For the days that it’s rainy or too cold to play outside, here’s a smorgasbord of indoor entertainment options for your little ones: everything from museums to puppet theater to “drop-in” gymnastics. Each destination is grouped by distance from Port Washington: “Local” — in Port, “Pretty Close” — under a 30 minute drive from Port, and “Further Away, but Worth the Drive” — over a 30 minute drive from Port. A * means it’s a Port Washington Mama fav. Also remember to check the “Seasonal” page for a list of seasonal activities. If you have an inside escape that you would like to see listed, please contact me at portwashingtonmama@gmail.com.
Local
Clearview Cinemas
116 Main Street, Port Washington, New York www.clearviewcinemas.com | 516.944.6200This local movie theater on Main Street offers free morning movies for kids. Call ahead for details.
Dolphin Bookshop & Cafe
299 Main Street, Port Washington, New Yorkwww.thedolphinbookshop.com
Owner, Patti Vunk and her dedicated staff are passionate about helping shoppers make selections. Not only books, Dolphin Bookshop carries toys, games, music, small gifts and other merchandise. The café next door is a great place to grab a coffee and pastries while enjoying your new purchase. The Dolphin has hosted book readings and signings by many distinguished authors including J.K. Rowling, Eric Carle, Cokie Roberts and Madeleine Albright. See site for special events and kids’ programs.
Haven Art
29 Haven Avenue, Port Washington, New Yorkwww.havenart.net
Studio availabile for walk ins! Haven Art offers a blend of personalized instruction and open studio time. See website and contact Haven Art for details.
Little Chefs
10 Soundview Market Place, Port Washington, New Yorkwww.littlechefs.com
Little Chefs Cooking School provides children ages 2-15 with cooking classes and playdates. Mommy & Me options available as well as more advanced cooking classes for older kids. Call to schedule ahead of time. See site for details.
Port Washington Library
One Library Drive, Port Washington, New Yorkwww.pwpl.org
Named by a national consortium of professional librarians as one of the 50 best in the nation, this library has a special kids’ space with toys, books, mommy & me programs, special events, and more.
PW Mama Tip: The library offers a museum pass where you can access free admission to a number of musueums including the Natural History Museum, Long Island Childrens Museum, Cradle of Aviation Museum and more. Visit their website for details.
Port Washington Skating Center
70 Seaview Blvd, Port Washington, New York www.pwskating.com | 516.484.6800Indoor ice skating rink open all year round. See website for details.
The Sands-Willets House
336 Port Washington Blvd, Port Washington, New York www.cowneck.org/sandswillets.html | 516.365.9074Dating back from the early 1700s, the Cow Neck Historical Society maintains the Sands-Willets House as a museum and educational center. Tours of the house are offered on the first and third Sunday of every month, through October, from 2-4pm and at other times by appointment. Docents dressed in period costume, kid friendly crafts and hands on activities (like apple pie making) are available for school and girl scout tours.
SoulShine Art Studio
146 Main Street, Port Washington, New YorkArt classes that expose students to drawing, painting, beading, and more.
Pretty Close
Active Kidz
200 Robbins Lane, Jericho, New Yorkwww.activekidzlongisland.com
Fun for toddlers to tweens. Features a toddler center, maze, rock climbing, inflatable zone, laser tag, arcade and more. Pricing varies by attraction.
Bounce! Trampoline Sports
310 Michael Dr., Syosset, NY516.762.1300 | www.bounceonit.com
Bounce Jr. Area for ages 2 – 6 and larger area for ages 6+, Bounce offers open play, fitness classes, multiple foam pits, enormous open jump court, slam dunk basketball, trampoline dodgeball, indoor trampoline bungee jumps and more!
Cradle of Aviation Museum
Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Garden City, New Yorkwww.cradleofaviation.org
Built on what was formerly Mitchell Fields Air Force Base, this museum offers a collection of air and spacecraft and a number of interactive exhibits (like the cockpits to play pretend Pilot), games, and short films. The domed IMAX Theater offers museum documentaries and popular films.
