Since I don’t have children, I recently recruited my best friend and her 6-year-old twins, Declan and Delaney, to help me check out Nickelodeon Universe at New Jersey’s American Dream. The theme park brings to life favorite characters from cartoons both past and present, like Rugrats!, which I watched as a child, and Spongebob Square Pants, which is more Declan’s speed.

Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream — which also includes a wide range of shopping, an indoor ice-skating rink, Dream Wheel, Dreamworks Water Park and much more — is the Western Hemisphere’s biggest indoor theme park. With that superlative said, though, it’s not overwhelming; it’s a manageable size, especially for kids around that 6–9 age range; easy to navigate; and bright and light-filled. It’s not just for little kids — the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed Shellraiser roller coaster had my heart fluttering as I watched it, and I love a good roller coaster. Families with children ranging in age could easily entertain all at Nickelodeon Universe, and its indoor location means you can have fun year-round, no matter the weather outside.

We started with a round of mini golf at Angry Birds Mini Golf, located near the park’s entrance. We grabbed our wristbands right after Nickelodeon Universe’s noon opening time (open until 7 p.m., there’s also discounted Twilight Admission for the last two hours of the day) and went on our way.

Nickelodeon comes to life here, with each attraction thoughtfully crafted to bring visitors into the hearts of their favorite cartoons — right down to the Slime Stage. We rode a great many rides together, including Bikini Bottom Crosstown Express, Blue’s Skidoo, Butterbean’s Sweet Spin, Dora’s Sky Railway, Fairly Odd Airways, Pup Pup & Away, Rugrats Reptar Go-Round and Shimmer & Shine Jumping Genies, and the kids enjoyed playing in the Paw Patrol Adventure Bay. Declan and Delaney didn’t meet the height requirement yet for some rides, but older kids can enjoy rides like Kraang Prime Pandemonium!, Sandy’s Blasting Bronco, Skyline Scream, Spongebob’s Jellyfish Jam and The Shredder. Declan and Delaney even got a chance to meet Michelangelo and Rafael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dora from Dora the Explorer!

Nickelodeon Universe also boasts a Mall of America location.

— Kimberly Krol Inlander, editor in chief