Ten Activities to Enjoy in Manalapan This Spring

Celebrating the arrival of spring with your family and friends can be really fun and refreshing after a long winter. Now that the weather is finally improving, it's time to break free from cabin fever, get some fresh air and enjoy fun outdoor activities.

Here are 10 fun ideas to try in Manalapan and Englishtown:

1) Take to the trails. Explore a trail near you at a local park, including Thompson Grove Park, or plan a day trip and a longer hike at the Assunpink Wildlife Management area. Monmouth Battlefield State Park also offers guided hikes for individuals and families.

2) Zip to the zoo or your local wildlife or bird sanctuary. Thompson Grove Park is actually surrounds an included bird sanctuary. You may find the animals are outside and more active as they emerge to enjoy the warmer weather too. You'll enjoy the visit even more if you bring some binoculars, which you can purchase at The Sports Authority.

3) Hit the water. You can buy a kayak or canoe at The Sports Authority or Target and head to Turkey Swamp Park in Freehold and Manasquan Reservoir in Howell to paddle around!

4) Serve Manalapan and Englishtown together by sprucing up your favorite place to play outdoors. Check out Manalapan Parks and Recreation for opportunities to volunteer with friends or family to clean up a nearby park or playground.

5) Dig out your wheels. Time to break out your bikes from the garage. You can get your bike a tune-up at Family Bike Shop, located at 90 Wilson Avenue in Manalapan. If you find your child has outgrown his or her old bike, purchase a new one there as well. And don’t forget bike helmets, which you can purchase at Target and the Sports Authority.

6) Build a fort or a tree house. If your family includes kids, spring is an ideal time to build a fun place to play. A great source of inspiration is The Treehouse Book by Peter Nelson and David Larkin, available from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. The Manalapan Shade Tree Committee is a great resource to help you pick the best tree to build your tree house in and to offer suggestions on how to build it without harming the tree.

7) Start a garden. Now is the time to get your garden beds ready for planting by putting down compost. New to gardening? A Prestige Tree can help you build your garden beds and offer advice on which flowers and veggies will do well in your climate. And kids can help start the garden too by planting seeds indoors in empty egg cartons that can be transferred outside into your garden beds in just a few weeks. You can find great soil and seeds to get started at Agway in Englishtown.

8) Learn some new navigation skills by going letterboxing. Letterboxing is an outdoor hunt for hidden treasures using navigational tools. You can find parks participating in letterboxing in your area here.

9) Enjoy your flea and farmer’s markets.  In many parts of the country, outdoor markets can be found all year round or from early spring to late fall. You can visit Englishtown Auction Sales every weekend.

10) Go fly a kite! The wild wind makes spring an ideal time to enjoy kite flying.  You can purchase a great kite at Target.

TELL US: How will you celebrate the arrival of spring here in town? Share your ideas for getting outside and enjoying the warmer weather in the comments section below.