Verona, NJ Indoor Activities

Rows of LCD televisions cast a glow across Power Play Gaming’s cavernous gaming room, reflecting the competitive glint in players’ eyes as they attempt to slay their enemies with intricate button combos. The battles and races that play out on each screen represent the pinnacle of modern video gaming, with selections from the latest Xbox 360, Wii, and PlayStation consoles on prominent display. Players can test their luck in solo adventures by the hour or declare their participation in one of the regular tournaments by slapping their desired opponents with a controller. The gaming center also specializes in parties, during which groups of up to 20 friends can join together for multiplayer jaunts through cyberspace.

While waiting for the end of a party or regular gaming session, parents can sip complimentary coffee, recline in massaging chairs, and surf the Internet on waves of free WiFi. The gaming hot spot is open Wednesday–Sunday for casual gamers, though parties can be scheduled outside of regular business hours.

Eagle Martial Arts’ owner and chief instructor Master Jan is a man of simple tastes: he enjoys sparring, archery, watching Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master, and molding the lives of students through ancient training regimens. Assisted by a team of teachers—many of who were or still are his own students—the Master imparts the wisdom he gained on his way to a fifth-degree black belt during kids’ karate classes, adult fitness kickboxing classes, and full mixed martial arts conditioning. Students switch styles, learning basic self-defense techniques, advanced muay thai strikes, and the grappling art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which uses a combination of choke holds, joint locks, and discretely hidden car keys to trap an opponent.

Owners Howard Abraham and Teddy Glytsea are no strangers to inflatable fun. Not only does the duo also own Inflatable Party Adventures, but one or both can be found at Screamin’ Parties at any time, ensuring each attraction's optimum springiness and impeccable cleanliness. As sock-covered feet trample about inside several bounce houses, young ones cut a rug on an interactive game floor and relive Jacques Cousteau’s worst day ever by gliding through a 20-foot inflatable shark slide. An obstacle course beckons excitable tots to zoom through its cushiony labyrinth, and oversized piano keys stretch across the floor to invite rousing performances by stomping feet. Trained staffers keep a close eye on every colorful attraction, offering careful attention for those with special needs, and spend the end of each day wiping down and sanitizing every surface.

It takes copious amounts of energy to transform a child's body into an adult's, so it’s no wonder that such energy sometimes overflows. At Planet Kidz, a fleet of chipper teachers helps kids find constructive outlets for that energy, keeping bodies healthy and minds creatively engaged. The center’s dance and yoga programs tailor training toward developing bodies and students who love to learn in a non-competitive environment. During gymnastics classes, instructors challenge tykes to improve their coordination and flexibility, which help lay the fundamental physical foundation for other popular sports such as soccer or juggling Mom's vases. Self-discipline and self-defense share the spotlight during karate classes, and kids develop social niceties and fine motor skills at arts and crafts sessions.

While kids play and learn, parents can recline on couches, observe classes through a one-way mirror, or down beverages from a complimentary coffee and water bar. Cable TV ensures that adults stay on top of incoming broadcasts, and free WiFi keeps robot nannies from suddenly shutting down.

Wide windows flank one wall of Inner Spirit Studio’s 2,500-square-foot facility, and floor-to-ceiling mirrors flank the other. In this airy, light-filled space, instructors lead students through hot-yoga and Pilates routines. The studio contains locker rooms for men and women, complete with private shower stalls.

Hawthorne Theater was established in 1927, making it one of the first movie houses established in the area. And though at almost 90 years of age the space is older than most buildings in North America, it's recently undergone major renovations to keep up with modern technology. According to an interview with owner Jack Sayegh at NorthJersey.com, the fully digital five-screen cinema was outfitted with new carpeting and chairs, Real D and 3-D movie equipment, Dolby Surround Sound in all theaters, and human ticket-takers to replace the outdated robot ones. The article also cites that the theater––which has been independently owned since 1980––is maintained by Jack's father, uncle, and cousin, reinforcing its family-friendly nature.