Things to Do in Hopatcong Hills

A family-owned business of 11 years, Lockwood Farms blossoms with an ever-metamorphosing selection of plants and flowers. Owners Randi and Mark bustle around the garden center each day, overseeing the staff and offering assistance and gardening counsel to customers. Their gardens house more than 40 types of vegetables and herbs along with an eclectic mix of flowers, trees, and shrubs. An extensive selection of birdbaths, fountains, and pottery punctuates the grounds, and an onsite three-story gift shop stocks collectibles and decor from designers such as Jim Shore, Heritage Lace, and Willow Tree. The center's florists also snip fresh flowers into custom bouquets for a variety of occasions ranging from anniversary celebrations to birthdays.

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.

Spring Valley Equestrian Center has been family owned for four decades. Current owners Marie Cotton and Chuck McWhirter spearhead instruction in both English and Western horseback-riding techniques on the scenic ranch, which abuts the Appalachian Trail Ridge. A large indoor arena complements the center's three riding rings, allowing horses to gallop comfortably throughout the year and eliminating the need for them to fly south for the winter. Spring Valley’s saddle shop allows equines to suit up onsite. In addition to group and private lessons, the center hosts summer horsemanship camps that include a week of lessons and conclude with a student horse show.

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.

Students who want to ride one of Equestrian Enterprize's trusty steeds don't have to wait until their first lesson to meet the animals. The staff is so fond of its four-legged instructors that each one gets its own page on the website. Guests can meet Isiah, the Percheron gelding whose long white eyelashes will steal your heart, or RJ Rabbit, the 10-year-old quarter pony who fancies himself the barn clown. These introductions are engaging, but riders won't really know the team until they visit the picturesque facility, where an indoor arena and four outdoor riding rings sit flanked by lush trees and rugged trails. In this setting, teachers call on their competition experience to instill students with the skills to handle horses in the english, western, dressage, or driving disciplines. For seasoned riders or unkempt centaurs, the equestrian specialists also offer boarding services with custom feeding programs, ample turnout, and regular stall cleaning.