ticketed.  When I confronted the meter reader, he said “Too bad, you should have put the right number.. hahah you paid for somebody else to park!” and he walked away giggling at me. 

I asked him if he looked on the dashboard, and he replied “It’s not my job or responsibility to look on your dashboard.  If you don’t like it, fight the ticket”.   So I walked away and left seaside with a bitter taste in my mouth for the first time ever.

When I called the local court, they were dumbfounded when I said wish to plead not guilty for a parking ticket “You want to do what?” the woman on the phone said.    I eventually called the prosecutor’s office to explain that this whole misunderstanding can be taken care of if I could just come down and show the receipts that I paid, but was told that I must spend a day in court and they are not responsible for mistakes in the system.

I eventually paid the $45 ticket, reluctantly because being tied up all morning in a Seaside Heights courtroom arguing with a group of peope whose best interests it is to have me pay this fine would cost me much more than the $45 fee because of lost hours at the office.

Yesterday, I went back to Seaside for the first time and noticed that I was not the only person who had these issues and the problems with these new electronic system go beyond my issue.  Today, there were newly placed flourescent orange labels stating “Put Receipt on Dash”.   Hopefully they told their wisecracking meter maids the new policy so before they run their mouth to tourists spending money in their town, they understand the problems with the new system.

Unfortunately, my $45 is long gone, but I am writing this in hopes that before you visit Seaside, you make sure that regardless of what happens in your parking situation, you keep your ticket stubs as they are your only evidence to help you should you also be wrongfully ticketed in Seaside Heights.

But be very careful, as even with these newly placed labels, they are still misleading.  While the label says “Put receipt on dash”,  the same meter also says “Keep receipt with you”.  It only prints one label.  Which is correct?  Too bad, that is a decision for the meter readers and the courts to decide.

Long Beach Island, NJ – The Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven, New Jersey is no different than any other theater in New Jersey.   Each summer however, the theater transforms itself into a children’s theater, running fairy tale productions from June through July, every year.

The Surflight Theatre started way back in 1950 in Beach Haven Crest in a 2,200 seat tent with a cast of 60 that included a 12 piece orchestra for a three week long season.  Over the next few years, the theater bounced around Long Beach Island from their tent to the old Beach Haven meat market and even an old garage that barely fit 300 occupants. 

Over the years the theatre grew in size and even added an adjacent ice cream parlor, the Show Place Ice Cream Parlour, which itself has become just as popular as the theatre itself.    The ice cream parlor was added to the mix in 1975 and has been a landmark on Long Beach Island ever since.   Before or after each show at the theatre, you can enjoy ice cream and a meal at the Show Place Ice Cream parlor and watch a 50’s style floor show.

The children’s theatre itself started back in 1956 and has continued through the years, delivering quality family entertainment and putting smile on kids faces for half a century.   Some of the shows held regularly each season include Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Princess and the Pea, Beauty and the Beast and other children’s classics.

As an added touch, the staff will invite the children on stage during intermission to give birthday wishes to any children celebrating a birthday.    

Surflight’s staff delivers a quality performance for every show, whether it’s one of their standard theatre productions or the summer long children’s theater.    The theatre is a great compliment to any Long Beach Island vacation.

Wildwood, NJ – There are many options for whale and dolphin watching cruises at the southern tip of New Jersey, but the best choice for kids is the Atlantic Star, a 170 seat boat owned by JJC Boats in Cape May, New Jersey.   While the  Spirit of Cape May, the more popular of the whale watchers, offers the same dolphins, whales and dinner cruises as the Atlantic Star, the Atlantic Star is a smaller and more personal and close quarters experience that also includes a tour of Cape May’s backwater channels and bays.

The Atlantic Star offers several trips each day, starting with a morning educational trip that takes children and students out into the Atlantic Ocean for a first hand scientific glimpse at our local dolphin  population.   The morning tour is an educational experience that is suitable for schools and marine sciences groups.  The morning tour usually a two hour tour which focuses only on dolphins.  The tour also includes snacks and drinks for the children.

