The coolest family attraction to hit the New York/New Jersey Metro Area in years has finally arrived. After years of delays, the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex in East Rutherford, N.J., opened in November 2019 and it includes an oasis of thrilling entertainment including Nickelodeon Universe.

Why is Nickelodeon Universe a must see? Let us count the ways:

1. Easy, convenient access

Nickelodeon Universe is less than 30 minutes away from NYC by car or bus (they have an express bus leaving the NYC Port Authority station every 20 to 30 minutes). If you drive, parking is free as long as it’s not game day for the Jets or Giants who play football next door in MetLife Stadium. We stayed in the theme park longer than normal just because we knew the ride home would be swift and easy.

2. Record-breaking thrills

If you’re a family of thrill seekers, make sure the TMNT Shellraiser roller coaster (must be 48 inches tall to ride) your top priority. The 138-foot drop, at an angle of 121.5 degrees, is the steepest in the world! We loved this coaster and its eight inversions so much we rode it three times in a row. If you don’t have fear of heights, strap on your harness and climb Legends of The Hidden Temple Challenge. You’ll navigate a labyrinth of obstacles, beams and ladders as you scale terrifying heights in the world’s tallest, indoor adventure ropes course.

3. Skyline views from all angles

Love the Manhattan skyline? You’ll have jaw-dropping views from the top of the Skyline Scream drop tower. You soar up 200 feet and do a 360-degree spin so you see the city from every angle. You’re also treated to perfect cityscape views while you pause for a few seconds on the TMNT Shellraiser before plunging down the world’s steepest drop.

4. Meet your favorite Nickelodeon characters

Get hugs, smiles and photo opportunities with Paw Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dora the Explorer. This was one of the highlights for our 4-year-old daughter who was telling everyone that she met Skye from Paw Patrol.

5. A modern, bright and clean universe

Nickelodeon Universe is a bit like a new car — gleaming, inviting and bright with colors, backdrops and rides that pop. The best part is that the weather is perfect year-round under the soaring, indoor shed. Sanitizer stations next to every ride are a bonus!

6. An amusement park all ages will love

As a parent of a tween and toddler, my biggest concern was would there be enough attractions to satisfy both children. Mission accomplished. We enjoyed several rides together like the popular Nickelodeon Slime Streak Roller Coaster, tranquil Dora’s Sky Railway and Paw Patrol Ferris Wheel. My 4-year-old had great fun for her size on Ren & Stimpy’s Space Madness drop tower and Shimmer and Shine’s Jumping Genies magic carpet ride. Bigger kids and adults will enjoy the dazzling Shredder roller coaster and timeless flying swings.

7. Encouraging kids to take risks, safely

Several attractions will nudge your kids out of their comfort zone. For example, my 4-year-old surpassed all expectations by climbing and traversing her way around Legends of The Hidden Temple Challenge ropes course to keep up with her older brother. Then, both children cast their fears aside when they stepped onto the 70-foot ledge and literally leaped (fully harnessed via rope pulley system) down to the ground. It was a monumental experience that our entire family enjoyed.

8. Have Nickelodeon Universe all to yourself

Not literally. However, you will certainly feel like a VIP if you arrive the moment the place opens. The lack of crowds in those first two hours resulted in no wait times at rides, meaning we went on our favorites several times. Unlike traditional theme parks, the condensed space in the venue keeps you immersed in the action and near all the rides. This enabled us to maximize our experience during these early hours as well as conquer the most popular rides that usually have a long queue.

9. Get slimed!

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Nickelodeon Universe features a mesmerizing Slime Time Live game show on its main stage. Two teams from the audience face off in a variety of silly competitions including bobbing for marshmallows (in slime), putting on dozens of pairs of underwear, answering trivia questions and tossing water balloons. The winner gets the ultimate prize — Slimed! We were randomly selected to participate in the game show. My son said getting slimed was a “life changing experience” and it enabled me to live out a “Double Dare” fantasy from my childhood.

10. American Dream offers much more

We absolutely loved our adventure at Nickelodeon Universe, but that’s just the beginning. The American Dream complex offers a variety of unparalleled entertainment. You have options like:

• Big Snow, North America’s first and only indoor, year-round snow-filled ski resort.
• The Rink, an NHL regulation size ice rink for hockey, figure and leisure skating.
• American Dream mall: Home to over 350 shopping experiences and featuring more than 100 dining destinations.

There’s also more to come at American Dream. Dreamworks Waterpark is slated to be North America’s most massive indoor water park including 40 water slides, wave pool and loads of other attractions. Also coming soon: a Merlin Entertainments’ Sea Life Aquarium and Legoland Discovery Center, CMX Luxury Movie Theater, Kidzania, and a 300-foot observation Ferris wheel.

