Things to Do in Dover

Nationwide Bowling Centers orchestrates a cacophonous symphony of clanking pins and cheering bowlers at 11 modern bowling centers located throughout New Jersey. Center size varies from the Hudson-Bayonne location where 60 lanes with automatic scoring, a grill, sports bar, and arcade games accommodate armadas of bowlers to Garden Palace, which houses 16 lanes, a bar, and a snack shop. At all locations, staffers host birthday parties and corporate events and organize leagues for competitive bowlers or people who just like to chuck heavy objects as hard as they can.

Helmed by a team of passionate climbing coaches, both of The Gravity Vault's locations surround climbers with more than 13,000 square feet of climbing space. Walls tower past 35 feet, mimicking such natural rock formations as overhangs, keyhole arches, and slabs, and bouldering areas challenge climbers with a latticework of problems that—unlike most of life's—can't simply be solved with dynamite and a pair of roller skates. Visitors can choose from up to 60 top-rope stations, trusting either the trained staff or a certified fellow climber to man the ropes while they scramble to the summit. When not dangling from a hold or saving lost kittens from a rappel ledge, members can bulk up in the cardiovascular-training area.

Under the umbrella of The Bowling Proprietors' Association of North Jersey, an eclectic group of alleys work together to fill the region with the thunder of scattering pins. At most of Bowling Proprietors' bowling centers, bowlers keep track of pummeled pins with automatic scoring, and bumpers, which arrive at the call of a button, keep balls on course without filling the gutters with retired VCRs. Snack bars at some locations bolster ravenous bowlers, and game rooms in select centers keep hand-eye coordination in peak condition. Free WiFi is available in some centers so that winners can exercise bragging rights.

Inside Pump It Up's 12,000-square-foot facility, sock-clad feet scamper across custom-designed inflatable play structures, slides, and obstacle courses while an attentive staff supervises. On Jump-N-Art days, kids can follow open-bouncing sessions with arts-and-crafts projects, and vibrant neon lights illuminate the dimmed facility during Glow Parties. An onsite party room hosts bouncers and their parents, who refuel with pizza, soda, and juice. The center also supplies up to 25 children or 250 life-size Hannah Montana cutouts with private party packages, which grant guests exclusive access to the facility along with catering, cake, and goody bags.

Tiny tumblers flip, twirl, and roll across the blue and black padded expanse of Kangaroo Kidz Youth Gymnastics’ studio. The center’s skilled instructors helm Mommy and Me classes, where kids as young as 1 years old discover the world around them with songs and examinations of specific pieces of equipment. Classes for older students build strength and flexibility through exercises such as headstands, cartwheels, and back-hand springs. Outside of regular classes, summer camps keep kids occupied with activities and playtime unified by special weekly themes, such as the Olympics or mad science. Parents' Night Out evenings empower moms and dads to have a night on the town as their child plays at the center, practicing gymnastics moves with which to impress dates many years in the future.

When Francesca Piotrowsky and Amy Sahagian, each mother to a trio of little ones, met at a stay-at-home mom’s group, they discovered a shared vision for an interactive place where their kids could frolic and socialize in a structured environment. The enterprising duo brought their dream to life with Monkeydoodles Playroom, a spacious facility stocked with toys, cushioned geometric shapes, and climbable structures. The playroom hosts 45-minute classes that help youngsters develop age-appropriate skills, such as balance and coordination, taking turns, or the ability to use trigonometry to pin the tail on the donkey. Open playtime sessions summon tykes aged 6 months to 5 years for independent escapades in the ball pit or astride a rocking horse.

Progenitors can prepare snacks in the playroom’s kitchen as their offspring mimic their actions in a pretend kitchen. The life-size kitchen lets parents tuck away a birthday cake during parties, for which Monkeydoodles Playroom can provide pizza and balloons for guests to gather into bunches and ride home on the breeze.