Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Jersey Shore is known for its beaches, and summers are a mix of sun, sand, miniature golf and amusement parks. Plans go awry when it rains, but there are actually a number of ways to fill a rainy day.
Shopping is a time-honored rainy-day-at-the-beach activity, and most beach towns have at least a few rows of cute boutiques and fun souvenir shops. In addition, the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets is a destination for bargain-hunters. You could get all your back-to-school shopping out of the way. Note: this is not an enclosed mall; you do have to go from store to store, so bring an umbrella.
On Long Beach Island, there are two locations of Just Bead It, one in Surf City and one in North Beach Haven; there's another in Stone Harbor. Kids who are over the oral-fixation stage (2 and up) can spend hours here, and it's fun for adults, too. You can make jewelry, hair accessories or even lampshades.
The Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank has family shows in a historic building, named for native son Count Basie. There are music, dance and theater productions. The Surflight Theatre in Beach Haven also offers children's theater productions.
The 35-year-old Robert J. Novins Planetarium, on the campus of Ocean County College, is undergoing renovations and reopens in 2010 with a new fiber-optic star projector and virtual 3D video projection. So even if the skies are cloudy you can still stargaze.
The boardwalks in Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights are still appealing in the rain---you can gather up your quarters and head to the arcades, which have everything from old standards like skee ball and slot machines to high-tech video games. On Long Beach Island, Beach Haven has quite a few arcades, with the best (but most chaotic) one attached to the amusement park. If you are down the shore with children, you will have to go the arcade at some point, so you might as well go when it's raining.