If you live near a children’s museum, you’ve likely been there one or two (or 20) times. But with the too-hot-to-handle weather, summer is a great time to explore a children’s museum with a floor plan your family hasn’t memorized. Here’s the lowdown on those in northern and central Jersey that are perfect for the 6-and-under crowd and totally about exploring (so don’t worry if your kids try to get their hands on everything!).

New Jersey Children’s Museum, Paramus 
(201-262-5151)

My kids loved coming here when they were toddlers and preschoolers. It’s the kind of place where kids can roam around for hours, role playing and touching things. The pretend grocery store is a perennial favorite, as is the construction zone, complete with hard hats, bright orange jackets, and a backhoe kids can sit in.

Imagine That!!! Florham Park
(973-966-8000)

Regular exhibits include a real airplane and fire truck, a pet vet area where your kid can pretend to be a doggie doctor, and a TV newsroom where little ones can see themselves on a monitor.

Jersey Explorer Children’s Museum, East Orange
(973-673-6900)

The unique thing about Jersey Explorer is that it’s staffed by New Jersey Youth Corps students—young people determined to create a brighter future for themselves and their communities. They make for enthusiastic and helpful guides, but even without such energetic staffers, it would be difficult for any preschooler or school-age child not to have fun here. 

In the Tomb of the Egyptian Kings, kids follow clues through a maze of passages and secret doors to find treasure—and a mummy! They can don spacesuits and learn about space science aboard the futuristic Stargazer, or travel back in time to experience the Underground Railroad.