In the afternoon, get ready to sail on a three hour tour on the Atlantic Star’s lunch cruise which is a guided tour led by a Marine Biologist on a quest to show the kids dolphins, whales and birds that call New Jersey home each summer.  Snacks, beverages and hot dogs are available for purchase in the galley on the ‘lunch’ tour.

The best time to take a tour on the Atlantic Star is on their sunset buffet cruise which is a combination dinner cruise, whale and dolphin excursion and sightseeing tour of Cape May’s backwaters.   The cruise starts out with a slow trek out to the Atlantic Ocean through Wildwood’s Sunset Lake and Jarvis Sound and past the U.S. Coast Guard station and finally through the Cape May Inlet before reaching the open sea.

Once out on the open sea, the Atlantic Star uses state of the art technology to track dolphins and whales, but unfortunately cannot guarantee a sighting with our elusive whale population.   The sights on the tour are amazing as the trip continues south towards Cape May, the Cape May Lighthouse and past the mysterious hulk of the S.S. Altantus.  The S.S. Atlantus was a concrete ship built in 1918 for the United States Navy just after World War I.  While the Atlantus never saw wartime service, it made several cross Atlantic voyages to return U.S. troops home from Europe.  It was later decomissioned and sold to a private investor who had hoped to use the Atlantus as ferry dock to connect Cape May to neighboring Delware, but the ship ran aground off the coast of Cape May during a storm.   Unable to dislodge the ship, it was abandoned and is still visible from the shore and from ocean as the hull of the ship protrudes several feet out of the water.

Another great site along the way is St. Mary’s by The Sea,  a Catholic convent and restored Victorian era hotel that was once known as the Shoreham Hotel but served as a convent for most of its 119 year history.   The hotel was purchased in 1909 by the Sisters of St. Joseph as a summer retreat.   This beautiful building has been under constant attack by mother nature as the sisters have fought against an encroaching shoreline for over 50 years.   Luckily, their prayer power and faith has kept the raging Atlantic Ocean away from their New Jersey treasure.

One of the great perks about taking a trip on the Atlantic Star is the chance for youngsters to actually pilot the ship, depending on the weather and seas of course.   On our trip, all the children were able to steer the ship for a few minutes while the captain gave them quick on the job training on being a ship captain.    Amazingly, the children actually did steer the ship as it was not on auto pilot and they always do a magnificent job at the helm according to the captain.

After working its way around the southern tip of New Jersey and past the Cape May Lighthouse, the ship sets course  around to the quieter side of the Cape May peninsula and into the calmer waters of the Delaware bay.   With the Cape May Lighthouse always in view at some point, dinner is now served.   Don’t expect great things from your dinner as it’s usually catered buffet food from one of Wildwood’s great restaurants served on paper plates with plastic knives.   If you are expecting fine dining, perhaps this wouldn’t be the tour for you.    It’s a fun experience for the children to sit in the galley of a ship eating dinner as the waves move them back and forth.

From the Delaware Bay, the ship heads back inland through the Cape May Canal past the Cape May – Lewes ferry terminal which connects New Jersey to Delaware via a fleet of always running ferries.   There is a chance to have an encounter with a ferry which the children always enjoys as the ship captains blow their horns at each other.

For the remainder of the trip, it’s a quiet venture through the quiet, scenic and  marshy waterways on the west side of Cape May and Wildwood.   This part of the trip provides families with many unique scenic and sunset photo opportunities as the ship meanders through lagoons and channels back to its home port in Wildwood.

Overall the dinner cruise is a combined experience that starts with natural encounters with dolphins and whales, then through the history of Cape May and ends with an eco tour through the backwaters, home to many species of shore birds.   For many children, the best part of the experience will probably be getting behind the wheel of the boat and blowing the horn, they also will enjoy the scenic beauties that surround them.   The staff does a great job to keep the children interested and it’s an all around great family excursion if you’re vacationing in the Wildwood and Cape May region.