A few recommendations for Nickelodeon Universe as they continue to evolve:

• More restrooms. It only had one centralized restroom facility.
• More food. There needs to be a wider assortment beyond snacks and “grab ‘n’ go” sandwiches for families wanting to spend the entire day inside the theme park.

When leaving Nickelodeon Universe, our family already started debating our next visit. Do we return to Nickelodeon Universe or strap on our skis at Big Snow?

Disclosure: NYC Dads Group received complimentary passes to Nickelodeon Universe. The opinions and thoughts expressed in this article are authentic and 100% our own.

A very important part of our dads group is to partner with local businesses and events that have similar philosophies as we do in regards to our kids. We enjoy talking with business owners who help promote a healthy, interactive, and fun environment. Piccadilly Play Café fits each of those criteria. We hosted our first Columbus Dads Group meetup there last week. Piccadilly was gracious enough to provide each dad with a free cup of coffee and the kids had a blast.

We only took advantage of their open playtime, however they also have a variety of classes available. They have anything from HipHop for big kids to Messy Art for the little ones. There is a pretty cool art studio in the back of the space, and I’d be remised if I didn’t mention the 20’ slide in the Playdium!

A huge plus for Piccadilly is their staff. They were all amazing! They even have Play Coaches during busier times to help monitor the play space. By the time we were headed home there was a sleeping princess in my back seat.

Piccadilly has provided a $5 coupon if you’re interested in trying out one of their classes!

Several indoor water parks and resorts have popped up with a few hours of NYC in recent years (see the list at the end) and they can be extremely fun. However, a good time can be ruined by lack of planning. Here are a few tips to keep the good times flowing (like a lazy river) at your water park adventure.

Use early check-in

Many places allow guests to check into the resort several hours before their room is ready so you can use the facilities for longer. Each resort has different policies, but three to four hours of bonus time at the beginning of your trip is a great stress relief after a long car ride. Also look into the policy for water park usage on your check-out day. During a recent trip, we checked out of our room at 11 a.m. but had access to the water park and all the attractions at the resort until 10 p.m. that night.

Leave the water park for food

Like an airport, many an indoor water park resort will kill you with its exorbitant pricing and limited options on dining. Basically, they hope people will be too lazy to leave  to search out cheaper alternatives. But with the free parking available at most of these facilities, it is very convenient to dry off, jump in your car and bring back any number of choices of food. While you may have to eat in your room, since outside food and drinks are usually not allowed inside the park, it helps break up the day and give parents a few minutes of rest time when they are not ankle deep in water.

Arcades are not cheap

It is a fact that arcades are expensive and your kids can blow through a huge chunk of change (usually loaded on a card) in the pursuit of prize tickets. They will see someone who just won a jackpot holding an obscenely large pile of tickets and want in on the action. Put some money into your trip budget for playing in the arcade and stick to it. And remember that that off-brand Slinky and finger skateboard was well worth the $30 your kid used to “win” them.

Don’t change swimsuits

Even if you are staying for a few days, I recommend keeping your whole party in the same swimsuits. It makes it easier to keep track of your kids, especially for those of us who aren’t wearing our glasses into the water. If you get separated it’s better to describe your kid as a 6-year-old boy with sandy hair wearing a white, yellow and orange bathing suit rather than he is a 6-year-old boy with wet hair. Most resorts have laundry facilities but if they don’t, a quick rinse in the shower and hanging to dry will make them good as new.

Know if you must bring towels 

If the resort doesn’t have water park only towels, bring your towels from home. You will not want to use your room towels for drying off. Because all of a sudden you have no towels to dry off with after showering.

Pace yourself at a water park

With all-day access you don’t need to be in the water all-day long: 10 a.m. till 10 p.m. is an awful long time and eventually everyone will get bored. Take a break for a few hours, go find some local sites. Hang out in your room and take a nap. On our last trip, we went for three hours. Broke for lunch. Went back for another two hours or so. Dinner. And finally I took one of the kids for another two hours until they closed up, while my other one hung out in our room and watched Nickelodeon.

Indoor water parks in the NYC area:

• Aquatopia at Camelback Resort — Tannersville, Penn.
• CoCo Key Water Resort — Mount Laurel, N.J.
• Great Wolf Lodge — Scotrun, Penn. — Read our review!
• H20ooohh! Split Rock Indoor Family Waterpark — Lake Harmony, Penn.
• Kalahari Resorts — Pocono Manor, Penn. — Read our review!
• The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark — Monticello, N.Y.
• Rocking Horse Ranch — Highland, N.Y.
• Sahara Sam’s Oasis Indoor & Outdoor Water Park — West Berlin, N.J.

