Laurie Rein
Laurie Rein is passionate about finding fun (especially free!) activities for her twin daughters. Before joining Mommy Poppins New Jersey, Laurie worked in the television industry, with roles as an NBC page, copywriter, affiliate liaison for The Rosie O'Donnell Show, and research manager for CBS.
Latest posts by Laurie
New Jersey is home to some amazing FREE beaches, which can come as a relief after seasonal sticker shock involving camps, vacations, and day trips. Luckily, the beaches we've listed below don't require an admission fee–though some do have parking fees.
While some of these FREE beaches are found in popular vacation hotspots on the Jersey Shore, other quieter, unguarded ones are located by swimming lakes and bays. Read on for a baker's dozen of our favorite FREE New Jersey beaches.
Check out our mom-tested, kid-approved Jersey Shore itinerary, and more in our Ultimate New Jersey Kids Summer Vacation Guide.
Whether you call it mini golf, miniature golf, or putt-putt, you'll find tons of places to play throughout New Jersey. The Garden State apparently has a thing for the game—there are dozens of mini-golf courses throughout New Jersey, and most of them have already reopened for the 2023 season.
We're highlighting nearly the best courses in the state, from the Jersey Shore to Northern NJ. These courses have imaginative themes that range from pirate shipwrecks and African safaris to a medieval castle. Read on to find the perfect New Jersey miniature golf course for you.
For more things to do this summer, from spray parks to amusement parks, don't miss our Summer Fun Guide for NJ Kids.
Drive-in movie theaters in and around Boston have made a major comeback, offering New England families an fun activity for warm summer nights. Outdoor movie nights with kids means piling in the car and getting cozy in the backseat while munching on popcorn and enjoying a family film. Many drive-in movie theaters are running screenings all summer, while several towns are offering "pop-up" drive-in movies on certain days.
We've rounded up the latest summer drive-in movies in Boston and nearby Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut towns for fun family outings. Check back on this post for updates: As more screenings are added and pop-up theaters open, we will add them to the list. So read on for our guide to drive-in movie theaters in and around Boston for outdoor movie nights with kids.
While you've got summer fun on the brain, take a peek at our Ultimate Summer Bucket List Ideas: 100 (Mostly) Free Outdoor Games and Activities for Kids. If you're looking to get away for a day or two, we've compiled a list of the Best Cape Cod Beaches for Families. For some daytime fun, see our guide to the Best Sprinkler Parks and Splash Pads in Boston.
Hudson County kiddos have plenty to look forward to once school's out, with a variety of summer camp options available in both Jersey City and Hoboken. Choose from options like a gymnastics camp, an indoor play camp, and a traditional camp with a variety of activities. We've rounded up 10 summer camps located in Hoboken or Jersey City that will help your kids have a spectacular summer. Summer camp options include full or half days.
For more summer camps in New Jersey, check out our lists of affordable summer camps, the Bergen County Camps, and art camps, plus bookmark our Guide to Summer Camp in New Jersey and our New Jersey Summer Camp Directory, where you can search for summer camps by age, interest, and town.
Here in New Jersey, there are plenty of bowling alleys that offer year-round fun. There are small-town spots that offer traditional games with modern touches, such as automatic scoring and gutter bumpers. And there are newer, flashier bowling alleys that feature high-tech bells and whistles like interactive games, video walls, and glow ball.
In addition, venues throughout the state often feature bowling alongside laser tag and arcades.
And bowling alleys are an ideal spot for low-maintenance birthday parties, play dates, and weekend day trips.
Kids can get their creative juices flowing at summer art camps in New Jersey. Art camps offer the opportunity to explore pottery, drawing, sewing, ceramics, and more, with options for kids as young as preschool up through the teen years. These art camps are located in art schools, museums, and pop-up locations and often can be booked by the week.
For more summer camps in New Jersey, check out our lists of affordable summer camps, Bergen County Camps, and STEM summer day camps, plus bookmark our Guide to Summer Camp in New Jersey and our New Jersey Summer Camp Directory, where you can search for summer camps by age, interest, and town.
Looking for the best places to go maple sugaring in New Jersey? Read on for our guide.
February is a sweet month in New Jersey. Not only do we have Valentine's Day to look forward to—it's also the start of maple sugaring season. Visitors of all ages flock to New Jersey farms and nature centers to learn about the process of maple sugaring, from tapping the maple trees to boiling the sap into delicious syrup. Some events even offer a sweet taste of the end product.
For even more outdoor winter fun, check out our post on where to play outside in NJ, plus find additional seasonal entertainment in our Winter Fun Guide.
Pages