·         Compete to see who has the LOUDEST pickle crunch…the microphone doesn’t lie!

·         Meet the Vlasic Stork

·         Win prizes

·         Enjoy music, food, games and other activities in the Vlasic FanFest Area!

*FUNNY, ACTION-PACKED PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES OF LITTLE KIDS, BIG KIDS AND FAMILIES ALL DAY LONG!*

Sunday, June 7th at Rutgers Stadium from 12:00 p.m.– 2:30 p.m.

WHO: Vlasic Pickles—America’s FAVORITE Pickle—are always crunchy and juicy. Low in calories, with no fat a BIG flavor, Vlasic pickles are available in nine key segments including Kosher Dill Spears, Bread and Butter Chips, Ovals, Sweet Gherkins, Large and Small Whole Dills, Stackers, Relish and Peppers. For more information about Vlasic® pickles, please visit www.vlasic.com

*Advance in-studio and on site “crunch-off” segments bookable upon request*

WHERE: Vlasic Pickles FanFest Area

Athletes Glen (right across from Rutgers Stadium)

Piscataway, NJ

WHEN: Sunday, June 7th from 12:00-2:30

Please contact Lee Makofsky for all advance and on site media inquiries at 973.856.2643 or lee.mako@bhgpr.com

Wall Township will be host on Saturday to the Wall Township Festival held at the Wall Township municipal complex. eanwhile, further down the shore in Wildwood, N.J., the Jersey Shore Girl Scout Council is hosting their annual meet by the sea.

Here is a complete list of events this weekend in New Jersey, provided by GoKidsNJ, New Jersey’s #1 Family Entertaintment & Event website.   Want to know What to do in New Jersey?  Visit GoKidsNJ.Com
Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest
Event Information
Sussex County Fairgrounds
Date: May 29,2009
Location: 37 Plains Rd., Augusta, NJ 07822
Get More Information: Michael Arnone’s Crawfish Fest Sweeney Todd
Event Information
The Kelsey Theatre at Mercer
Date: May 29,2009
Location: 1200 Old Trenton Rd., West Windsor, NJ 08550
Get More Information: Sweeney Todd Schola Reprises ‘Space, Light and Discovery’ Program
Event Information
First Presbyterian Church
Date: May 29,2009
Location: 15 Shuart Ln., Ramsey, NJ 07446
Get More Information: Schola Reprises ‘Space, Light and Discovery’ Program Two Rivers Arts/Antique Show & Garden Tour
Event Information
Red Bank Armory Ice Complex
Date: May 29,2009
Location: Chestnut St., Red Bank, NJ 07701
Get More Information: Two Rivers Arts/Antique Show & Garden Tour Concert: Tom Rush
Event Information
Grounds For Sculpture
Date: May 29,2009
Location: 18 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, NJ 08619
Get More Information: Concert: Tom Rush Antique Show and Sale at Historic Lambert Castle
Event Information
Lambert Castle
Date: May 29,2009
Location: Valley Road, Paterson, NJ 07503
Get More Information: Antique Show and Sale at Historic Lambert Castle

SOUNDPartnerships Event Information Westfield Symphony Orchestra Date: May 30,2009 Location: The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, NJ Get More Information: SOUNDPartnerships

Pastel Artists Show Event Information Guild of Creative Art Date: May 30,2009 Location: 620 Broad St. (Rte. 35), Shrewsbury, NJ 07702 Get More Information: Pastel Artists Show

Ocean Grove Giant Spring Flea Market Event Information Ocean Grove Date: May 30,2009 Location: Ocean Pathway, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756 Get More Information: Ocean Grove Giant Spring Flea Market

SOUNDPartnerships Event Information SOUNDPartnerships Date: May 30,2009 Location: Mountain Ave., Westfield, NJ 07090 Get More Information: SOUNDPartnerships

