Daily activities for kids and the family are abound in Long Island! Whether you want to spend the day with your children at a zoo, a museum, or just outdoors, we've got it all here. Want to see what's going on next weekend or when you have those few days off? Check out the NY Metro Parents' calendar!
Laurie Berkner Band in 'Animal Party' - Tilles Center for the Performing Arts
July 22, 2012 - Greenvale
Children's music superstar Laurie Berkner and her band present old favorites and new songs from their DVD, Party Day! Kids can bring a favorite stuffed animal (those in the know will put them on their heads for Pig on Her Head) and wear their party clothes (and dancing shoes).
Flea Market - Temple B'nai Torah
July 22, 2012 - Wantagh
Looking for one-of-a-kind items? Families will have fun shopping to find affordable gifts and new and gently used items for all ages.
Craft for Kids - The Cupcake Corner
July 22, 2012 - Garden City
Bring kids to this bakery/cafe for a free craft every Saturday and Sunday. Craft takes anywhere between 15-45 minutes depending on the age of the child. Different crafts each week. No reservations needed.
Family Sundays at the Museum - Nassau County Museum of Art
July 22, 2012 - Glen Cove
Each Sunday, the museum offers supervised art activities for youngsters and the adults in their lives---family gallery talks on the exhibitions following by a hands-on art activity to create personal responses to the works on view in the exhibitions. Be sure to ask for the family-friendly gallery guides. Reservations are not needed.
Messy Afternoons - Long Island Children's Museum
July 22, 2012 - Garden City
Tots will be up to their elbows in goo, shaving cream, and Play Doh in this class full of artistic activities that makes being messy lots of fun. The session offers a variety of sensory activities for children ages 18 months to 4 years.
West Porch Beech Tree Concerts - Old Westbury Gardens
July 22, 2012 - Old Westbury
Cellist Suzanne Mueller is joined by a variety of musicians playing delightfully soothing music under the shade of the 150- year-old beech tree near the West Porch of Westbury House. Featured group is Cross Island which adds the clarinet. This event begins with a program called The Composer�s Voice, in which 15 one-minute pieces, submitted by various composers, will be performed.
Science Sundays: Pond Critters - Sands Point Preserve
July 22, 2012 - Sands Point
Dragonfly nymphs, tadpoles, diving beetles – oh, my! Join “Ranger Eric” as you dip your net into the preserve’s pond to see what critters you can find. Plan to get your hands dirty during this fun and exciting adventure as ypu explore the secret lives of these tiny pond creatures. Some nets and trays are available on site but bring your own if you wish. The activity finishes close to the beach so you can continue on your own afterwards.
Save-A-Pet's Seventh Annual Ruff Riders Rally - Petco of Rocky Point
July 22, 2012 - Rocky Point
The tour will begin at Petco in Rocky Point and travel through the scenic north shore, ending at Hooters in Islandia, where lunch will be provided. This is a rain-or-shine event. Proceeds benefit rescued animals. Pledges and donations are also being accepted. Registration can be done online, in person or by mail at: Save-A-Pet, 608 Route 112, Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776.
The Minstrel Players Presents--It Happened One Act - Houghton Hall - Trinity Episcopal Church
Through July 22, 2012 - Northport
The Minstrel Players of Northport perform 7 original plays written by playwrights from across the U.S.
Dora's Pirate Adventure - Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts
July 22, 2012 - Smithtown
In this highly interactive musical, Dora and friends embark on a trip to Treasure Island. The audience helps them navigate over Dancing Mountain, through Silly Singing Bridge and to confront the Pirate Piggies. The audience use their map-reading, counting, musical and language skills to help Dora reach the treasure.
Legally Blonde The Musical - BayWay Arts Center
July 22, 2012 - East Islip
Elle Woods is the homecoming queen who doesn't take no for an answer. So when her boyfriend dumps her for someone 'serious', Elle puts down the credit cards, hits the books, and heads for Harvard Law School.
Tales of Neverland: The Adventures of Peter and Wendy - Arena Players Repertory Theater at Vanderbilt Carriage House
July 22, 2012 - Centerport
Wendy, John and Peter try to rescue Tinkerbell from the clutches of wicked Captain Hook and his bumbling sidekick, Stinky. Members of the audience help Peter search through the swampy waters of Crocodile Creek, build a bridge for Wendy to escape, cheer for their favorite hero during the rousing sword fight and dance a rain dance with Tiger Lily.
32nd Annual Free Summer Concerts on the Green:Eastbound Freight Bluegrass - Stony Brook Village Green
July 22, 2012 - Stony Brook
Bring chairs and blankets and enjoy Bluegrass under the night sky.
RAPUNZEL - A Tangled Fairytale - John W. Engeman Theater
July 22, 2012 - Northport
The tangled cast of 4 actors performs all 12 roles including a possessive mother who happens to be a witch, a timid young man who happens to be a prince and a determined but immature young girl with the longest hair you've ever seen.
