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things to do, jersey, weekend, getaway, activities, camping, flea market, lambertville, new hope, princeton
10 Things to Do for Your Best Jersey Weekend
 10 Things to Do for Your Best Jersey Weekend 960 635 Emilie
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With the end of your work week rapidly approaching, we’re sure you can’t wait to have fun this weekend! The great thing about Jersey is there are always so many amazing things to do, and we have some great suggestions. From activities right in your backyard to daily getaways, take a look at our list below to get some fun ideas for the weekend.

1. Camping. Camping is the perfect activity for the summer months! Get the whole family away from technology and spend some time hiking, swimming, reading, and just talking and playing games. Taking the whole family to cook on the camping stove (or the fire), set up tents, and gaze at the stars will be sure to bring everyone closer together. Look here to find campsites near you, or you can even set up a tent in your backyard! Just make sure your kids don’t have keys to get back inside the house!

2. Have a Bonfire. Nothing says “summer” like a huge bonfire. You can get a cheap bonfire pit at Walmart for less than $40, and you can use it for years to come. Make some s’mores and tell your scariest campfire stories. You can even pick up some glow sticks and grab some other candy (like Reeses) for some special s’mores. For the adults in your group, check out Brit + Co’s s’moretini recipe for a sweet drink with an extra kick.

3. Flea market. Not only are flea markets a ton of fun, the whole family can look to find projects to fix up together. By finding antiques that your kids can sand down, repaint, or otherwise repair, they will quickly learn the reward of hard work. Furthermore, it will lead them to get up and moving! Find a project for the whole family to work on and you will have some great bonding time. I personally love the Golden Nugget flea market in Lambertville, but you can check out New Jersey Isn’t Boring‘s list here to find a good flea market near you.

4. Lambertville/New Hope. Right on the NJ border, Lambertville is situated in NJ, and New Hope is located in PA. The two towns have great relations, and you can easily cross between the two via a short walk over the connecting bridge. The twin towns thrive off of their artsy reputations, and have countless unique shops: lots of antique stores, the Lambertville Pasha Rugs store, Moo Hope ice cream shop, Olive-n-Grape (the New Hope seasoning and olive oil store), cafes, and tons of other unique options.

5. Head to the Shore. This weekend is going to be a scorcher, so how better to enjoy it than to head down to the shore? Grab a cooler, some umbrellas and chairs, and get ready for a great day in the sand.

6. Princeton. Head into Princeton with the whole family and you won’t be sorry! With a cute town, lots of shopping, and a beautiful university campus, it’s the perfect excursion for a day trip. This weekend you will be especially happy, because Princeton has not only one, but two great places for ice cream: Thomas Sweet, and The Bent Spoon. Princeton also has a recurring Summer Music Series each Saturday. This weekend, Sun Dog is playing, with contemporary, classic and country rock music.

7. Make a huge breakfast. How better to start a weekend than with a huge breakfast? Make some waffles, fruit, biscuits, pastries, or anything else your heart desires! Making a big breakfast is a great way to make your kids feel involved, because they can help mix batter and have fun in the kitchen. I have so many childhood memories of big breakfasts on Saturday mornings. There’s nothing like a big morning meal in your PJs with a good cup of coffee!

8. Brewery Tours and Tastings. Luckily for Jersey residents, we have access to NewJerseyCraftBeer.com, which is an incredibly thorough website with all information about beer events and tastings in our state. Check out their list here which includes every tour and tasting for the weekend. There’s sure to be a brewery you haven’t been to nearby!

9. Go tubing on the Deleware River. I mentioned this once in a previous post, but I had to mention it again! I love tubing on the Deleware, and this is the perfect weekend for it because it’s going to be so hot outside. There are two companies that provide tubes and busing to the river: Deleware River Tubing (on the NJ side) and River Country Tubing (on the PA side). Both have access to the Famous River Hot Dog Man, where you can buy hot dogs, candy and ice cream as you float down the river!

10. Cool off with water games. When the whole weekend is going to be in the 90s, it’s important to stay cool. Check out our list of best ways to beat the heat! From pool-less Marco Polo, to DIY Slip-n-Slides, to nearby waterfalls to visit, this list has the best ideas for activities during a heat wave.

 

 

 

 

water, games, outdoors, heat, summer, activity
Beat the Heat with Cooling Outdoor Activities
 Beat the Heat with Cooling Outdoor Activities 960 720 Emilie
By:

With today being the first day of summer, and the temperature reaching the mid 90s, you might be picturing a summer in which you barely leave your air conditioned house. But just because it’s hot out doesn’t mean that you can’t get some exercise outside. Hot temperatures open up a door for activities that wouldn’t be half as fun otherwise! So grab a water bottle and some water proof sunscreen, and head outside for these great activities!

1. Water Gun Fight. Water gun fights are great because they let you cool down even though you’re running around in the heat! Grab your water guns and even some water balloons. Try forming teams and have an ongoing summer competition amongst members of your family.

2. Visit some waterfalls. Take a hike at Van Campens Glen. It’s a shady trail, and only 1.6 miles round trip, so you won’t mind hiking it even on a hot day. Plus, the hike reaches a small waterfall and gorge, perfect for cooling you down! Or, go to Buttermilk Falls, which stands as the highest waterfall in NJ at 200 feet. There is also a pond at the end, and the best part is the hike can be as short or as long as you want it! There are stairs going to the waterfall right next to the parking lot so that you don’t have to hike at all, or you can choose hiking routes that are 5 miles, 6.4 miles or 7.5 miles long.

3. Play flashlight tag or play with fireflies. On these warm days, sometimes it’s best to get outside when the sun has set. Try some nighttime games once the temperature has cooled down by playing flashlight tag or chasing after fireflies! What better way is there to welcome in the summer?

4. Give your dog/car a bath. Grab some water and suds and give your pooch or vehicle a much needed bath. It’s just a matter of time before you have as much water on you as your dog or car does! You’ll walk away feeling productive, but also cooled down. Or if you don’t want to give your dog a bath, try getting a small kiddie pool and play with Fido in the pool!

5. Rent a canoe or kayak. Try renting a boat at the one of many jersey canoe and kayak rentals, such as Mick’s Canoe Rental where you can kayak on the rivers of Wharton State Forest, or the Princeton Canoe and Kayak Rental which provides you access to Carnegie Lake. These rental places provide you both the boats as well as places to actually use them!

6. Play Marco Polo even if you don’t have a pool! As long as you have a yard and a water gun, you can play Marco Polo. The person playing Marco can use a water gun, and instead of tagging people, they simply need to squirt others with the water gun. Soon everyone will be wet and having fun!

7. Make a giant DIY Slip N’ Slide. The DIY Slip N’ Slide by The Relaxed Home School uses some simple, easy to get items like a plastic roll and pool noodles in order to create an amazing slip and slide! This will give you a higher powered, much larger slip and slide than one you would buy at the store, and without breaking the bank!

8. Tie Dye some t-shirts. Grab the tie dye and get creative with t-shirts or bandanas for your whole family. It’s sure to be a fun activity, and you can hose each other down afterwards to get any dye off of you. Better yet, make some smoothies or lemonade to drink as you make your shirts.