9 fun things to do with kids in South Jersey this summer
Time to fill that summer calendar with local family activities.
With school out for the summer, kids across the region suddenly have wide-open schedules — and parents might be scrambling for ideas to keep them busy.
One simple (and free) option: Pack lunch and head to a scenic South Jersey park, like the Delaware riverfront’s Cooper’s Poynt Park or the shaded, dog-friendly trails at Newton Lake Park.
But if you’re looking for a full day of family fun — the kind that keeps kids engaged and adults from losing their minds — here are nine great spots across Cherry Hill, Deptford, Medford, and beyond.
Fun and amusement
The “world’s biggest bounce park” is at Cherry Hill Mall, offering 25,000 square feet of climbable ninja walls, a 23-foot slide, obstacle courses, and more. It’s open to all ages and guaranteed to tire everyone out.
💵 $24📍 Cherry Hill Mall, 2000 NJ-38, Cherry Hill, N.J. 08002, 🌐 funbox.com
This amusement park is a one-stop shop for indoor and outdoor adventures, from the virtual reality games and go-carts, to water slides and roller coasters. Tickets range from $35 to $55.
💵 $35 to $55📍 3320-24 NJ-38, Mount Laurel Township, N.J. 08054, 📞 856-273-9666, 🌐 thefunplex.com
Summer movies
Families can enjoy $3 movies throughout the summer at local AMC Theaters across Cherry Hill and surrounding areas. Showtimes are usually around noon to 3 p.m.
AMC Summer Movie Camp movies:
Shrek
Despicable Me 4
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Kung Fu Panda 4
The Bad Guys
The Secret Life of Pets
The Wild Robot
Migration
💵 $3📍 Various AMC Theater locations, 🌐 amctheatres.com/events/summer-movie-camp
Deptford will host two more free movie nights this summer: IF on July 18 at Kass Maier Playground and The Wild Robot on Aug. 1 at Oak Valley Athletic Association. Both start at sunset.
💵 Free, 🌐 facebook.com
📍July 18, 1044 Monmouth Rd., Deptford, N.J. 08096; 📍 Aug. 1, 561 Princeton Blvd., Wenonah, N.J. 08090
Gloucester County’s “Movies in the Park” series offers free family-friendly films all summer long at outdoor locations across the region. Movies begin at dusk and are shown on Wednesdays, Fridays, and the occasional Monday through Aug. 29. Bring a blanket or lawn chair — and don’t forget the bug spray. Find the full schedule and locations online at gloucestercountynj.gov/1109/Movies-in-the-Park.
June 18 (Wed.): Wonka — 120 Village Green Dr., Woolwich Township
June 25 (Fri.): Kung Fu Panda 4 — Veteran’s Park, 433 Elm Ave., Woodbury Heights
June 27 (Fri.): Moana 2 — Franklin Township Sports Complex, 500 Pennsylvania Ave., Franklinville
July 11 (Fri.): The Wild Robot — New Street Park, 410 E. New St., Glassboro
July 16 (Wed.): Moana 2 — Swedesboro Auction Block, 400 Anderson Ave., Swedesboro
July 18 (Fri.): Up — Red Bank Battlefield, 100 Hessian Ave., National Park
July 25 (Fri.): The Wild Robot — Gaiter Field, Madison & Catawba Avenues, Newfield
Aug. 1 (Fri.): The Wild Robot — Oak Valley Little League, 561 Princeton Blvd., Wenonah
Aug. 4 (Mon.): The Garfield Movie — Fort Billings Park, Clonmel Road & Delaware Street, Paulsboro
Aug. 8 (Fri.): Despicable Me 4 — 235 E. Red Bank Ave., Woodbury
Aug. 13 (Wed.): Moana 2 — RiverWinds Community Center, 1000 RiverWinds Dr., West Deptford
Aug. 15 (Fri.): Inside Out 2 — Washington Lake Park, 626 Hurffville-Cross Keys Rd., Sewell
Aug. 22 (Fri.): Elemental — Sunset Auditorium, Laurel Avenue, Pitman
Aug. 25 (Mon.): The Wild Robot — Wenonah Lake, W. Maple Street & N. Jefferson, Wenonah
Aug. 27 (Wed.): Moana 2 — National Park Ballfields, 700 St. Johns Walk, National Park
Aug. 29 (Fri.): The Wild Robot — Ella Harris Park, 155 Commissioners Rd., Mullica Hill
💵 Free📍Various locations, 📞 856-251-6738, 🌐 gloucestercountynj.gov/1109/Movies-in-the-Park
Nature and science
Travel back in time, 66 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed South Jersey during the Cretaceous period, just before the fifth mass extinction event killed almost all life on Earth. At the Edelman Fossil Park and Museum, get immersed in full-scale recreations of dinosaurs, virtual reality expeditions, and a fossil pit where guests can find physical history themselves. The museum’s $24 to $29 price of admission grants access to multiple floors of dinosaur, science, and live animal exhibits, while the virtual reality expedition and quarry fossil digs are $25 add-ons.
💵 Starting at $24 to $29📍66 Million Mosasaur Way, Mantua, N.J. 08080, 📞 856-284-DINO(3466), 🌐 efm.org
Rowan University’s Edelman Planetarium offers an immersive, 360-degree visual experience that goes beyond what you’ll find at a regular movie theater. Explore the origins of life or journey to distant galaxies in shows narrated by the likes of Lupita Nyong’o. The lineup includes kid-friendly programs, as well as laser light shows set to Taylor Swift and The Weeknd. Tickets range from $4 to $8, and the planetarium also hosts live stargazing nights and special events throughout the year.
💵 $4-$8📍Science Hall, 201 Mullica Hill Rd., Glassboro, N.J. 08028, 📞 856-256-4389, 🌐 sites.rowan.edu/planetarium
Take the family for a nature walk through three miles of easy trails that wind around the forest and waterways of Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford. The refuge is home to about 50 species — including reptiles, hawks, and small mammals — that visitors can see in the wildlife housing area. Stop by the nature center before your walk to explore interactive exhibits and the Reptile Room.
💵 $5-$10,📍4 Sawmill Rd., Medford, N.J. 08055, 📞 856-983-3329, 🌐 cedarrun.org
Get your hands in the dirt — and maybe feed a goat or two — at Johnson’s Corner Farm in Medford. A $6 to $12 day pass grants access to the Discovery Barn, where kids can play on a pretend farm, race pedal and go-carts, and cool off in the splash zone. The farm also offers a “U-Pick” program for seasonal crops like apples, blueberries, and radishes.
💵 $6-$12📍133 Church Rd., Medford, N.J. 08055, 📞 609-654-8643, 🌐 johnsonsfarm.com