Here are some great kid-friendly things to do on your Pennsylvania road trip.
Because Google does not understand that you can’t take kids to a museum.
Crayola Factory
Easton, Pennsylvania may or may not be on your way home (it’s on the Northern side of the Pennsylvania-NJ border), and there’s not much else to do in the area, but you can depend on keeping for entire family busy for the whole day at the Crayola Factory. There’s tons of crafty and creative activities across five floors. At closing time, my kids were not ready to leave and are looking forward to their next road trip.
Hershey Park
Choosing the right park (and having a successful, magical, fun-filled day) really depends on the age of your kids. At Dutch Wonderland, kids under six or seven will find an entire park tailor-made for them. For kids eight and up, there’s nothing like a long day at Hershey Park. There’s sooo much to do. You can definitely fill a couple of days. If you plan to visit for only one day, get there the night before and your “preview” admission, from 7 pm to 11 pm, is free (it’s a great time to get in those roller coasters without waiting on lines!). One thing I really appreciated about Hershey Park: unlike at Six Flags Great Adventure, where the kiddie rides are confined to two areas, Hershey Park’s kiddie rides are throughout the park, so I could take the little kids on rides nearby while waiting for the big kids to ride that big coaster.
Kosher food is only available at Hershey Park’s (the restaurant is very centrally located, double-check hours before you go). If your family keeps chalav Yisrael, be sure to bring along your own chocolate to complete the chocolate experience (though you can find Twizzlers in every flavor or even oat milk-based pareve Hershey’s that’s decent).
Longwood Gardens
Though this is a place (the top botanical garden in the country!) that adults will enjoy immensely more without kids complaining that their feet hurt, I know we can’t simply drop them off. To keep the kids walking, there are multiple treehouses along the way to climb and explore. The gardens are huge, and the exhibits change with the seasons, so ask about the “top must-see” areas when you get there so you know where to head. And don’t miss any corner of the conservatory! Note: Herr’s Factory is about a half-hour east of Lancaster, and Longwood Gardens is another half-hour east of that, so they’re good consecutive stops on your road trip when you’re on your way home from Hershey or Lancaster.
Herr’s Factory
Who wouldn’t want to taste super hot chips, fresh from the fryer? We found that the tour itself is not super exciting, until you get to the end where you get to see the chips in action. Even though the Herr’s Factory Tour is free of charge, for most food factory tours, you’ll need to make reservations and the spots fill up. Call ahead to confirm operating hours and reservations.
Kreider’s Farm
Pennsylvania has lots more great food factory tours, including the one at Krieder’s Farm, home of Pride of the Farm milk. The tour is very popular and you need to book in advance to get the reservation that you want. We found that seeing cows being milked is more interesting than the indoor factories, and you can taste the fresh milk at the end (and yes, there is an option to have the chalav Yisrael Pride of the Farm).
Cherry Crest Farm
If you haven’t been to Cherry Crest in a few years, you’re in for a pleasant surprise! The farm has been greatly expanded in recent years. You’ll want to get there early because there’s so, so much to do (you won’t be able to get to it all). The farm is an experience we haven’t seen elsewhere. There’s an endless amount of activities with that same wholesome fun feel (better than an amusement park). Besides for the corn maze (always an adventure), there’s lots of “booths” with fun activities, such as sliding down a giant slide in a potato sack or jumping on a huge air-filled trampoline-like balloons. The kids did not want to leave the corn barn (like a ball pit, but better). If you don’t believe me that activities are endless, see their roundup over here.
Whenever we’ve visited during bein haz’manim or “between camp and school” time and there was also a set place for a minyan set up on the farm. There’s also plenty of shaded picnic tables where you can take a break for lunch.
The farm is not open on Sunday or Monday; check the calendar before you go!
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