How to Entertain Kids in Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is a terrific place for kids. There's something for every kid, from those who love the outdoors to those who love history. So buckle everyone up and get ready to go.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Outdoor Activities
-
1
Visit one of the great playgrounds in Bergen County. Find lists of county parks online. For toddlers and preschoolers: Oakland's toddler park (Lawlor Drive, Oakland - follow the road to the left to find the toddler playground) and Ridgewood's toddler park (125 N. Maple St., Ridgewood, behind the library). For older kids: Wyckoff playground (200 Woodland Ave. Wyckoff), Sunnyside Park on Oak Avenue in Tenafly and Ridgewood Wild Duck Pond (1133 E. Ridgewood Ave. in Ridgewood).
-
2
Take the kids swimming. Most towns have pools or lakes where you can get a day's membership as long as you have a local sponsor. Some other options include the Jewel Street Sprayground at the corner of Jewel Street and Lanza Avenue in Garfield; Swimming lakes at Darlington County Park on Darlington Avenue in Mahwah; and Sprayground at Lyndhurst Town Park (also a nice regular playground) at 367 Valley Brook Ave. in Lyndhurst.
-
-
3
Hike, tube or ski at Campgaw Mountain Reservation on Campgaw Road in Mahwah.
-
4
Visit a zoo, playground, train ride and carousel all in one at Van Saun Park in Paramus (Forest and Continental in Paramus).
-
5
See New Jersey's Dutch history at Historic New Bridge Landing, 1201-1209 Main St., River Edge. Three houses built by early Dutch settlers have been preserved and house the county's historical collection.
Indoor Activities
-
6
Go to the New Jersey Children's Museum (599 Valley Health Plaza, Paramus). For $10 a ticket, kids can explore virtual reality, climb on a fire truck, visit a dinosaur cave and check out a TV studio, as well as many other activities.
-
7
Enjoy an indoor play area and arcade. Some good spots for this are In the Swing (145 Hopper Avenue Waldwick), which also includes batting cages; Unbelieva-Bills (140 Hopper Ave., Waldwick), offering laser tag and theater performances; and Kidz Kazoom (49 E. Midland Ave. #6, Paramus) where there's a day care to help out.
-
8
Develop artistic skills at Color Me Mine (254 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood) where you can paint your own pottery.
-
9
Go to the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum (400 Fred Wehran Drive, Teterboro) to see airplanes, helicopters, piston engines and rocket engines.
-
10
Check out railroad exhibits and models at the Old Station House Museum, 201 Franklin Turnpike, Mahwah.
-
11
Take a trip to the Garden State Mall (1 Garden State Plaza, Paramus). There is a toddler play area, a carousel, a huge movie theater and tons of stores, including Nordstrom, Border's and Build-A-Bear.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Bergen County has a number of towns with great shopping districts, too. Try Ridgewood, Westwood or Ramsey for fun places to walk around.
Bergen County has a lot of traffic, both on surface streets and on its highways. Make sure to give yourself lots of time to get places.
Resources
- Photo Credit in the park image by Judy Ben Joud from Fotolia.com
More Like This
Comments
-
pine
Sep 23, 2008
A lot of great ideas in this article! -
pine
Sep 23, 2008
A lot of great ideas in this article!
-
DAP13
Sep 22, 2008
There's a sprayground in both Lyndhurst and Garfield? I had no idea. We haven't lived in NJ in years, but we go back to visit family. Thanks so much for this list. It's a great way for us to get some ideas when we're out with the kids. You mention some of my old haunts along with a bunch of new ones.
-
DAP13
Sep 22, 2008
There's a sprayground in both Lyndhurst and Garfield? I had no idea. We haven't lived in NJ in years, but we go back to visit family. Thanks so much for this list. It's a great way for us to get some ideas when we're out with the kids. You mention some of my old haunts along with a bunch of new ones.
