Things to Do in Delaware

Shrill giggles and the pitter-patter of tiny, sock-swathed feet echo off the walls of Pump It Up, where lilliputian guests pinball through a metropolis of inflatable slides and bouncy enclosures. During glow pop-in play, tykes frolic in the radiance of special lights, and in pirate-themed sessions, youngsters don costumes or just feel less self-conscious about the parrot permanently affixed to their shoulder. Small groups of ankle-biters tear through the facility during private parties, plummeting down slides, scaling plush ladders, and bounding off of springy floors.

Though Longwood Gardens owes its current incarnation to the tireless efforts of industrialist, philanthropist, and conservationist Pierre du Pont, the property’s history stretches back to precolonial days. The Peirce family purchased the land from William Penn himself in 1700, and by the end of the century the Quakers had already begun developing an arboretum on the premises. In the century that followed, the homestead was purchased by an ambitious 36-year-old du Pont in 1906. Throughout the next 30 years, the man who made General Motors built another legacy, this one rife with extravagant European-style fountains, a picturesque 600-foot garden walk, and 40 indoor and outdoor gardens. Today, visitors experience a bit of du Pont’s passion for the tropical flora of the Americas during jaunts through the property’s 1,077 colorful acres, where they run into everything from flowering trees and delicate hybrids to carnivorous pitcher plants. In addition to cultivating lush flora, the garden’s stewards also encourage growing minds with an ever-changing roster of events, such as internationally acclaimed musical acts and immersive educational experiences.

The 8th Annual Harvest Festival will showcase the 2010 vintage grapen goodness of eight distinct wineries along the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail. With barbecues, hayrides, and free license to use words such as oaky, robust, and foozy, the festival is bound to please cork-poppers of all philosophies. Tickle ear hammers with live music on the 26th and 3rd at Black Walnut Winery or at Chaddsford Winery, which is also hosting a festival wine sale. The Kreutz Creek Vineyards are having their second-annual Grape Stomping Competition on the 25th and 2nd, and Stargazers Vineyard is holding a blending workshop (additional $5 fee).

Ornate railings flank the steps to one of BlueBallRoom Dance Studio’s two spacious dance floors, whose hardwood-maple surfaces mask springy, joint-cushioning subfloors. The studio's team of talented teachers leads classes in a monthly rotation of social dances ranging from Argentine tango and various ballroom styles to intermediate touchdown dancing. Group classes encompass these styles as well as cardio-centric Zumba, famed for its easy-to-follow steps and driving Latin beats. Private-lesson subscribers, meanwhile, get closer attention and a chance to hone their footwork at regularly held free dance parties.

At Mansion House Paintball, mature trees tower over wooded fields with boughs battered by kaleidoscopic shrapnel. Paintball soldiers dive behind these tree trunks or weave through barrels, wood panels, or cable rungs in all-season, outdoor battle played in rain or sunshine. Individuals can walk on for games during the weekend, and private groups or corporate teams can reserve the fields for parties or retreats to determine who cleans out the corner office’s adjoining stable.

Up to 23 rounds burst through a barricade as a haze of bullets chases its retreating target. Though it sounds like a scene from an action movie, Shooter's Choice hosts such sequences every Thursday night at its charity tournaments. The evenings have raised large donations for Delaware Hospice and the Kent County SPCA. By day, the indoor, electronically controlled range challenges marksmen with two different five-position ranges with targets anywhere from 50 to 75 feet away.

For visitors craving more training before pulling the trigger, Shooter's Choice's NRA-certified instructors teach one-on-one lessons or group courses geared toward such topics as firearm safety and home protection. In addition to its stock of novelty Zombie Max ammo and shotguns that shoot BB guns, the pro shop's staff pairs patrons with a range of firearms, cleaning supplies, magazines, and range bags.