Listen up, New Yawkers. This summer, the Jersey Shore isn’t just about hair gel and salami — it’s about affordable familial fun.

For the first time since the pandemic, the cost of a Jersey Shore vacation has dipped. Overall, it’s expected to be 5% cheaper to trade in your spray tan for a suntan than last year, according to Affinity Federal Credit Union’s annual vacation index.

And while cloistered communities such as Deal are playing keep-out by raising the cost of their beach passes into the stratosphere ($200 seasonally), perennial summer favorites like Asbury Park and Belmar are charging just $70 and $80 for theirs.

Think you’ve been there, done that? Wrong. This year is packed with fresh events, new restaurant openings, and energy-burning activities that will have your bambini sleeping like Snooki after a night at Club Karma.

Here’s how to rule the boardwalk with your family on the Jersey Shore this summer.

Summer on the shore is about comfort food, so head for Ocean County’s first Shake Shack. Opened in May, their beloved burgers are being served at 614 Route 70 in the Brick Commons shopping mall near the beach at Mantoloking.

Or, stop in Belmar for a taste of whiz-ards Antonio Delgado and James Haines’ aptly named Cheessteaks restaurant. They’re bringing their hot, loaded sandwiches to 821 Belmar Plaza.

When the time comes to attempt to sit down together, head to Judy & Harry’s in Asbury Park. The new restaurant by James Beard-nominated chef David Viana and daughter Neilly Robinson is a people pleaser with two concepts under one roof. Judy’s serves riffs on Italian classics with “international flair and local flavor” (think matzo ball soup with ricotta matzo balls). Meanwhile, Harry’s is for the adults — a cocktail bar in its own space next door with a menu of bar food (like crab arancini).

Ready for dessert? In North Wildwood, family-run South Philly institution John’s Water Ice is opening at 21st Avenue on the boardwalk, a first in Jersey. It sells flavors like cherry, lemon, pineapple, and chocolate by the cup or the quart.

For something splashy, you already know to check into Asbury Ocean Club Hotel, where there are 13 different room styles to suit the needs of your particular family. It opened back in 2019, and it’s still stunning, but a weekend in June or July will set you back roughly $1,000 a night.

Other family-friendly classics are the Wave Resort on Long Branch Beach (67 rooms and suites, four restaurants, a massive pool and a kids club); the Hewitt Wellington near Spring Lake Beach (20 rooms and suites, recently refurbished, a restaurant and a heated pool); and the Hotel LBI on Long Beach Island (102 spacious rooms and suites with kitchenettes, multiple restaurants, a beach club, an indoor pool and a rooftop terrace with fire pit).

But if you are still after something fresh, beeline for Madison Resort in Wildwood Crest. It opened last year after a $52 million reconfigure of the Oceanview Motel and Royal Hawaiian. It has 200 rooms, three restaurants, and multiple pools. Rooms in its Ocean Tower start at $109 per night; rooms in its Royal Tower begin at $189. Remember what we said about affordability?

Start by planning your July Fourth. The shore’s most explosive weekend will be at Long Branch Beach, where the 33rd annual Oceanfest is expected to welcome a quarter of a million families for what they’re calling the largest Independence Day celebration in the state. Expect music, dance, food trucks, balloon artists, face painting, bouncy castles, sand sculptures, and becostumed characters. It all pays off with a 30-minute fireworks show.

Then, for a day of play, head down to Playland’s Castaway Cove. It’s now — sadly — the only remaining amusement park on the Ocean City Boardwalk. In April, it rebuilt the pirate ship that had crowned its arcade for nearly 60 years before it burned down four years ago.

The new arcade below it is mighty — more than double the size of its predecessor — and it boasts more than 75 games. (For a totally new ride, head to Six Flags Great Adventure, where the new steel roller coaster Vertical Velocity is now open.)

Meanwhile, the new owners of Gillian’s Wonderland Pier (RIP) are bringing a new pizza place, dubbed Ocean City Pizza Company, and an arcade to the site to keep the boardwalk alive.

Had enough of the beach? Head inland to Lumon Industries’ creepy campus from Apple TV+’s hit show “Severance,” which was filmed at Bell Works in Holmdel.

In real life, it’s a hub for shopping, dining, and playing. There’s a large lawn, a basketball court, ping pong and foosball tables, as well as day camps and “mommy and me” groups. Its theater hosts family-friendly programming daily.

Check out the escape room and virtual reality center — and the July Fourth fireworks, one of New Jersey’s largest displays. All the while, parents can shop and get a decent meal at one of its 13 venues. It’s jet-setting with a family twist.

Finally, wrap up the season with the Thunder Over the Waves air show in Wildwood on Sept. 6. Expect aces from the New Jersey Air National Guard, the US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team, the US Coast Guard, and more. Best of all, it’s free.