Baby Massage - Parents R Talking
Through August 01, 2012 - Mineola
Join these interactive workshops with a certified infant massage specialist. Infant massage is a great bonding tool. The massage helps little ones sleep better as well as relieve any colic symptoms they may be feeling. Please bring two baby blankets. Contact patti@wigglesandgigglesbabymassage.com or call 516-607-1153.
Max Weber on Long Island - Heckscher Museum of Art
Through August 05, 2012 - Huntington
Max Weber, who lived on Long Island from 1920 until his death, was among the most influential American artists of the 20th century. Although celebrated today for introducing Cubism to America, he was better known during his lifetime (1881-1961) for his Cézanne-inspired works of the 1920s and 1930s and his later lyrical expressionism. This exhibition focuses on the land and its domestic and industrial structures at varying times of the year. April 28-August 5, 2012.
Green Teens - Long Island Children's Museum
Through August 24, 2012 - Garden City
Each week our Green Teens will lead visitors through an activity, craft or game with a different nature-related theme. Learn fun ways to help the environment, enjoy a variety of outdoor experiences and try your hand at cooking, crafts, and other science activities.
Family Summer Science - Long Island Science Center
Through August 25, 2012 - Riverhead
Each week this summer the museum offers a different theme which includes Bones Up On Bones, Incredible Water, All About Air, Crazy Chemistry, Wild Weather, Rocking Rocks and Physics of Toys. Weekly themes include activities and crafts, all ongoing. Museum Closed Sundays and Mondays. Program runs July 10-August 25, 2012.
Baby Talk Music Program - Parents R Talking
Through August 25, 2012 - Mineola
Designed for 3-month to 9-month-olds, with parent or caregiver, the class focuses on verbal and non-verbal forms of communicating and bringing music into play with your baby. This type of play is helpful in the bonding process and stimulates all of the baby's senses. Please indicate if you wish to bring an older sibling.
Community Gallery - Long Island Children's Museum
Through August 31, 2012 - Garden City
Stop by the Community Gallery and celebrate family. Visit a wall sized, multi-family photo album created from photographs taken during photo workshops held at the museum.
High Flying Fun - Long Island Children's Museum
Through August 31, 2012 - Garden City
Kites have been around for thousands of years and they have been used as an educational tool around the world. Join us for some aerodynamic fun and a unique workshop as you design your own kite using bright paint and other exciting materials. Fly your kite and enjoy a high flying summer afternoon with your family. This event runs through August 31.
START (Story+Art) - Long Island Children's Museum
Through August 31, 2012 - Garden City
Each week kids listen to a different story that relates to the season. After the story, all little hands are on deck to create an art project about the story that was read.
Summer Drop-off Pre-K Camp - Great Neck Arts Center
Through August 31, 2012 - Great Neck
This half-day program (Tuesday-Thursday)exposes children to a wide range of activities designed to exercise both their minds and bodies in the arts and creative movement. Sign up for as many days as you want and pre-register by the Monday before each camp week. Call for weekly fees.
KIDS BOWL FREE @ Farmingdale Lanes - Farmingdale Lanes
Through September 01, 2012 - Farmingdale
Go to the website or stop in and sign up for the Free Summer program. Each child gets a Kids bowl free card to redeem for a free game per day from June 1 to Sept 1.
Framed: Step into Art - Long Island Children's Museum
Through September 02, 2012 - Garden City
Enter the framework of famous paintings, arrange works of art into your own art gallery, create a chalk wall mural, and experience art like never before in Framed: Step into Art. This imaginative and interactive exhibit is sure to bring out the inner artist in everyone. Uncover your artistic side through a number of creative activities, including traveling back to the Canadian Rockies in 1916 and discovering camping gear like John Singer Sargent would have used; riding Clementine Hunter's Big Chicken and helping complete Diego Rivera's mural Corn Festival, and viewing original and famous parodies of "Mona Lisa. This exhibit runs through Sept. 2.
Kaleidozone-Everybody Needs Someone, The Aging-Out of Foster Care Project - Long Island Children's Museum
Through September 02, 2012 - Garden City
Explore a collection of black and white and color photographs giving an intimate look at struggles and triumphs of daily life for young people as they transition from foster care into independent lives. Through thought-provoking questions and statements accompanying the photos, visitors will be introduced to life after foster care. Professional photographers, writers and reporters from the New York area team up with SalaamGarageNYC to present Everybody Needs Someone, The Aging-Out of Foster Care Project. This humanitarian media project shares the stories of 15 young adults who have recently aged out the foster care system in New York City, Nassau, and Suffolk counties. For more information visit www.local.salaamgarage.com. This event runs through September 2.
America's Love Affair with the Car - Ward Melville Heritage Organization
Through September 03, 2012 - Stony Brook
In addition to classic cars, there is also old signage, gas pumps, slot cars model cars and Matchbox cars.
