My favorite weekend pastime as a kid was hitting up the roller rink. Not only did I have my own roller skates (with pom-poms!) but I also had many of my best birthday parties at United Skates of America where a skating dinosaur (Skate-a-saurus!) rolled with kids in the rink.
Fast forward to having my own kids and looking for ways to entertain them and stay active and suddenly, roller skating was back in my life again! Pre-COVID, we found South Amboy Roller Magic, an amazing rink that offers skate rentals, family skate, great music and just a generally fun and happy place to spend a couple of hours. Soon enough, my twins were hooked, and we were hitting up the rink on the regular.
Now that people are looking for ways to stay active without tons of in-person interaction, roller skating is making a big comeback. From skating in parks to driveways and sidewalks, it’s been a big hit with parents and kids because it’s something you can do while staying socially distanced.
Skating got so popular over the past few months that most roller skates were sold out online. Thankfully, I just got my delivery – a pair of pink Impala quad skates with yellow wheels, so I can roll along with the twins as we try to emulate superstar skater Ana Coto (the only TikTok account I approve of).
If you’re looking to be at one with nature while you skate, check out these inline skating trails across NJ. But if you’re ready to roll, bounce in the arena, check out these awesome rinks. (And go expecting that face masks, temperature checks and social distancing are all required):
Atlantic County
Young’s Skating Center: May’s Landing, 609-625-1191 (Open with COVID restrictions)
Bergen County
Inline Skating Club of America: North Arlington, 201-998-4722 (Reopens October 3)
Burlington County
Holiday Skating & Fun Center: Delanco, 856-461-3770
Camden County
Cherry Hill Skating & Fun Center: Cherry Hill, 856-795-1919 (Opening in October)
Millennium Skate World: Camden, 856-757-9460
Cumberland County
Skate 2000 Family Fun Center: Upper Deerfield Twp., 856-459-3666
Essex County
Branch Brook Park Roller Skating Center: Newark, 973-482-8900
Gloucester County
Depford Skating Center: Westville, 856-845-7353
Sk8 47: Franklinville, 856-694-0600
Hunterdon County
Frenchtown Roller Rink: Frenchtown, 908-996-6313
Middlesex County
South Amboy Arena: South Amboy, 732-727-1122 (Open with limited capacity)
Woodbridge Community Center Roller Skating Rink: Woodbridge, 732-596-4000
Monmouth County
Jackson Skating Center Rollermagic: Jackson, 732-363-2222 (Open with limited capacity)
Morris County
Florham Park Roller Rink: Florham Park, 973-377-0465
Warren County
Villa Roller Rink: Stewartsville, 908-689-6155 (Advance tickets required)