Planning your beach days? Don’t miss our Shore and Summer Fun Guide — packed with top picks to make every weekend count.

You wait for it all year: that moment when you can escape to the beach. Maybe it’s just a day trip, maybe it’s for two weeks, but family time at the Jersey Shore is precious, full of memorable moments, big and small.

Top Jersey Shore Picks: Food, Fun, and Family Activities

We want to help you make the most of the time you do have. That’s why we put together this list of must-do activities — a bucket list, of sorts — that’s full of fun places. We combed through our staff’s favorites, and suggestions from our readers, to pick out the very best stops along the shore, from Barnegat Light, NJ to Bethany Beach, DE. So when you pack up, take our list with you. And don’t forget the sunscreen!

Where to Eat at the Jersey Shore

From boardwalk ice cream to date-night dining, the find exactly what you want to eat down the shore. Check out our favorite spots, from kid-friendly bites to romantic seafood dinners.

Kid-Friendly

• Viking Fresh Off the Hook, Barnegat Light (open on weekends starting May 16)
• DeNunzio’s Brick Oven Pizza and Grille, Sea Isle City (opening dates TBD)
• Manco & Manco, Ocean City and Somers Point
• Carmen’s Seafood Restaurant, Sea Isle City (Has a sandbox for the kids!)
• Windrift, Avalon
• Quahog’s Seafood Shack, Stone Harbor (Opens for the season on May 7)
• Smitty’s Clam Bar, Somers Point
• Woodies Drive In, Ship Bottom

Great for a Date Night

• Black Eyed Susans, Harvey Cedars
• McLoone’s Pier House, Long Branch
• Crab Trap, Somers Point
• The Reeds at Shelter Haven, Stone Harbor
• The Diving Horse, Avalon
• Buckets Margarita Bar, Stone Harbor
• Steve and Cookie’s, Margate
• Quahog’s Seafood Shack, Stone Harbor (Opens for the season on May 7)

Ice Cream

• The Big Dipper, Surf City
• The Dairy Bar, Margate
• Johnny B. Goode, Ocean City
• Marita’s Homemade Ice Cream, Sea Isle City (Opens for the season on May 22)
• Skipper Dipper, Beach Haven
• Springers, Stone Harbor (A staff favorite!)
• Kohr Brothers Frozen Custard, multiple locations
• Two Cents Plain, Margate
• Yum Yum, Sea Isle City

Breakfast

• Oves Beach Grill, Ocean City (Opens for the season on May 22)
• Uncle Bill’s Pancake House, Avalon, Cape May, Ocean City, Stone Harbor, Wildwood
• The Bread and Cheese Cupboard, Stone Harbor
• Hannah G’s, Ventnor
• Ozzie’s Luncheonette, Longport
• Johnny’s Cafe and Lounge, Margate
• Sunrise Cafe, Ocean City

Fun in the Sun (and Rain)

Whatever the weather, the Jersey Shore is packed with arcades, mini golf, camps, and outdoor adventures for every age.

Where to Spend a Rainy Day

• Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, Long Beach
• Jilly’s Arcade, Ocean City
• Atlantic City Aquarium, Atlantic City
• RiGi’s Amusement Center, Stone Harbor (opening dates TBD)
• Encounters, Ocean City
• SwellColors Glass Studio & Gallery, Surf City

Outdoor Fun Off the Beach

• Cape May County Park & Zoo, Cape May Court House
• Fantasy Island, Beach Haven
• Island Water Sports, Stone Harbor
• OC Waterpark, Ocean City
• Playland’s Castaway Cove, Ocean City

Camps and Educational Activities

• Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor
• Cape May County Library, Stone Harbor Branch
• Crafty Chef Academy, Stone Harbor
• LBI Foundation of the Arts & Sciences, Love Ladies
• Nature Center of Cape May, Cape May
• Camp By the Sea, Margate
• Sea Isle City Recreation Camp, Sea Isle City
• Stone Harbor Recreation, Stone Harbor
• Kitchen Wizards, multiple locations

Mini Golf

• Hartland Golf & Arcade, Ship Bottom
• Pirate Island Miniature Golf, multiple locations
• Congo Falls Adventure Golf, Ocean City
• Haunted Golf, Ocean City

Evening Activities

• Ocean City Boardwalk: Stroll, snack, and enjoy family-friendly entertainment.
• Outdoor Events: Check Avalon, Stone Harbor, and Sea Isle City websites for concerts, movies, and more.

Favorite Beach Gear Shops and Souvenir Shops

Forgot to pack your sand toys? Beach chairs couldn’t fit in the car? No worries. Stock up on everything you need for a perfect beach day, from surf gear to classic shore trinkets. These shops have got the gear up and down the coast.

• Faria’s Surf and Sport, multiple locations
• Hoys 5 & 10, multiple towns
• 7th Street Surf Shop, Ocean City
• Suncatcher, Stone Harbor
• Heritage Surf and Sport, multiple locations
• Sands Department Store, Sea Isle City

Points South: Delaware Beach Favorites

Heading south of the NJ border? Delaware’s beaches have great eats, sweet treats, and rainy-day fun, too.

Kid-Friendly Restaurants

• Grotto Pizza, multiple locations
• Pie, Bethany Beach

Date Night Restaurants

• Dogfish Head, Rehoboth Beach
• Purple Parrot, Rehoboth Beach
• The Lighthouse, Dewey Beach
• Rusty Rudder, Dewey Beach

Ice Cream

• Double Dippers, Rehoboth Beach
• Vanderwende’s Farm Creamery, Dewey Beach (reopens on Memorial Day weekend)
• The Ice Cream Store, Rehoboth Boardwalk

Beach Alternatives

• Playland Arcade, Rehoboth Beach
• Funland, Rehoboth Beach
• Jungle Jim’s Water Park, Rehoboth Beach

Shore Trip Services: Rentals, Sitters, and More

These local pros take the stress out of shore trips, handling everything from groceries to babysitting. Consider them your secret weapon for a smoother vacation.

Relax Concierge

Serving multiple towns, with rentals including wagons, cribs, linens, games, and grocery delivery.

LBI Dream Makers

Groceries, rentals, hot tubs, and personal chefs in Barnegat Light.

Guardian Angels Sitting Service

Professional sitters with CPR certification and clearances.

Model Cleaners and Launderers

Drop off your laundry and pick it up fresh, clean, and folded.

Plan Your Perfect Shore Trip This Summer

So when you pack up, take our list with you — and make the most of your time by the sea. From sticky buns to surf lessons, mini golf to museums, there’s something for every kind of beach day. We hope your summer is full of fun, laughter, and a few sandy sippy cups along the way.

Photos courtesy of Abbe Forman Photography. Original article by Gwyneth K. Shaw.