If the kids tire of quiet days on the beach, visit Barnegat Lighthouse on the northern end of Long Beach Island, where you can also bird-watch. The lighthouse, known as Old Barney, was decommissioned in 1944 but the area surrounding it became a state park and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Barnegat Lighthouse
208 Broadway, Barnegat Light, 08006, NJ