$14, Adults; $12, Children 2 – 12
*Dreamnastics
38 Great Neck Road, Great Neck, New Yorkwww.dreamnastics.com
Play, tumble, and bounce in a fun and stimulating environment designed to keep you kid on the move. Slides, trampoline, obstacle courses, and more! Great for crawling tots and up. Open gym is available when no class is being conducted. Call ahead to confirm availability.
PWMama Tip: Dreamnastics can be tricky to find. It’s located in the Waldbaums shopping center on the bottom floor of the Health & Racquet Club.
Garvies Point Museum and Preserve
50 Barry Drive, Glen Cove, New Yorkwww.garviespointmuseum.com
Exhibits devoted to Native American culture as well as archeological and geological displays. Outside (if it’s nice) you can meander through the preserve’s 5 miles of nature trails, explore a wigwam or see the first (and only!) dinosaur footprints found on Long Island.
$3 per adult; $2 per child (5-12 years)
Kiddie City USA
262 Glen Head Road, Glen Head, New York www.kiddiecityusa.com | 516.399.2525Kiddie City offers open play in it’s “mini town”-like environment. Fun for 6 months on up. See website for details.
Herrill Lanes
465 Herricks Road, New Hyde Park, New Yorkwww.herrillanes.com
Family oriented bowling alley with bumpers available for kids. Cash only but their is an ATM on premise. Check website for pricing and details.
Le Play Cafe
2465 Merrick Rd, Bellmore, NY
516.308.7053 | www.leplaycafe.comDrop-in play area with dress-up and performance stage, marketplace, and building area. Mats & age-appropriate toys for infants and crawlers. Coffee, healthy snacks, and drinks for all ages. Don’t forget socks!
*Long Island Childrens Museum
Charles Lindbergh, Garden City, New Yorkwww.licm.org
Excellent, interactive, hands-on exhibits that will keep crawling babies on up entertained for hours. Kids will especially enjoy the huge rope jungle gym, bubble center, and “Tot Spot” which contains a pretend grocery store, train, lighthouse, and fishing boat. Features also include special exhibits, and a theater where you can see live performances of dance, music, and hands-on entertainment. Visit website for details and special events.
General Admission, $11; Under 1, FREE
PWMama Tip: An annual membership pays for itself after three visits and also offers a reciprocity program with other museums, like the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the New York Hall of Science in Queens.
Long Island Puppet Theater
10 Heitz Place, Hicksville, New Yorkwww.lipuppet.com
Offers highly interactive puppet shows with a live actor and puppeteer. Past shows have included “The Little Mermaid”, “Meet Elmo & His Friends”, and “Little Red Riding Hood, The 3 Little Pigs, & 7 Baby Goats.” Check site for the most current listings and make reservations in advance.
The North Hempstead Aquatic Activity Center at Tully Park
1801 Evergreen Avenue, New Hyde Park, New York http://www.northhempsteadny.gov/content/7354/7125/7183/7443/default.aspx | 516.869.631The totally renovated 30,000 squarefoot, indoor, state-of-the-art facility features a figure-eight slide, three seperate zones including six lanes for lap swimming and a zero-depth entry area for wading. A pool-level exercise room with new spin cycles and a wide selection of exercise equipment is also available for adults.
Nunleys Carousel
Charles Lyngbergh Boulevard, Garden City, New Yorkwww.cradleofaviation.org/nunleys.html
Originally located in the famed Nunley’s Amusement Park, this indoor carousel has been relocated to Museum Row. With over 40 colorful horses and one majestic lion, kids of all ages will enjoy a ride. Great birthday party spot too!