Antiques at Ramapo College Event Information Antiques Date: May 30,2009 Location: 505 Ramapo Valley Rd., Mahwah, NJ 07430 Get More Information: Antiques at Ramapo College

20th NJ State Chili & Salsa Cook Off Event Information 20th NJ State Chili Date: May 30,2009 Location: Washington St., Toms River, NJ 08753 Get More Information: 20th NJ State Chili & Salsa Cook Off

Junie B. Jones Event Information Junie B. Jones Date: May 30,2009 Location: 1200 Old Trenton Rd., West Windsor, NJ 08550 Get More Information: Junie B. Jones

Forbidden Broadway: 25th Anniversary Tour Event Information Forbidden Broadway Date: May 30,2009 Location: 173 Main St., Manasquan, NJ 08736 Get More Information: Forbidden Broadway: 25th Anniversary Tour

Girl Scout Council of Southern New Jersey Event Information Girl Scout Council Date: May 30,2009 Location: 3501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, NJ 08260 Get More Information: Girl Scout Council of Southern New Jersey

Raising Moths and Butterflies – a Family Workshop Event Information a Family Workshop Date: May 30,2009 Location: 80 Route 206 South, Hillsborough, NJ 08844 Get More Information: Raising Moths and Butterflies – a Family Workshop

Adult Workshops: Sculptural Ceramics Event Information Adult Workshops Date: May 30,2009 Location: 18 Fairgrounds Rd., Hamilton, NJ 08619 Get More Information: Adult Workshops: Sculptural Ceramics

Chandlers Apprentice – Candlemaking Event Information Chandlers Apprentice Date: May 30,2009 Location: 333 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07960 Get More Information: Chandlers Apprentice – Candlemaking

Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters Event Information Nature Unleashed Date: May 30,2009 Location: 222 Jersey City Blvd., Jersey City, NJ 07305 Get More Information: Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters

Spring Fine Art & Crafts at Nomahegan Park Event Information Spring Fine Art Date: May 30,2009 Location: Springfield Ave., Cranford, NJ 07016 Get More Information: Spring Fine Art & Crafts at Nomahegan Park

Suningive’s Gardens in Bloom Tour Event Information Suningive’s Gardens Date: May 30,2009 Location: 120 Whites Bogs Rd., Browns Mills, NJ 08015 Get More Information: Suningive’s Gardens in Bloom Tour

Memorial Day Arts & Crafts Spectacular Event Information Memorial Day Arts Date: May 30,2009 Location: 6th St. & Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ 08226 Get More Information: Memorial Day Arts & Crafts Spectacular

Wall Township Festival 2009 Event Information Wall Township Date: May 30,2009 Location: 2205 Rt. 35, Sea Girt, NJ 07719 Get More Information: Wall Township Festival 2009

Somerset County 5K Walk for Life and Breath on 5/30 Event Information American Lung Association Date: May 30,2009 Location: Duke Island Park, Old York Road, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 Get More Information: Somerset County 5K Walk for Life and Breath on 5/30   Open House Weekend Event Information Open House Date: May 31,2009 Location: 720 Route 9, Cape May, NJ 08204 Get More Information: Open House Weekend Gypsy Vanner Dream Park Classic Event Information Gypsy Vanner Date: May 31,2009 Location: 400 Route 130 South, Logan Twp, NJ 08085 Get More Information: Gypsy Vanner Dream Park Classic Gyotaku: Fish Printing Event Information Gyotaku Date: May 31,2009 Location: 300 Ocean Ave., Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742 Get More Information: Gyotaku: Fish Printing Ronald McDonald House’s Walk With Ronald Event Information Ronald McDonald Date: May 31,2009 Location: Rte. 537 (exit 16 off I95), Jackson, NJ 08527 Get More Information: Ronald McDonald House’s Walk With Ronald Washington Crossing Card Collectors Club Postcard Show & Sale Event Information Washington Crossing Card Collectors Date: May 31,2009 Location: 1396 River Rd., Titusville, NJ 08560 Get More Information: Washington Crossing Card Collectors Club Postcard Show & Sale Junie B. Jones Event Information Junie B. Jones Date: May 31,2009 Location: 173 Main St., Manasquan, NJ 08736 Get More Information: Junie B. Jones ESPN 2 Man Golf Challenge @ Ballyowen Golf Club at Crystal Springs Resort Event Information ESPN 2 Man Golf Challenge Date: May 31,2009 Location: 137 Wheatsworth Rd., Hamburg, NJ 07419 Get More Information: ESPN 2 Man Golf Challenge @ Ballyowen Golf Club at Crystal Springs Resort Metuchen Street Fair and Craft Show Event Information Metuchen Street Date: May 31,2009 Location: Downtown Metuchen, Metuchen, NJ 08840 Get More Information: Metuchen Street Fair and Craft Show

