Summer Reading Programs @ Your Library: Every Hero Has a Story!

Every year libraries across the country plan a summer full of reading and fun activities to go with the chosen theme (most libraries also offer kids a chance to keep a reading log to turn in for prizes, etc.) This year the theme is "Every Hero Has a Story". Yep, all super heroes--all summer long!

Camden County libraries are featuring fun things to do like interactive performances by Mr. Malcolm, super hero training, super hero story times, crafts, science experiments and much more. Click here for the full calendar at all branches.

Gloucester County libraries start the summer program out with a Summer Reading Kick-Off Party with Magician Brian Richards at the Mullica Hill main branch on June 27.  Other activities include super hero painting on canvases, cooking and making your own edible kryptonite, meet 'n greets with costumed heroes, movie times, and much more. Click here for the full calendar at all branches.

Woodbury Public Library has announced their participation in this year's theme, but has yet to spill the beans on the details. They do, however, list days and times for different age groups to come in and have some fun. Click here to get that info, but keep checking back with them for further details.

Burlington County libraries are having some super fun stuff like craft make and takes, super hero movie matinees, a super hero vs. princess dance party, super hero scavenger hunts, a hurray for heroes parade, and much more! Click here to find all the events.

Unfortunately I was unable to find out if Salem County libraries are participating, but click here to get the contact info for each library in their network and check out what they have planned for the summer.

If you'll be by the beach this summer you can visit the Cape May County libraries to check out some books and summer reading fun! They have planned some neat stuff like science storytellers, puppet shows, meet the super heroes of science, little heroes story times, make a craft with the Origami Swami, and more. Click here for the full calendar of events.

Cumberland County libraries has 3 different variations on the theme according to age: Every Hero Has a Story for Kids, Unmask for Teens, and Escape the Ordinary for Adults. For more info you must click here and go to their site and register. 

Atlantic County libraries are offering activites such as comic book drawing, a mask and cape craft, super hero movie marathons, dress up days, attend a comic book swap, and much more. Click here for their full calendar.

In Delaware, the libraries there are also participating in the Every Hero Has a Story theme, but you must register your child online to get the details. Click here for more info and to register.

In Philadelphia they are doing their own theme and it's called Summer of Wonder. Check out the info above or click here to take you to their website.

Review: Soupy Island

Summer is upon us and of course that makes me think about swimming!

Ya know, some of our family's favorite hot spots are those that are off the beaten track. Soupy Island is such a place. I did most of my growing up in Gloucester County, New Jersey. And that whole time, unbeknownst to me, there was a place for family fun right under my nose. Soupy Island, or the the Sanitarium Playground as it was once called, is located in Thorofare, at the intersection of Center and and 2nd streets. I didn't find out about it until I was an adult and moved back to the area with my family. How weird is that?

In the 1800's there was a hospital on that land to treat children with tuberculosis. The children came from Philly, which was crowded with cramped apartments and was no place for children to heal and get healthier. At Soupy Island children could get lots of fresh air and play outside. A steam powered carousel was built! Every day they were given nourishing, hot soup.

Flash forward to decades later when hygiene was better and antibiotics and vaccinations were introduced to the area. The hospital was torn down and 2 swimming pools were put in. Underprivileged children from the city were treated to a boat ride across the Delaware River daily so they could eat and play in a safe, fun environment. During the Great Depression over 8,000 families were fed at Soupy Island. In the 1930's, the original carousel broke down and was replaced with a new one. Around 1970, children started being bussed over to Soupy Island from Camden.

TODAY when you visit Soupy Island, it is still free to anyone who wants to come play. The carousel is still there, as is a giant covered slide (built in 1907), and the 2 pools. If you really wanna zoom down the slide, bring a piece of wax paper with you to sit on! There is also playground equipment, a soccer field, a basketball court, a pile o' tires to climb on and pavilions with picnic tables. They STILL serve soup, crackers, and milk for lunch, which is also free.

How is this possible?

A trust fund was set up years ago to keep the place going, and donations of soup come from Campbell's, of course!

Wanna go? Here are the details. It is not usually open to the public until just after 4th of July. In July and August they are open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:30 - 3:00. I would suggest calling before you visit to make sure the hours/days haven't changed. Groups can reserve Soupy Island for picnics/parties for a small fee.

856-845-2430

Tri-State Hot Spots gives Soupy Island
3 out of 3 thumbs up!

Freebies for Parents: Family Fun Magazine

For a limited time you can order Family Fun magazine absolutely free, no strings attached!

Family Fun is a great magazine with kid-friendly recipes, crafts, and plenty of ways to keep the kiddos occupied. Of course it's fantastic---it's published by Disney!

Backyard Ice Cream Social at DSC, May 30th 2015

You guys already know how much I love DSC, right?

Well, I love them even more when they host cool events like the one coming up this Saturday. New to Deptford Skating Center this month---ice cream! And to celebrate, they are holding a giant ice cream social in their backyard with lots of fun and free activities.

