Fun Stuff to Do this Summer!
THINK NATURE……THINK FUN….THINK LEARNING…THINK CHEAP!
Friends and Families~
Check out this list for ideas to keep your children and families close to nature and/or “thoughtfully” active this summer. Parents and teachers have contributed their many ideas, but shoot an email ( mgalli@mullica.k12.nj.us ) if you have any ideas to add.
OUTDOORS…Plus
~ACE SUMMER PROGRAM (Mullica Township Public Schools) 4th grade to 8th grade is free and 1st grade to 3rd grade is a small fee.
~HOWELL LIVING HISTORY FARM in Lambertville, NJ (free) www.howellfarm.org
~The CAPE MAY ZOO is a favorite. It is free admission; but you can donate if you choose. www.capemaycountyzoo.org
~COHONZICK ZOO in Bridgeton is another nice place to visit and is also free. 856-455-3230, summer hours are 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
~ANIMAL KINGDOM ZOO off of 206 in Bordentown NJ smallish on the zoo scale, but fun for an afternoon and not too far…$10 Adults and $8 Kids
~THE POPCORN ZOO in Forked River.http://www.ahscares.org/page2.asp?page=popcornpark&style=2
It is a rescue facility. You can buy popcorn or peanuts to feed the animals (very cheap) and admission was $3 but could have changed. They used to have a bear that was rescued from a circus.
~THE WETLANDS INSTITUTE ($8.00 ages 12 and up; $6.00 ages 2-11) www.wetlandsinstitute.org
~The MARINE MAMMAL STRANDING CENTERin Brigantine
http://www.marinemammalstrandingcenter.org/education/camps.html
http://www.marinemammalstrandingcenter.org/education/summer-pricing.html
~ BATSTO Weekdays are free to enter. According to their website there is a $5 fee per car, but I have never seen anyone collecting and have been there many times on the weekends. There is a small museum in the main building and lots of hiking and picnicking opportunities. www.stae.nj.us/dep/parksandforest/parks/wharton.html
~ATLANTIC COUNTY PARK in Estell Manor Park – hiking, picnicking, playgrounds, nature center, biking …and…Children under 16 can fish for free; adult license start at $22.50 (available at Wal-mart or on-line) for freshwater fishing. …In Mays Landing at LAKE LENAPE…canoeing, hiking, picnicking, biking, boating…etc. www.aclink.org/PARKS/mainpages/estell.asp
~WEYMOUTH FURNACE (The water is cold!) Great picnic and wading place! Bring your Frisbee or football to toss around. (Swimming is not allowed.) This is also a part of the Atlantic County Park System.
~SMITHVILLE (walk about…many stores for shoppers …restaurants, too …some $0.25 automatic rides, merry-go-round, ice cream store, etc. Spend as little or as much as you want!
~THE ATLANTIC CITY BEACH is free. If you make a left in the city when you come off The Black Horse Pike…you can usually find street parking. Just watch the signs.
~LIGHTHOUSES – Southern New Jersey Lighthouses Lighthouses in southern New Jersey..Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland counties. www.capemaytimes.com/history/lighthouses.htm
~HIKE: THE BATONA TRAIL
Trail runs from Brendan Byrne State Park south through Pine Barrens to Batsto. Several “overnight” camping options if you want to backpack and do the whole length. Permit required to camp at either Batsto or Atsion Ranger Station on Route 206. Trail crosses several road ways (especially up on Route 563 about 3 miles up from Greenbank Inn) – so if you want to make a portion of the route a day hike it is easily done. Carry plenty of water…and you’ll be treated to some amazing Pine Barrens flora and fauna!
~HIKE: APPALACHIAN TRAIL
If you’re “Up North” and want to either revisit your class trip to Stokes (or chaperoning duties) visit both High Point State Park and/or hike the NJ/PA Portions of the Appalachian Trail. The trail extends from Georgia to Maine and is an iconic reminder of our simpler “get-back-to-nature” days. Trail is well marked, passes through the northern portion of our state, and the route through Jersey down through the Delaware Water Gap on the PA side is gorgeous. Shelters are available along the route for backpackers. Many AT Guides published to investigate hiking/backpacking options. See a section of NJ shaped by glaciers (the lower limits of the Wisconsin Ice Sheet). High Point is great walk to monument from the parking lot. Highest elevation in the state and breathtaking views of NJ/NY/PA from one point.
~GEOCACHING – it’s a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices and then share their experiences online. There are numerous websites but the largest can be found at www.geocaching.com. At the website, you can type in the zip code where you would like to treasure hunt and it gives you basic information as to where the geocahce can be found. Once you locate it, there is a logbook to sign. Players can even create and hide their own geocaches.
~NATURE CENTER(S) OF CAPE MAY (less than ten dollars), All Locations; Cape May Bird Observatory; Duke Farms; Essex County Environmental Center; Lorrimer Sanctuary; Nature Center of Cape May; Plainsboro Preserve…….. www.njaudubon.org/Centers/NCCM/
~ATLANTIC CITY AQUARIUM at Gardiner’s Basin in Atlantic City. See www.oceanlifecenter.com/ for fees and programs.
~LUCY THE ELEPHANT in Margate www.lucytheelephant.org
~TUCKERTON SEAPORT MUSEUM - A Project of the Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen’s Museum Inc. Dedicated to preserving, presenting and interpreting the maritime history, art history … www.tuckertonseaport.org
INDOORS… PLUS
~The ATLANTIC COUNTY LIBRARY – all branches have great programs for kids.
~ MUSEUMS for free on the fist full weekend of each month for BANK OF AMERICA CARD HOLDERS. Visit http://museums.bankofamerica.com/ for a complete list of museums.
~THE GARDEN STATE DISCOVERY MUSEUM (aka The Please Touch Museum) in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. A hands-on museum that offers fifteen larger-than-life, kid powered, interactive exhibit areas. Site has prices, directions and a schedule of … www.discoverymuseum.com/
~REGAL CINEMAS in Mays Landing has G and PG movies for $1 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. www.regmovies.com
~MICHAEL’S has in-store craft activities that are free or very low-cost. Call 609-485-0200 (Mays Landing store) for calendar.
~HOME DEPOT has kids’ workshops: First Saturday of each month, 9 AM – noon, no cost. Call 609-407-9600 (Egg Harbor Township store) for project topics.
~ www.funnewjersey.com has a listing of almost anything you can think to do in the state (i.e. amusement parks, beaches, theaters, and PARKS) – some within South Jersey – including complete page of NEW JERSEY STATE PARKS and each one’s particular attractions.
~ www.visitsouthjersey.com is another website that has interesting ideas for being busy in South Jersey. PLACES TO GO will lead you to outdoor ideas.
***You can print coupons off the internet for almost all places that have an admission fee.
