Well it’s spring again and time for Easy E and I to have our girls outside as much as possible. We are always on the go and love being in the fresh air. As the weather changes and you start looking to fill a beautiful 70 degree Saturday here are some suggestions where the kids have fun as do the parents making it an ultimate “Mommy for the Win” list.
Cape May Zoo:
First of all, lets start with the most important thing. It’s FREE. How free you allow it to be is of course up to you as there is a carousel, plenty of snack stands, and a souvenir shop. But my kids are usually very happy with two quarters each to buy some food at the petting zoo portion.
We love the Cape May Zoo because it is an all-in-one experience for us. It’s a good ride from where we live so we make a day out of it. We always pack a big picnic lunch because once we are done with the zoo (takes about 1.5 to get through with our kids) they want to go on the massive playground out front of the zoo. Fine by me. Easy E and I find a bench and watch as the kids play and then we find one of their many picnic tables or a shady spot under a tree and have a picnic. If you REALLY want to make a full day out of it downtown Cape May is only a 15-minute ride from there. This is a fabulous zoo to bring a bjorn, a stroller, or just have a toddler who wants to Frankenstein-walk around.
Adult Add On: Head over to Willow Creek winery for yummy Disney Dole Whip type sangrias and delicious food while sitting in a vineyard
Park & Zoo | Cape May County, NJ – Official Website
Smithville:
This is one of our other TRIED AND TRUE places. Smithville is a small quaint village with just enough shops to walk around for an hour or so with the kids, but with just enough things to entice the kids to get excited as well. They have a carousel (which runs seasonally) and a train ride. During the holidays the train ride is Christmas themed and even as my kids are getting older a fan favorite. To ride each of these is 3.00 and easy family fun. At Christmas they also have a small but pretty light show every half hour in the evenings. We usually walk around the village, window shop a bit, grab lunch at Fred and Ethels with the kids then get a treat at the Sweet Shop or Ice Cream Parlor.
Adult Add On: At Fred and Ethel’s Tavern get a Spicy Bloody Mary with a beer chaser. They truly make the greatest Bloody Marys.
Tall Oaks Brewery: I know I know, how can a brewery be on our favorite list with kids? Better question: How is it not? Tall Oaks is a newer brewery in Farmingdale NJ set in a beautiful, open air farm setting. It’s open with a huge field, fire pits that are first come first serve, and delicious beers. While they do NOT offer food they always have food trucks on the weekends right there as well as live music. You are also welcome to roll in with your own food so with the kids you can bring a bag of snacks and a pizza if you want which is very nice. Our kids LOVE this place because its a brewery that people always bring their kids with a soccer ball, or a football, or a jump rope. The open field has become the epitome of the fields we used to gather in as kids in our own neighborhoods where you just played.
Adult Add On: I mean, it’s a brewery so you are already there. Ladies, if you don’t love IPAs like me, try the Bern.
Allaire State Park: This is a perfect park for people with younger kids. There is plenty to do here no matter when you go. Let me count the many things we do at this park.
- Go for a hike. There are tons of small little trails to get lost on that are not hilly and along the stream that are just perfect for the kids. Tons of big trees over the water to cross and things to explore. You can end up with a tick here so spray up.
- Go Fishing! This is where my kids fish every spring. It’s mostly sunnies galore but honestly they are just happy to be catching fish and we catch a lot of them. We just buy our fishing license each spring on the ride over, grab some worms at Walmart, and have the best afternoons fishing.
- Bike Riding: They have a great bike trail here that’s flat and long and easy. It goes forever so you will want to turn around at some point. In fact, I recommend Allaire for anyone who is training kids to ride a bike. They have these amazing long parking areas that are perfect for kids just learning to ride.
- Village: On the weekends they have the historic village open to explore with the kids and they throw many a festival from flea markets and fairs to food trucks.
NJDEP | Allaire State Park | New Jersey State Park Service
Renault Winery: I remember coming here on a double date a zillion years ago with Easy E and our friends, The Gatsbys. You ate in a mahogany dated room and walked through even darker hallways learning about wine. We had a great time but not much was there to warrant a return. Jump in the future about ten years and Renault Winery is the BEST place to go with kids in both the summer and the winter. I push this place on people non stop because they are constantly coming up with more ways to lure us in.
Summer at Renault: On Tuesday nights at Renault they have kids night. They put out a massive movie screen and play kids movies around 5 PM in the afternoons. The event is free though they do have face painters for an additional charge. Our kids love going here. They go back and forth between watching the movie and running around with the other kids. We meet other families here or just go on our own on a beautiful evening. They have a great restaurant inside but you can also just order chicken fingers and fries and sit outside drinking a wine or beer while the kids have a blast.
Winter at Renault: They do this absolutely fabulous Winterfest. They have it all: Ice Skating, Movie nights on Friday at Christmas, Photo Booth Stations, Write a letter to Santa stations, Santas workshop with toys the kids can play with and a train ride. There is no admission fee and many of the activities are included. We opt to go with a few couples and rent a firepit right by the ice skating. This is one of our family Christmas traditions and I cannot stress enough what a cozy Christmas vibe this place has. They also have very reasonable events from “Stories with Santa” to “Cookies and Cocktails”. We have done quite a few and they are perfect. Short but sweet.
Adult Add On: Opt for the firepits and do the add on where you get beer, wine, and smores included! Everyone gets a treat by the fire!
Renault Winery ā Dine, Sip, & Stay at Renault Winery Resort
I could go on and on but want to start with my Top 5 while I currently start working on my next Top 5! Easy E seems to think I need a good one for rainy days so we don’t currently play a game of “Well we could do that if it were nice out…”
Share any spots that you think should make it to a Top 5 list and I’ll give it a whirl!