Then...stay and skate for free! If you need to rent skates it's just $4.50 + tax.

Sweet!

Movies on the Beach, NJ

My family absolutely adores going to the movies. It's definitely one of our favorite past times! And although we enjoy Movies in the Park, we really dig Movies on the Beach.

Here are some of the beaches hosting movie nights in Summer 2015:

Stone Harbor, NJ

SH Elementary School 275 93rd St.

Okay, not technically on the beach but in a beach town. On Wednesday's July 1 - September 2, bring your beach blankets or chairs to watch a family-friendly flick on a large outdoor screen. Dusk.

*See the pic above for showtimes

Brigantine, NJ

On select Wednesday's, bring your beach chairs or blankets and enjoy a family film under the stars. 8:00 pm

15th Street South Beach

7/22 Big Hero 6

7/29 The Lego Movie

8/12 Maleficent

8/19 Cinderella (new)

Avalon, NJ

On select Tuesday's head on over to the beach for some movie time with the fam!
BYO chairs/blankets. 8:45 pm

30th Street Beach

6/30 Earth to Echo

7/7 Maleficent

7/14 Dolphin Tale 2

7/21 Paddington

7/28 Disney Pixar's Planes: Fire and Rescue

8/4 Big Hero 6

8/11 Cinderella (new)

8/18 Finding Nemo

8/25 Into the Woods

Cape May, NJ

On Select Thursdays, head on over with your beach chairs, because no tags are required for movie nights in Cape May!

Near the Convention Hall...you can't miss the giant inflatable movie screen I'm told.

7/9 E.T.

7/16 Field of Dreams

7/23 Hook

7/30 JAWS

8/6 Elf

8/13 Spaceballs

8/20 The Karate Kid (original)

8/27 Back to the Future

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

Friday nights are movie nights! Bring chairs and meet the crowd at the pavilion near dark.

6/26 Despicable Me 2

7/10 Maleficent

7/17 Planes: Fire and Rescue

7/24 Frozen

7/31 Big Hero 6

8/7 Paddington

8/14 Muppets Most Wanted

8/21 The Boxtrolls

8/28 Guardians of the Galaxy

9/4 Jurassic Park

Sea Isle City, NJ

On select Tuesday's, join the beach-goers for movies under the stars. Meet at Excursion Park at dusk. Bring your chairs.

6/30 Paddington

7/7 The Boxtrolls

7/14 Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July

7/21 The Lego Movie

7/28 Earth to Echo

8/4 Planes: Fire and Rescue

8/11 Maleficent

8/18 Dolphin Tale 2

8/25 Annie (new)

9/2 Cinderella (new)

Edited to add:

Atlantic City, NJ (not all are rated G)

Bartram Avenue Beach

7/10  The Lego Movie
7/17  Big Hero 6
7/24  Up
8/7  Tangled
8/14  Ratatouille
8/21  Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
8/28  Cinderella (new)


Brighton Park

7/12  Into the Woods
7/26  Paddington
8/2  Maleficent
8/9  Dolphin Tale 2
8/23 Cantinflas
8/30  Cinderella (new)


Historic Gardener's Basin

7/13  Annie (new)
7/20  The Blind Side
8/3 Moms Night Out
8/10  Maleficent
8/17  Captain America
8/24  Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
8/31  The Expendables 3

Review: DSC (or as we called it as kids, Deptford Skating Center)

Deptford Skating Center was a staple of my childhood. I attended plenty of kiddie parties there in elementary school and as a pre-teen my friends and I went there on Friday nights to meet boys at Teen Scene. I guess you can say I have always been a fan!

Who ever would have thought that someday I would take my own son there? When he was 2ish I started taking him there with other mommies in our playgroup. They had a little skating lesson followed by open play/skate for a couple of hours. It's called Tykes Tuesday and they still have it (my kiddo is 10 now).

One year I decided to have my son's birthday party there. If you've ever looked around for a venue to book for a kid's party, I don't have to tell you that you can easily pay half a mortgage payment for a child's party. It's ridiculous! However, DSC is different. Parties start at $129.99, which is insanely cheap, and we went for the $179.99 option. In a nutshell, 8 kids can do all three activities available, which are of course skating AND the moon bounce thingies AND the FunZone which is a climbing play structure. DSC provides everything you need...pizza, drinks, paper products, balloons, skate rentals, and tokens for the arcade. All I had to do was show up with cake. My kid had a fantastic time and so did his friends. I highly recommend it!

DSC is also a great place because whenever there are school holidays, winter and spring breaks, and it's summer time they offer free skate sessions. Yeah, if your kids want to do the other attractions you have to pay for those. But it's still a great day out and will tire your kids out. And that's the sign of a good time, right? 

Tri-State Hot Spots gives Deptford Skating Center
 3 out of 3 thumbs up!

NOT Your Mama's Library!

Libraries have come a long way since we were kids. Yeah, they've always had books and CD's and movies to check out (although they were on VHS back in the day). But nowadays the library has so much more to offer!