]]> http://www.gokidsnj.com/what-to-do-in-new-jersey-this-weekend-may-29-31-2009-what-to-do-in-nj/2009/05/feed/ 0 http://www.gokidsnj.com/nj-day-trip-popcorn-park-zoo-and-rescue-sanctuary-what-to-do-in-nj/2009/05/ http://www.gokidsnj.com/nj-day-trip-popcorn-park-zoo-and-rescue-sanctuary-what-to-do-in-nj/2009/05/#comments Thu, 21 May 2009 17:52:22 +0000 admin http://www.gokidsnj.com/?p=454

If you’re looking for a place to bring toddlers and younger children and don’t feel like traveling to the Bronx, Cape May or Philadelphia?  Try the Popcorn Park Zoo and Sanctuary run by the Associated Humane Societies.  This small zoo in New Jersey’s Pinelands was started in 1977 as an animal sanctuary for abandoned and abused animals.   They eventually began taking in exploited farm animals and exotic wildlife and now house the largest collection of animals in Ocean County.

The zoo is home to over 200 rescued animals which range from roosters to bengal tigers.  As you enter the park, you can purchase a box of popcorn which you can feed to all of the animals.  Many of the domestic animals such as the pigs, goats, sheep and horses eagerly await handouts from parkgoers.   As you walk around the park, geese, ducks and squirrels have become so accustomed to human presence that they will usually eat out of your hands.

Some of the more exotic animals in the park include Bengali, a bengal tiger and his three bengal tiger friends, a black bear, african lions, wallabies and monkeys.  You can get close enough to all of the animals for some great picture taking and some great memories without the travel.

Farm animals at Popcorn Park Zoo include horses, cows, sheep, goats and rabbits.  The steer at the park is huge!  If you’ve never been up close and personal with a cow that is nearly eight feet tall, you’re in for a surprise. 

The best thing about Popcorn Park is that these are not show animals purchased for display like at most zoos, they are animals that have been rescued from many different situations in which they were abused, neglected or exploited.  The folks at the Associated Humane Society are offering these animals a second chance at life and the money you spend goes directly towards benefiting and caring for these animals as well as the rescue and placement of future animals at the sanctuary.

Older children might be bored with the lack of “high end” exotics, but if your child has never been to a zoo, Popcorn Park Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary is a great place to break them in and makes for a great Jersey Shore day trip.

For more information visit: http://www.ahscares.org/default.asp

104 Things for kids to do this summer in New Jersey

Kids love trains.  Plan your next day trip around a train ride.  Take a train ride into New York City for a fun day there or maybe just a local trip.     In the summer, New Jersey Transit has a great shoreline train route that goes from Point Pleasant to Matawan and beyond.   Stop off at any one of the shore points along the way.

Point Pleasant has a great beach and boardwalk.   Asbury Park and Long Branch have newly renovated beach fronts and Red Bank is a great shopping stop for a bit of downtown urban culture without going to the city.   

There’s plenty of trainbound destinations around New Jersey suitable for families with young children.