$2/ride
New York Hall of Science
47-01 111 Street, Queens, New Yorkwww.nysci.org
Full of hands-on activities, demonstrations, and plenty of knowledgeable staffers, this museum is a “science playground” full of all sorts of educational fun. There’s a separate preschool space designed for infants to six year olds. Favorite features include the shadowbox, bubble dipper, and illusions house full of fun mirrors. There’s also an awesome outdoor play space. Visit website for details.
Adults (ages 18 & older), $11; Children (ages 2 – 17) and Students (with college ID): $8
PWMama Tip:Free general admission is available September through June on Fridays from 2-5pm and on Sundays from 10-11 am.
Once Upon a Treetop
151 Dupont Street, Plainview, New Yorkwww.onceuponatreetop.com
Kids will enjoy exploring the interactive mini city and climbing through their treehouse play unit.
$12 per walker; $6 per crawler; Adults and Infants FREE
Further Away, but Worth the Drive
Atlantis Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center
431 East Main Street, Riverhead, New Yorkwww.longislandaquarium.com
Ranked by Parents Magazine as one of the “Top Aquariums for Kids”, this aquarium is themed around the “Lost City of Atlantis”. Not only are fish tanks and stunning coral on display, but they also have penguins, seals, sea lions, monkeys and a butterfly farm. Little babes will love the vibrant colors; tots and older kids will enjoy the hands on activities, penguin exhibit and sea lion show.
Adults (13 – 61), $22.50 plus tax; Children (3-12), $19.50 plus tax; 2 & Under, FREE
PWMama Tip: Tanger Outlets is about a five minute drive from the aquarium. Great discount shopping for the whole family.
Big Apple Archery
17020 39th Avenue, Flushing, New York www.bigapplearchery.com | 718.461.1756For kids 8+ (and adults, too!). Under the watchful eye of experienced coaches, you can enjoy an afternoon of archery. Something different to do and especially fun for all of those Hunger Games fans.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum
145 Brooklyn Avenue, Brooklyn, New Yorkwww.brooklynkids.org
This museum is features fun-filled learning experiences for children and their families. The new exhibits feature hands-on activities, role-playing opportunities, authentic specimens and artifacts, and hundreds of new things to discover in the arts, culture, science, and the environment. A tot fav is the adorable kid-sized storefronts of actual stores in Brooklyn where kids can play with fake fruit and products.
$7.50 per person
PW Mama Tip: Parking is hit or miss (may be worth it to pay for parking) and the museum is extra crowded during school vacations.
BounceU
101 Carolyn Blvd, Farmingdale, New Yorkwww.bounceu.com
Unbelievably cool bounce stadiums in a safe, indoor setting, offering open play available for all ages – “preschool playdate”, “family bounce night”, all-ages open bounce”, and “cosmic bounce”. Check website for details and to make a reservation.
Admission varies, generally $12.95 per child; Parents and non-walking infants FREE
Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery
1660 Rte 25A, Cold Spring Harbor, New Yorkwww.cshfha.org
CSH Fish Hatchery & Aquarium houses the largest living collection of NYS freshwater reptiles, fishes, and amphibians. Two aquarium buildings contain a diverse array of slimy, slithering creatures all housed in tanks set at toddler eye-level Outdoors, there are eight ponds and a number of “trout-rearing” pools where you can trace the stages of a trout’s development from a tiny minnow to a full-fledged adult.
$6 per adult; $4 per child (Ages 3 – 12) Children (Under 2) FREE
PW Mama Tip: It will take about an hour to wander around the Fish Hatchery — especially worth the trip when coupled with a visit to the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum.
Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum
279 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor, New Yorkwww.cshwhalingmuseum.org
This small, quaint museum is easy to navigate with a stroller and offers a lot of interesting insight into the whaling industry. Kids will enjoy investigating the maritime artifacts and playing Captain on a reproduction of a whaling ship bed. Children’s room features puzzles, games, and puppets.
$6 per adult; $5 per student (Ages 5 – 18) Children (Under 5) FREE
PWMama Tip:Take time to wander through the historic village of Cold Spring Harbor. One of my favorite towns on Long Island.
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