Johnny Peers Muttville Comix - Long Island Game Farm
Through September 03, 2012 - Manorville
Johnny Peers is a former professional clown with Ringling Bros. and the Barnum & Bailey Circus. His 15 dogs, most of which have been rescued from shelters, perform a variety of tricks, such as jumping rope, ladder climbing, tightrope walking and skateboarding.
Living History Tours - Vanderbilt Museum
Through September 03, 2012 - Centerport
Travel back to 1938 and relive life in the Vanderbilt Mansion. Costume actors stay in character, re-enacting actual events that took place among the staff, famous guests and the Vanderbilt Family. The program runs weekends, May 28-September 3, 2012.
Shell Swap - Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum
Through September 03, 2012 - Cold Spring Harbor
Trade, explore, and share a shell, rock, or interesting beach item at our outdoor swap table any time throughout the summer. July 1-September 3, 2012.
The Alef Bet of Being A Mensch - Suffolk Y JCC
Through September 30, 2012 - Commack
On Sundays, through September 2012, visitors can walk through the dictionary of the Hebrew Alef-Bet. Letters form the words that lead you and your children through the basics of being a Mensch. Visitors can test their patience on The Tolerance Sovlanut Scale, discover "Inner Peace" in the Shalom Corner and explore the Glow in the Dark Torah Scroll.
Discovery Wetlands Cruise - Boatworks Marina
Through October 30, 2012 - Stony Brook
Learn the importance and fragility of a wetlands ecosystem while enjoying the sweeping panorama of a salt marsh moraine and the untouched landscape of Long Island's North Shore in this 90-minute sightseeing tour aboard a 27-passenger pontoon boat.A naturalist is on board to explain ecology, geology and history of the area. Seating is first come, first served. June 16-October 30, 2012.
HISTORIC STONY BROOK GRIST MILL TOURS - STONY BROOK GRIST MILL
Through October 31, 2012 - Stony Brook
Listed on the NYS and National Register of Historic Places, the mill, c. 1751, offers an authentic experience of a working grist mill today with the only female "miller" in the U.S. as your guide. Visit the country store for games, toys, recipes, jams and more and feed the ducks at the Mill Pond. April 21-October 31, 2012.
Exhibition: Marc Chagall - Nassau County Museum of Art
Through November 04, 2012 - Roslyn Harbor
Marc Chagall is a major exhibition that includes a significant selection of about half of Chagall’s 1957 series of hand-colored etchings of Bible stories, a series never before seen on Long Island. The exhibition portrays this important and loved artist as a storyteller, demonstrating how Chagall, throughout a long and distinguished career, incorporated facets of his early Russian-Jewish heritage into multilayered works. Chagall’s storytelling paintings portray a fantastic pictorial world where heaven and earth seem to meet. It’s a world where people and animals—cows, goats, donkeys, horses and birds—float upside down or sideways, irrespective of the laws of gravity, and couples are always in love. Chagall’s hypersensitive imagination is palpable as he shares with the viewer his memories of family in brilliantly colored works set amidst the houses and streets of his native Vitebsk. The exhibition runs through November 4, 2012.
Dance and Drum Classes for Teens and Children - Layla's Dance & Drum
Through December 29, 2012 - Valley Stream
Join Layla's Dance and Drum studio for a full day of teen and kids dance, drum and double dutch (jump rope) classes including hip-hop, creative movement, Salsa, African dance and more. Adult classes include Salsa/Mambo, Afro-Cuban and West African dance.
Mommy & Me Pilates - Evolution Pilates
Through December 31, 2012 - Port Washington
Here's a perfect way to bond with your little ones, 2-14 months. Sign up for the Mommy and Me Pilates class on Mondays.
Stroller Strides - The Source Mall
Through January 01, 2013 - Westbury
Fitness for moms, fun for baby. Workout with your little ones in tow, while they are entertained and having fun. Moms meet other moms, make strides in fitness, motherhood, and life. Your first class is FREE. Contact AdeleArkin@strollerstrides.net for more information.
Stroller Strides - The Source Mall
Through January 11, 2013 - Westbury
Fitness for moms, fun for baby. Workout with your little ones in tow, while they are entertained and having fun. Moms meet other moms, make strides in fitness, motherhood, and life. Your first class is FREE. Call to register. Classes run through January 11, 2013
Sculpture Mystery: The Great Art Caper - Hofstra University Museum
Through January 01, 2014 - Hempstead
Uncover clues to help solve a mystery in the outdoor sculpture collection. Pick up your caper kit at Emily Lowe Gallery, have fun while discovering more about these works, and at the end of the caper return to Emily Lowe Gallery for a prize. For everyone ages 4-9 and their grown-up companions all year-round. The program runs through January 1, 2014.
Sculpture Exploration Backpack - Hofstra University Museum
Through January 01, 2014 - Hempstead
Kids and their grown up companions can stop in at the Hofstra University Museum's Emily Lowe Gallery, and pick up a backpack. At the end of your tour, return the backpack and each child will receive a small gift from the Museum. The program runs through January 1, 2014.
