Family fun is better with spring weather. So pack up the car – we recommend with plenty of snacks – and head out for a day of creativity, activity and a little bit of learning with these South Jersey field trips.
Alpaca farm
Opt into an out-of-the-box (out-of-the-fence?) farming experience when you visit one of South Jersey’s many alpaca farms to meet these cuddly, curious animals. Feel their extremely soft coats, learn about their unique personalities and see where they live, run, eat and more. Did we mention how soft they are?
Grounds For Sculpture
Hamilton
Not only will your kids love running around the 42 acres of this art park and interacting with the larger-than-life sculptures (you can actually step into a Renoir painting), but they can let their creativity run wild as well during the park’s monthly family programs. On April 12, families are invited to make art with beeswax and on April 26, the museum hosts its Tots For Sculpture event, where tots can make pendulum paintings.
Wetlands Institute
Stone Harbor
There’s so much to learn and explore at Wetlands Institute, you’ll probably have to – and want to – come back for more. Take a salt marsh safari, get up-close with turtles, fish, crabs, sea stars and more during Creature Feature (Mondays and Fridays) and help staff drag a net through the water to find crabs, shrimp and fish (Wednesdays). But that’s just scratching the surface, the institute offers plenty of family-friendly activities that allow you to explore the unique environment and wildlife that inhabits the wetlands of Stone Harbor.
Batsto Village
Washington Township
Historic Batsto Village was a thriving glassmaking and iron works community in the 18th and 19th centuries, and that’s still clear today. Explore the village with the family to see where glass was shaped, iron was heated and the people of the community lived their everyday lives. The village features a post office, mansion, general store, church, blacksmith and more. You can explore on your own with a self-guided tour or take a guided tour – mansion tours are offered Wed. through Sunday and village tours are offered March through October based on staff/volunteer ability.
Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge
Medford
Meet some of the wildlife who live right in your backyard at Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. The refuge’s animal ambassadors, like Ember the Red Fox and Socrates the Turkey Vulture, were rescued by the center and could not be re-released into the wild. So now you and your family can come and learn about their habitats, eating habits and more while exploring the nature of the Pinelands. The center also offers regular programming including guided night hikes, you and me preschool events and bird watching.
Edelman Fossil Museum & Park
Mantua
South Jersey’s newest museum will transport you millions of years back in time. For real. The Edelman Fossil Museum is chock full of exhibits the explore what life was like in South Jersey during Prehistoric times, featuring fossils, virtual reality set-ups and full-scale reconstructions of the epic animals who roamed our neighborhoods long ago. With lots of interactive activities and an immersive experience where you can actually dig for fossils in the museum’s quarry, this museum will turn you into a dino devotee.