A version of this first appeared on Great Moments in Bad Parenting.

1. Don’t take offense

You’re a dude. Most of the playdate parents you will deal with, especially if you are a stay-at-home dad, will be moms. They may feel weird about dropping their kid off at your house for two hours when they hardly know you. Not to mention that you may or may not be a gigantic scary looking human being to their small child. It’s all about comfort levels.

2. Keep a playdate neutral

Choosing your house for the “first date” is going way too fast. Meet up somewhere public like a playground so if it doesn’t go well there is no pressure to reciprocate.

3. Set a time limit

Standard times are two hours for kids who can sustain play by themselves without parent interaction. This may include your child if he or she is age 4 or older. Kids who are younger than 4, trust me, an hour is going to be plenty.

4. Set playdate parameters

Talk to the other parent about expectations, especially if the playdate is at your house. Set a time to drop off and pick up. Once, I didn’t do this and the parent showed up three hours later. Apparently, she went to see a movie that she didn’t have time for usually and thought that was acceptable.

5. Exchange digits

If your playdate parent is dropping off, make sure you have cell phone and home phone numbers in case something happens. Also, make sure the parent has yours in case he or she gets stuck in traffic or hung up somewhere.

6. Ask questions

Ask the parent if he or her child has any allergies or restrictions. Maybe they don’t eat a certain kind of food or are deathly allergic to something you think is otherwise safe.

7. Again, don’t be offended

If the parent you invited to the playground suddenly has her friends show up by “surprise,” let it go. She wasn’t sure of you, my friend, and having backup to talk to about girl stuff will probably make her more comfortable. While you may be comfortable watching others’ kids, they may not be until they know you more. Bonus: You just met more potential playdate parents! Everyone wins.

8. Pay attention

Watch the interaction between your kid and his new “friend.” Does this kid share? Do they play well together? Does the playdate kid offer to clean up without issue? Does the new friend scream when it is time for it to be over? These can all be things that make or break the playdate.

9. Chat the other parent up

Don’t talk about football constantly. You may want to get her take on whether Julio Jones is going to score any fantasy points for you this week but that is not good form. Ask about her family and share information about yours. While the kids are getting to know each other, you should get to know the other parent.

10. Give it play time some time

Kids will rarely get along perfectly the first time. Keep trying these public playdates until you become more comfortable with the other parent’s child. When you do become comfortable, then you can offer to host at your house. Once you establish a rapport, you can trade off dates. Eventually you will have established a routine that allows for either of you to get some time to yourself without worry.

A version of this first appeared on DadNCharge.

One thing we can certainly say about Kid Mania in Plano, Texas, is that it is accurately named.  The main attraction is the gigantic play structure, consisting of colorful padded and netted components formed together to create a huge maze that extends high and wide. Within the climbing structure are slides, zip lines, trampolines, swings, and other obstacles. They have a separate area for smaller kids, so there’s no worry that your toddler will get trampled by bigger kids. We like to meet up there several times a year, particularly in the winter and summer when it’s too cold or hot to be outside.

On the first floor of Kid Mania, there are also a few video games and rides for smaller children. They also have an upstairs area with skeeball, basketball, and other arcade-style games. The games and rides cost extra, and kids can earn tickets which they can redeem for prizes at the front counter.

Also on the first floor are tables parents can sit at, and a food counter that serves lunch and snack items. Food prices seem reasonable, with kids’ meals for $4.99 and sandwiches ranging from about $6-$9. They have signs stating that outside food and drink are not allowed, however, this doesn’t seem to be strongly enforced, as we usually see kids with sippy cups and baggies of snacks.  The layout is great for our group meetups. Us dads sit around a few tables together on the first floor to hang out and socialize while the kids play … and play … and play. They don’t get bored, even after two hours there.

Admission to Kid Mania is $3 for ages 1-2, $6 for kids 3 and older, and $1 for adults. We like that they don’t charge adults a full fee.  The prices are very reasonable for what you get. They use hand stamping as a security measure, where adults and kids both get a numerical hand stamp that is visible only under a special light. They check the stamps at the door to make sure kids leave only with who they are supposed to.

Overall, Kid Mania is an awesome meetup spot.  Come join us next time we meet up there, or check it out with your family.

Editor’s Note: We explore the Exploratorium with our San Francisco Dads Group co-organizer Andy Chen as our week-long celebration of “Summer in Our City Dads Group Cities” rides into the sunset.

