Outdoor/indoor family fun abounds in the neighboring Kent Co. towns of Clayton and Smyrna, DE.
Pet: Meet Shadow the hedgehog, Tick-Tock the American alligator, emus, ferrets, pot-belly pigs and a flock of other exotic birds and animals in 3 Palms Petting Zoo’s tropical setting. (924 Blackbird Forest Rd., Clayton)
Play: Bowling, an arcade and inflatables galore attract all ages to Xbos Family Fun Center, the East Coast’s largest soft-play site. (456-D W. Glenwood Ave., Smyrna)
Eat: Before lunch hour ends, drive over to Helen’s Sausage House, a roadside joint known for its cheap, hearty breakfast-sandwich fare. Don’t be surprised if the line snakes out the door. (4866 N. Dupont Hwy., Smyrna)
Commune: Mother Nature’s got plenty to show kids at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, 16,000 acres of preserved tidal salt marsh that hosts migrating birds and native wildlife. Pick up a Family Nature Explorer kit at the visitor’s center and play I-spy on the 12-mile drive through the area. (2591 Whitehall Neck Rd., Smyrna)
Watch: The area’s Clayton Theatre, open since 1949, is Delaware’s sole standing single-screen cinema. In fall and spring, Monday nights see re-screenings of classics from Bringing Up Baby to Jaws. (33246 Main St., Dagsboro)
Want to make a day of it in other great local towns and neighborhoods? Check out our other Take the Kids features.
Delaware: Bear | Clayton/Smyrna | Newark | Rehoboth Beach | Riverfront Wilmington
New Jersey: Cape May | Mt. Laurel | Lambertville | Voorhees
Pennsylvania: Doylestown | Fairmount Philly | New Hope | Wayne | West Chester
