2022 Winter Fun Guide! - The Monmouth Moms

  Winter time can drag on and seem endless, especially during these crazy times. Living in such a beautiful area with tons of summertime activities, it can be challenging to keep the kids busy when it’s cold! Check out our updated 15 Local Things to Do – Winter Edition. We’ve rounded up something for everyone in the fam (even an idea for for parents night out!). Enjoy!

 *Make sure to visit websites prior to heading out for updated COVID-19 regulations

 

 


Rock Hunting at Deep Cut Gardens – Middletown, NJ

Take the kids to Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown and explore the grounds for hidden painted rocks. Once you find one, take a picture and post it on the Facebook page dedicated to Deep Cut Rocks (found here), and then hide it somewhere else for others to find!

 

 


 

Explore Bell Works

Monmouth County’s own “metro-burb,” an indoor space that spans the length of more than three footballs fields, is the perfect spot to bring the family and explore. You can take the kids for a long walk, visit the Holmdel Library, and check out the stores and lunch spots. Visit a virtual reality center, Oasis VRX, or get lost in Escapology. It’s definitely a great place to break up the day and get out of the house!

 

 


 

Check out our Local Guide to Sledding & Ice Skating!

Once we start getting some more snow, take the kids sledding! Check out our Sledding Guide with the link here for a list of spots to go in Monmouth County!

 

 


 

Visit Pier Village

Pier Village is a fun way to spend the afternoon! It’s home to plenty of great restaurants like McCloone’s Pier House, Sirena Ristorante, Stewart’s Root Beer, Turning Point, Playa Bowls, Wine Loft, and lots more!  Take the kids on the carousel, do some shopping, go ice skating, and head to Boardwalk Fun and Games!


 

Monmouth County Park System Winter Park Scavenger Hunt

  Winter is a beautiful time to bundle up and get out to explore your Monmouth County parks! Head to the parks with your children this winter and seek out the objects listed here. Find and check off 15 items on the list and fill out the form at the bottom and mail it to the address provided by March 15, 2022!

 


 

Head to the Movies

Bring the family to the movies. We’ve listed some of our favorite spots below!

Cinemark, Hazlet

AMC, Freehold

AMC, Eatowntown

Atlantic Highlands Cinema

–Basie Center Cinemas

 


 

Walk around Red Bank

Red Bank is one of our favorite spots to park the car around the holidays and just walk around. It’s small enough to bring the little ones, and you don’t have to walk miles to get anywhere, there’s still plenty to do! Start by grabbing a coffee at Rook in town. The whole family always has a good time at Yestercades, where you can play vintage video games at hourly rates. Swing by Marine Park, do some shopping, and grab some lunch or dinner at Dublin HousePatrizia’s, or Birravino.

 


 

Visit iPlay America

NJ’s largest indoor amusement park is right in Freehold, NJ. Top Golf Swing Suites, games, rides, food and drink are among the many amenities you’ll find at iPlay! iPlay is also adhering to all COVID-19 regulations to keep visitors safe! Visit their website to learn more!

 

iplayamerica.com

 


Manasquan Reservoir

One of our favorite places to go for a long walk or run is Manasquan Reservoir. It’s incredibly scenic, and there’s a five mile trail along the perimeter of the reservoir. Make sure you take pictures, it’s really something!

 

 

 


 

Visit Spring Lake

 Dubbed the “Jewel of the Jersey Shore,” Spring Lake is by far the cutest beach town in Monmouth County! Stay at adorable B & B’s, shop in their infamous shopping district, dine for lunch, or just take a stroll down the tree-lined, picturesque streets of this cozy beach town.

visitspringlake.com

 


 

 

Walk the Fitness Trail at Holmdel Park

Incorporating a healthier lifestyle in 2022? The fitness trail at Holmdel Park is just over three miles, and the perfect distance to walk/hike with the family. We go here year round, and bundle up a little more when it’s cold out. If it’s not too cold, stop at the playground with the kids too! Learn more about Holmdel Park here!

 

 


Visit Monmouth Museum

  Monmouth Museum, located on the same campus as Brookdale Community College, is a hidden gem for the whole family! The Monmouth Museum, a Museum of Ideas, presents changing art, history and science exhibitions to educate and entertain while providing a destination for creative expression and life-long learning to the diverse community it serves. Each of the programs and exhibitions at the Museum is designed with the goal of increasing curiosity and learning. For children who visit with their families and schools, the Museum has developed strategies to make learning fun by employing hands-on, participatory activities which engage and focus young visitors. Check out their holiday train display too!


 

Visit The Historic Village at Allaire

The Historic Village at Allaire has tons to offer families in Monmouth County. Located in Farmingdale, NJ, Allaire was once an iron-producing, factory-town known as the Howell Iron Works, Co. The Village was a self-sufficient community containing a carpentry and pattern making shop, a blacksmith shop, a bakery, a boarding house, a blast furnace, mills to finish iron products, a school, a church, a general store with a post office, and workers’ home. Today the Historic Village at Allaire is an interactive museum where visitors can experience history directly through hands-on activities.

 


Winter Beach Walk

The winter is actually one of the best times of year to find shells along the shore. Bundle up and bring some pails down on the sand. You can find a full list of local beaches here!

 


 

Visit a Local Brewery

Have a babysitter for the evening? Visit or pick-up some beer and do a beer tasting from one of Monmouth County’s amazing breweries! We’ve listed some below!

 

Source Farmhouse Brewery- Colts Neck, NJ

Alternate Ending Beer Co. – Aberdeen, NJ

Asbury Park Brewery – Asbury Park, NJ

Red Tank Brewing – Red Bank, NJ

Beach Haus Brewery – Belmar, NJ

Bradley Brew Project – Bradley Beach, NJ

Kane Brewing Company – Ocean, NJ

 


 

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