The SF Dads Group had a meetup recently at one of the coolest venues in our city by the bay – The Exploratorium.  

What makes this museum so cool is the sheer number of interactive exhibits and activities (600+) that are sure to capture the attention of both dads and kids, preschool and up. Some of the exhibits are purely for fun but many are also educational.

Here’s some info from its website:

“The Exploratorium is a public learning laboratory exploring the world through science, art, and human perception. Our mission is to create inquiry-based experiences that transform learning worldwide. Our vision is a world where people think for themselves and can confidently ask questions, question answers, and understand the world around them. We value lifelong learning and teaching, curiosity and inquiry, our community, iteration and evidence, integrity and authenticity, sustainability, and inclusion and respect.”

The Exploratorium, opened in 1969, was the brainchild of Frank Oppenheimer. At various times, Frank was a professor, a high school teacher, a cattle rancher, and an experimental physicist and this wide range of interest in learning and discovering shows in today’s finished project.

A bonus of the Exploratorium is its location at Pier 15 by the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s within walking distance of the Ferry Building marketplace which is loaded with great places to grab a bite.

Insider’s Tip #1:  Buy tickets online so you can avoid the line for buying tickets in person, especially on the weekend.

Insider’s Tip #2:  Saturday mornings can be very busy in that area due to the farmer’s market at the Ferry Building.

I’m a hands-on dad. I enjoy providing my children with lots of experiential learning activities to foster their wonder, interests, and development.  I also like spending quality time with other great dads which resulted in our latest NYC Dads Group excursion. The NYC Dads and Kids build together with Magformers meetup, set in the stunningly exuberant Kidville’s “Happy Kids, Happy Families” play facility was a child-friendly, synergistically cognitive engineering experience that rocked mental cradles for both babes and dads in toy-land. In a word equation, Magformers = Megafun!

This is a story how about 15 dads rolled up their sleeves, got down on the floor with their little ones and imagined, created, and constructed sleek vehicles, princess castles, skyscrapers, and obscure three-dimensional objects. So, what are Magformers?

Magformers are simple, geometric, colorful plastic forms that interconnect using incorporated magnets on all sides enabling the creation of the most stunning, simple-to-complex engineering structures imagined. Or, at least fellow NYC Dads Group dads thought so, as we all sat on the rug just having a blast with our children and each other. No child was left behind.  Regardless of age or gender, everyone frolicked amidst the sea of Magformers building sets and the endless creative possibilities realized. Wow, what a cool NYC Dads event!

Another dad-friend (Fei-Lu) that attended the play experience with me said, “for my daughter, the best part was taking one of the Magformers building sets home. She constantly plays with them nearly everyday and it’s the type of toy that grows with your child and their imaginations … and that is priceless.”

About the author

Gregg Jobson-Larkin is a proud father of three children and active member of the NYC Dads Group, living in New York with his family.

**Disclosure Note: This is a paid, sponsored event post with Magformers. The opinions expressed in this post are our own and have not been influenced in any way.  We limit our advertising to relevant partners that offer products and services we believe in and use ourselves. 

My wife wanted to sign up our son for Gymboree Play & Music classes because, as she put it, “Why is one of my mommy friend’s children walking at the same age as our son?”

Oh, God, here we go.

The NYC parent competition thing that I’ve heard so much about. I said to her, “I have two words for you: ‘Who cares!’ He will walk when he is ready.”

Nonetheless, there I was at Gymboree – my first introduction to parenting hell. I was taken aback, however, by how cute the woman was at the front desk. This might not be so bad after all.

Then she showed me where I could park my stroller. Yes. Park. Really? People say “park your stroller”?

Then I had to take off my shoes so I didn’t track in any contaminants. What is this: a high-safety ward at NYU Langone Medical Center? Oh well, at least I wore socks without holes.

I carried my son over the childproof fence and stepped into what looked like a padded psych ward designed by Dr. Seuss. But my son was all smiles, cooing and pupils as wide as a snowboarder arriving at the mountain to find two feet of fresh powder. Pure heavenly bliss.

Another attractive woman came over, gently singing for all of us baby-toting adults to gather in a circle. Her singing confused me. At first, I thought she was just goofing around, but then I realized that singing is all she does. Did I miss something? The wife didn’t mention I was going to an off-Broadway musical.

Then things changed. I saw the climbing obstacles. These are great. Who wouldn’t enjoy crawling under and over something soft and padded? Now I know why obstacle course races have become so popular with adults.

