Summer Friends Day Camp, Matawan

Every kid needs room to run and play, and Summer Friends Day Camp has seven full acres for summertime fun. Located in the Matawan/Old Bridge area, this retreat for children ages 2 1/2 to 13 treats campers to a full day of sporting activities led by professional instructors—including archery, karate, gymnastics, tennis, softball, and hockey—plus arts and crafts. With three on-site pools (overseen by Red Cross-certified lifeguards), kids learn the ways of the water in 45-minute instructional sessions, plus an extra daily swim period to splash and show off their strokes. Other perks include an included lunch period, dance and drama classes, and the gleeful inflatable fun slide of Spider Mountain.