Check out some of the cool things available at most modern libraries (participation varies):

• Many libraries have fantastic children's programming which can include weekly get-togethers for moms with babies and toddlers with songs and fingerplays and socialization, age appropriate storytimes, crafts, clubs for older kids, and summer reading programs. 

• If you have kids, one of the coolest things is that lots of libraries now have family membership passes that you can check out and visit museums and other neat places for FREE! Ask your librarian which venues they have passes for. 

• One thing I found out as a mom was that you can go online and request books you want to read to be placed on hold for you. Then you can pick them up at your convenience and get books without having to spend lots of precious spare time searching and searching the shelves. The librarians can even get you the books you are interested in from OTHER libraries and call or email you when they arrive! I have always loved to read, but with a baby constantly in tow this was a lifesaver! 

• There are also e-books, audio books, music, magazines, movies, and even comic books that you can borrow via services such as OverDrive, Freading, Hoopla, Sync, Zinio, and Freegal.

• Another nice thing for students in particular is that libraries now have subscriptions to services from online databases that are great for writing papers, researching topics, and even homework help. Examples are EBSCO, Lexis Nexis, ERIC, Ancestry.com, Medline PLUS, GALE, and Tutor.com

Gloucester County Libraries, NJ
Woodbury Public Library, NJ
West Deptford Free Public Library, NJ
Margaret E. Heggan Library, NJ
Camden County Libraries, NJ
Burlington County Libraries, NJ
Salem County Libraries, NJ

Free Library of Philadelphia, PA
Pennsylvania Public Libraries, PA

Delaware Libraries, DE

Shore to Please (Free Beaches)

As a Jersey girl I love spending a day at the beach! And as a frugal mama, my very favorite beaches are those that are free. No beach tags required.



In New Jersey...

• The Wildwoods. 

          You've got North Wildwood. Wildwood (the epi-center of fun, where the boardwalk looms).               And Wildwood Crest. All those beaches. All free!

• Atlantic City.

          Casinos. Shows. Fine Dining. And free beaches!

• Cape May Point State Park.

          Very low-key. But no lifeguards on duty, so swim at your own risk and watch your littles. Very            quiet spot. Also free!



And in Delaware...(I have yet to check these out)

• Rehoboth Beach

• Dewey Beach

• Bethany Beach

Did I miss any of your favorites? Leave a comment below!

Museums on Us

During first full weekend of each month, Bank of America cardholders can gain free admission to over 150 museums, science centers, and botanical gardens. Their Museums on Us program is easy--simply flash your card and get in free! And be sure to check their web site frequently because they are always adding to the growing list of museums, etc. that are participating.

New Jersey

Garden State Discovery Museum
The Noyes Museum of Art, Stockton University
Wheaton Arts and Culture Village
Liberty Science Center
Montclair Art Museum
Morris Museum
Newark Museum
Aljira, A Center for Contemporary Art

Delaware

Delaware Art Museum
Delaware Museum of Natural History

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Museum of Art
National Constitution Center
African American Museum in Philadelphia
National Museum of Jewish History
Allentown Art Museum
Carnegie Museum of Art

Free National Park Days

Did you know that there are certain days of the year when you can visit the National Parks of the United States for no entrance fee? It's a year-round program, but there are still several left in 2015:

August 25th

September 26th

November 11th

There are seriously wayyyy too many National Parks to list...

Click here for New Jersey parks

Click here for Delaware parks

Click here for Pennsylvania parks

Free Fishing Days, State-by-State

If you're like us and aren't big fishermen, you'll be glad to know that there are Free Fishing Days...that is, days when you may go fishing without paying the money to go get a license. My son gets a hankering to go once or twice a year. And that is totally enough fishing for me and my hubby.



NEW JERSEY

June 13th and October 17th



DELAWARE

June 6th-7th



PENNSYLVANIA

May 24th and July 4th

Target Community Events

Every mama's favorite store, Target, is partnering up with local arts organizations to create free and reduced-fee events for children.

As of now, New Jersey and Delaware have no participating locations.

However, Philadelphia has 2!

The Please Touch Museum offers $2 admission on the 1st Wednesday of the month. 

And Franklin Institute offers free admission on select nights 5-8 pm, usually the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Yes, you can see a show in the IMAX while you're there. 

Bowling and Rolling This Summer

If your kids are looking for something to do indoors this summer, bowling and roller skating are the 2 no-brainer options! There are lots of places that offer these two activities for free or nearly free:

Brunswick Zone locations across the country are offering 3 free games per person all summer long. All you need to do is rent those hideous shoes (unless you have your own)!

Kids Bowl Free is a program that lets you find the alleys in your neck of the woods that participate in free summer bowling. The only drawback is that it limits you to signing up for passes for one alley. And again, you need to rent bowling shoes or bring your own.

Kids Skate Free is a program that helps you find the skating rinks in your area that participate in free summer skating. Just like the bowling, you can bring your own skates and then it's a free day. If not, skates can be rented cheaply at all rinks.