Each obstacle works out the baby’s balance and encourages walking. Then comes the picking up of foam shapes to “mingle” with the other babies. Most of the time, all kids do is put the foam shapes in their mouths and babble at each other, which is pretty funny. Even witnessed some hair-pulling, but it’s all good clean fun. For the most part, though, this is not the place you want to be if you’re hungover after watching a Seahawks nail-biting win.

One of my son’s favorite Gymboree obstacles was the long inflatable log that all the babies sat on top of with the parents holding the kid by the waist to work out their child’s balance and hips. Everyone stood behind their baby but I didn’t pay attention and sat in front of mine. He loved it, laughing hysterically with every bounce. I could feel that my smile was so big.

For that brief moment, I didn’t think about being the only dude in class. I didn’t care that my life had come to this. I was having fun watching my son have fun. I am a papa, a father, a dad.

I must have been beaming with joy because I felt someone staring at me. When I looked up two of the moms were looking at me. I couldn’t figure out why they were looking at me. “Yeah, baby. These chicks are checking me out. I still got game,” I thought.

After a Gymbo the Clown appearance, the songs wound down and the mothers gossiped one last time. I went over to put my son back in his stroller and put on my shoes. That’s when I noticed.

The zip fly in my jeans was wide open.

Those Gymboree moms were not checking me out after all. I was the idiot who almost let the horse out of the barn.

My kids and I Legos. We can spend hours together building a set, sometimes over several days. Our largest set, the Star Wars “Death Star, we built a little at a time over several months. That process of completing a complex set of Legos is like accomplishing one’s fitness goals.

If you have never built with Legos before, the back story may take a quick explanation. Each set comes with instructions, carefully and meticulously drawn up by Lego experts. Each step in the instruction book includes a picture and list of the exact pieces you will need for that step and an illustration of how they fit together. Each step builds on the last step. With each step you get the next list of pieces and you see how they connect to the existing structure.

This precision in building with Legos is not unlike the precision one should take in designing their fitness program. The structure you are building is your fitness goal. Each step is the equivalent of the exercise program for the day. Each life of the step is the equivalent of the particular exercise to perform.

An exercise in defining goals, following through

A key factor in the process of fitness and building with Legos is defining your goal at the beginning.

When you buy a Lego set, you are purchasing a jumble of pieces because they help you complete the finished product you see pictured on the box. When you get the box home and open it, a bunch of loose pieces fall out. When you walk into a gym there are literally dozens of exercise machines and combinations of exercises you can do. The issue is to combine them into a program that you can execute quickly and efficiently to accomplish the goal in the front of your own box.

Much of the time you can’t see how these loose Lego bricks will turn into the picture on the box. That’s why you need that end picture to keep you focused. As you put the pieces together, or go through your exercise sessions, you have to make sure not to lose site of that end goal. Some days are hard. You may not see the end goal within the current state of the structure, but as you add more pieces or rather string together your sessions, your end goal will start to take shape.

If you think you will need help creating the right set of instructions, or program design, consider hiring a personal trainer. If personal training is not your desire, then maybe your program design will consist of Pilates or yoga. One concept is clear when it comes to fitness and building with Legos, you can’t just keep doing the same exercises/adding the same type of bricks every session. Eventually, you get a very monolithic structure that bends and topples over. In other words, a stagnant unchanging fitness program, is not as good for muscle growth.

Find fun in the hard work of fitness, building Legos

Lastly, both a well built Lego structure and healthy lifestyle will lead to hours of fun and enjoyment each day for years to come. Once you build a Lego set, now you get to have fun playing with it. It is the same when you have reached a goal weight and are enjoying your new lifestyle and energy.

But don’t get too comfortable. There will always be maintenance needed. Pieces get loose, pieces fall off. Sometimes you might accidentally break it. This is not much different from the maintenance phase of your training. You need to keep going to the gym if you want to maintain your current level of health.

Remember that some days will be better than others. Expect that once in while you may have an interruption in your routine. Realize that the only way to get back to your goal weight is to break out the instructions again. Call up your personal trainer and get some sessions scheduled. Like Legos, if you wait too long, the pieces get lost and it is harder to find them to properly rebuild the set.

As a child you would never have thought about how your love of Legos could parallel your fitness program. But, as a parent watching your kids build that spaceship or car to completion, as compared with giving 100% in the gym, it may seem like a weird aligning of methods that actually makes sense. Both take work, focus, and commitment before you can enjoy all of the benefits.

About the author

Glenn Dickstein, NYC father of three and Upper East Side resident, is the founder of NeighborhoodTrainers. For information, visit his company’s Facebook or Twitter pages.