Museums- Just a thought too, most towns have their own Historical Society and often a museum. They are often quite interesting to visit, and rich in local history!

Morris Museum- http://www.morrismuseum.org/

New Jersey Children's Museum- http://www.njcm.com/

Newark Museum- http://www.newarkmuseum.org/

Whippany's Train Museum- http://www.whippanyrailwaymuseum.org/

Meadowlands Museum- http://www.meadowlandsmuseum.org/

Liberty Science Center- http://www.lsc.org/

Franklin Mineral Museum in Franklin- http://www.franklinmineralmuseum.com/

Aviation Hall of Fame- http://www.njahof.org/

Firemen’s Museums List- http://www.firemuseumnetwork.org/directory/nj.html

Parks- NJ is rich in parks, town parks, county parks, state parks and national parks. Some are more along the lines of nature preserves, some have vast trails, others play grounds. They are often a wonderful place for picnics, play, and discovery.

Van Saun Park and Zoo- http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/parks/Parks/Zoo.htm

Morris County Parks: http://www.parks.morris.nj.us/

Old Troy in Parsippany, NJ

Lewis Morris Park in Mendham, NJ

Bergen County Parks- http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/Parks/index.html

Essex county Parks- http://www.co.essex.nj.us/

Sussex County Information-- http://www.sussex.nj.us/Cit-e-Access/Links/?TID=7&TPID=592

Washington Headquarter’s and Jockey Hollow National Park- http://www.nps.gov/morr/

Highpoint State Park- Highest point in NJ, great for picnics and walks on trails- http://www.njparksandforests.com/virtual_tours/highpoint_state_park.html

Wildlife Parks or Preserves- There are many protective societies in NJ. Audobon Society has many wonderful preserves and a large group of birders.  They are a wonderful resource for kids interested in the outdoors (birds, wildflowers, etc) http://www.njaudubon.org/ and can provide great info on getting kids to care for local birds.

Great Swamp, Harding Township- Wildlife refuge with trails- http://www.greatswamp.org/

George Griswold Frelinghuysen Arboretum- http://www.arboretumfriends.org/index.php this is not the official site, but awesome info, and just a great place to go with kids! Right near the Morris Museum as well.

Historical Sites- There is a great deal of history in NJ. Much of the revolutionary war took place here.  There are wonderful places to learn about life in that era and the difficulties faced by early New Jerseyians.

Waterloo Village- http://www.waterloovillage.org/

Zoos- One of the nations greatest zoos is not far away from North Jersey, the Bronx Zoo. As a result many people never even find out about the wonderful small zoos available without ever crossing the bridge into the city! Here are some great ones with long legacies behind them.

Van Saun Park and Zoo- http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/parks/Parks/Zoo.htm

Turtle Back Zoo- http://www.turtlebackzoo.com/

Space Farms Zoo-  http://www.spacefarms.com

Amusement Parks- For little kids, amusement parks can be an outing in restraint. Restraint in a car for the long drive, restraint in the stroller while visiting the park, self restraint when waiting to ride one of the amusements. These parks are local and kid oriented.  Land of Make Believe and Fairy Tale Forest are especially good for very small children, while Wild West City is more appropriate for kids a bit older (elementary school maybe?), and Bowcraft is a small place that also has put-put for families.

Wild West City- Western city style amusement park http://www.wildwestcity.com/

Fairy Tale Forest- http://www.fairytaleforest.com/

The Land of Make Believe in Hope- http://www.lomb.com/

Bowcraft in Scotch Plains, NJ http://www.njahof.org/

Train Related- Lots of kids love trains, and NJ has plenty of attractions for them as well.  The Black River and Western Railroad in Flemington has some of the best holiday train events.  Train riding with Santa has been a big hitin our family!!! Northlandz is all miniature trains, and something that will amaze the whole family.

Northlandz- http://www.northlandz.com/

Whippany's Train Museum- http://www.whippanyrailwaymuseum.org/

Black River and Western Railroad in Flemington- http://www.brwrr.com/

Fairs- Nothing beats an old time county fair, and for North Jersey, the Sussex Farm and Horse Show is it.  4H clubs from all over Sussex County show their livestock, there are horse shows, even rides. It runs in August each year.

Sussex County Fam and Horse show- http://www.sussex-county-fair.com/

Theatre- Childrens Theatre is a popular outing and many local theatre houses put on plays each year for the young and young at heart.  Here are some of the better ones in my experience.

Chatam Players does children’s plays- http://www.chathamplayers.org/

The Growing Stage in Netcong- http://www.growingstage.com/

Other Ideas- There are many other great things to do, in and around NJ.  Each town often gives tours of Fire Stations, Police Departments, Animal Shelters or other municipal departments.  Local businesses (supermarkets, bakeries, pizzerias, newspaper printers, even the local dump) will set up tours for a playgroup if asked.  There are so many things that are also not far over the borders into NY and PA.  Crayola factory comes to mind as a great place to learn some amazing facts about a kids toy that has been around for quite awhile. Worth the trip over the bridge! For school age kids, other outings might include visits to a local nursing home or assisted living community, or even helping the family cook for the local homeless shelter.

Crayola Factory- actually in PA, but just over the border and a ton of fun!!! http://www.crayola.com/factory/