Whether you have your grandkids for a weekend or a little longer before they head back to school, there are all kinds of ways to have fun in and around Rehoboth Beach this Labor Day weekend.
For vintage seaside festivities, spend some time at Funland on the Rehoboth Boardwalk. Since 1961 this amusement park has offered pint-sized rides for the little ones, thrill-rides for teens, a haunted mansion, lots of arcade games, and Funland Seaside Snacks. Visit https://funlandrehoboth.com/, and click “schedule” to plan your weekend activities. You’ll also find arcade games at Zelky’s https://www.zelkys.com/, and the opportunity to send the kids home with prizes to go with their beach trip memories.
While you’re downtown, take some time to browse through the quaint shops, including Gidget’s Gadgets for vintage toys, games and collectibles https://gidgetsgadgetsrehoboth.com/, Candy Kitchen https://candykitchen.com/, Snyder’s Candy https://www.snyderscandy.com/, Dolle’s-Ibachs https://www.dolles-ibachs.com/ and Chocolate Wave https://www.facebook.com/p/Chocolate-Wave-100068832522836/ for all kinds of sweets, and Browseabout Books for great reads, greeting cards, fresh coffee and decorative items for your home https://browseaboutbooks.com/.
I don’t think I’ve ever met a kid who doesn’t love pizza, and know you’ll have a great meal at Grotto’s https://www.grottopizza.com/ and Louie’s https://louiespizzarb.com/. And since you’re probably up for spoiling the grandkids on this last summer weekend, keep the party going with a visit to The Mill Creamery for wonderful local ice cream from Hopkins Dairy https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070396152114&paipv=0&eav=AfaiknpWZp-0e-sdEeAM4f79G61Pf9b97tBuLSCuOdt0GEgeOyoLOUeJLxbVaVs3LAA or thick and sweet frozen custard from Kohr Brothers https://www.kohrbros.com/.
While there are lots of mini-golf spots around the beach, the most unique is the 18 hole course https://www.ryansbeachshop.com/mini-golf on the roof of Ryan’s Beach Shop https://www.ryansbeachshop.com/. The views of the ocean and boardwalk are spectacular.
If it’s a hot day and the kids need to burn off some energy, you’ll also have a great time at Jungle Jim’s https://www.funatjunglejims.com/waterpark.html. It features a huge wave pool, a lazy river, a spray ground, several big water slides and a kiddie pool for the little ones. Visit the Web site to learn about the rules and special discounts that are available.
If you’re out on Route 1 and looking at a rainy forecast, you can enjoy Despicable Me 4 hijinks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQlr9-rF32A, and animated emotions with Inside Out 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEjhY15eCx0 at the Movies at Midway https://www.moviesatmidway.com/. Visit the site for showtimes this weekend.
Do your grandkids love being outside and learning about nature? Then consider a full day of fun at Cape Henlopen State Park https://destateparks.com/Beaches/CapeHenlopen. This place is an absolute treasure, with its pristine beach alongside a public bathhouse with changing rooms and a snack bar, bikes you can rent for rides along miles of mostly-flat trails offering gorgeous vistas of marshlands and forest, and a Nature Center, where you can learn about local wildlife. It can also be hassle-free since you can park close to the beach at several different spots, and highly educational since you can also visit the Fort Miles historical area https://destateparks.com/FortMiles, which is also in the park.
One word of advice though – the park tends to be very busy on holiday weekends, and sometimes it closes for a few hours if there are too many people. If the weather’s wonderful this weekend, your best opportunities to get in are to arrive before 11 a.m. or after 1 p.m.