An adventure course at Jones Beach State Park is scheduled to open at the beachfront attraction in 2019. WildPlay Element Parks will install the gravity-defying East Mall Adventure Course, facing the Atlantic Ocean.

There are plenty more thrill-seeking destinations on Long Island. Check out these spots for little (and big) adrenaline junkies in your house. Or visit another state park on Long Island and embark on an adventure of your own.

The Quogue Wildlife Refuge is one of our favorite hidden Long Island gems. Set back from a curved road, the 300-acre nature preserve on the East End boasts FREE family fun via wildlife, water, and wonderment.

Continue to foster a love of learning outside with our favorite outdoor classrooms and nature centers. Looking for more ways to experience nature? How about a visit to one of our favorite places to interact with birds and butterflies on Long Island? Or consider our favorite family-friendly hiking trails and bikes trails for Long Island families. Of course, you can keep exploring with our guide to more day trips on and near Long Island.  

The leaves soon will turn and the smell of apple cider donuts and roasted corn will be in the air.

Soon, you’ll have to put on an extra layer to keep warm, but no one really will mind if it means enjoying a seasonal treat and spending some family time outside. It’s fall fairs and festivals season, and we’ve pulled together a list of some of the best this September and October, including a peek into Halloween fun. So grab a sweater and enjoy this in-between season before the real chill sets in.

 No matter where you live—Nassau, Suffolk, or the East End—fall on Long Island is beautiful, and there’s plenty of family fun to be had. Check out our fall fun guide for more ideas.

Explore the great outdoors at the Marine Nature Study Area in Oceanside, a South Shore seaside environment preserve ripe for a self-guided expedition.

The education and conservation of marine life have played such a large part in Long Island's past, and we are fortunate to have places such as the Long Island Aquarium, South Fork Natural History Museum, and Quogue Wildlife Preserve to help keep it alive in the present.

For more FREE fun, check out our list of playgrounds, boardwalks and fishing spots. After Labor Day, most beach fees on Long Island are not collected. Before heading out, peruse our calendar for a list of updated events.

Take your tiny tinkerer on a hands-on adventure to the newly rebranded Long Island Explorium.

Located in the historic and charming Chandlery Building at Harborfront Park in Port Jefferson,  the previously named Maritime Explorium offers kids the chance to discover how much fun learning can be. Its STEAM-based (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) programs, classes, and exhibits aim to spark creativity and ignite imaginations. Don't worry about telling wee ones to keep their hands to themselves here: Touching is encouraged. 

Check out more STEM programs on Long Island here. Likewise, many schools, camps, and museums across Long Island offer classes and workshops with a focus on STEAM education. While in quaint Port Jefferson, check out our visitor's guide to see what else is a must-do, see, or eat.

As if a ferry ride itself isn’t enough excitement for your little ones, there’s plenty more to explore on Shelter Island. Nestled between the two forks on the East End of Long Island, this 27-square-mile island boasts family-friendly activities, spectacular views and a host of wildlife. Just a seven-minute ferry from Greenport or North Haven (near Sag Harbor) will get you there. The north ferry leaves you in Shelter Island Heights while the south ferry drops you off at the opening of Smith Cove. 

Our Hamptons and North Fork Guide is packed with family-friendly activities on Shelter Island and all of the East End of Long Island, including 50 ideas of what to do and where. Drum up ideas for other summer day trips to places like New York City, the Hudson Valley and more. 

The Vanderbilt Museum, a marine and natural history museum in Centerport, recently reopened its Hall of Fishes, a spectacle of restored flamingos, shore bird dioramas, and an undersea painting.

Add this museum to your summer bucket list and to your list of top educational destinations in Suffolk County. Check off more with our 50 FREE things to do with Long Island kids. Of course, our Summer Fun Guide, is a comprehensive guide to all things warm weather and family-friendly.

Get soaked and stoked at Long Island's newest water park, the Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo Memorial Spray Park. A first in the Town of Huntington, this water play area is small in size, but pours out big fun. 

Check out more super sprinkler parks on Long Island here.

To splash into other watery fun, take a peek at our guide to Long Island amusement parks and water parks. For even more kid-friendly activities, check out our Summer Fun Guide and our recommendations for the best beach playgrounds as well as other top playgrounds and parks on LI.