Meet Mr. Fun at the Family Aquatic Center

If you go to spend a hot, summer afternoon at the Summit Family Aquatic Center, chances are you will see a man with games, props, and toys entertaining people at an open field in the complex. That man is known to the public as Mr. Fun.

Mr. Fun's real name is Paul Maloney, and he is an eighth grade social studies teacher in Cranford. He grew up in South Orange, and currently lives in Caldwell with his wife and three daughters.

Maloney received his bachelor's degree in History from Montclair State. He continued his education at Seton Hall University, earning his master's in Education and Asian History.

"When I was an undergrad at Montclair State, I began to work for the South Orange Recreation Department under [current Director of Community Programs in Summit] Judith Josephs," Maloney said. "I met [Josephs] and she sent me to the New Games Foundation, and I started the Mr. Fun program."

Maloney reconnected with Josephs this year, and they decided to bring Mr. Fun to Summit. Maloney has not only been at the Summit Family Aquatic Center multiple times a week, but also paid a weekly visit to the camp that takes place at the Community Center to help entertain the kids there.

"The kids really love the games," Maloney said. "They especially like variations of Simon Says, Limbo, Baggo, and variations of the Hula Hoop games. Stories and large bubbles are also quite popular. I thought I was going to do the large bubble game one time, and I've ended up doing it for nine weeks."

Maloney can be found at the Summit Family Aquatic Center either directly to the left when you first walk in or at the field near the volleyball court to the right.

He is doing a few more days of work there until he returns to Cranford for his teaching job when the school year begins.