Long Island Kids' Activities May 2, 3 & 4: Maritime Festival, Baby Animal Day, Dinosaur Zoo, May the 4th Be With You & More

5/1/14 - By Jaime Sumersille

If your little matey enjoys pirate hijinks and tall ships, head on over to the Boater's Maritime Festival this weekend in Port Jefferson. In conjunction with this two-day event, The Maritime Explorium is offering children's activities and tours of an 1885 schooner this Friday.

The long, blustery winter yielded a new batch of baby animals this spring at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center in Yaphank. Visit and pet these furry little creatures on Saturday.

As the weather starts to cooperate more and you're planning outdoor birthday parties, peruse our Long Island Party Guide for ideas, themes and locations. And don't forget about Mother's Day next week! We've complied kid-friendly brunch spots on Long Island and a Mother's Day freebie list.

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All Weekend

Erth's Dinosaur Zoo Live - Old Brookville. This show is playing multiple times throughout the weekend. Erth's Dinosaur Zoo Live takes you on a tour through pre-historic Australia, bringing an eye-popping array of ancient creatures to life on stage. Kids will observe and interact with extraordinarily lifelike creatures, just like those that inhabited the Southern Hemisphere millions of years ago. (Recommended for children ages 4+).

Port Jefferson Boater's Maritime Festival - Port Jefferson. This two-day festival will feature exhibits, live performances, music, food, vendors, fishing programs for kids, nature walks and much more.

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley - Northport. The beloved children's books written by Jeff Brown in 1964 have become a literary and pop culture phenomenon, delighting readers and travelers all over the world. Now everyone's favorite two dimensional hero is brought to life on stage.

Messy Afternoons - Garden City (LICM). A hands-on, multi-sensory experience.

Friday, May 2

Mini Mates: Dockside Children's Program - Port Jefferson. In addition to a customized tour of the 1885 Pioneer ship and hauling on lines to set a sail, explore how boats float, and sort shells to learn about the amazing harbor creatures. An after-school version of this event is also ongoing for older kids.

Saturday, May 3

Baby Animal Day -Yaphank. Meet the newest arrivals at the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center and tour the historic working farm. Visit the baby animals, watch chicks hatch, hands-on activities for kids, music, food and demonstrations.

Randy Kaplan Concert - Sag Harbor. Kids' musician will jam out at the Goat on the Boat Puppet Theatre.

Sheep to Shawl Festival - Huntington. Sheep shearing, llamas, games, crafts, music, face painting and refreshments.

Seatuck EcoCarnival - Islip. Carnival booths: henna, wild animal face painting, flying squirrel slingshot, native plant potting, biking skills and safety. Several nature stations will be set up for hands on educational experiences. Green tent business expo, food court and live performances. Suggested donations of $5 per person or $20 per family.

Hofstra University Annual Dutch Festival - Uniondale. Food, music, plant sales. Children's Activities include: Bounce House, Puppet Show, Face-Painting and Magic Show.

Family Fun Day - St. James. The Smithtown Cooperative Nursery School is hosting a free family fun day. This day of fun includes games, crafts, entertainment, face painting, balloon art, vendors, food and gift basket raffles for the adults.

Boy Scout Environmental Science Badge - Rockville Centre. Scouts ages 11-15 can earn their Environmental Science Badge at the Center for Science Teaching and Learning.

Science Saturdays - Riverhead (Long Island Science Center). Play and explore over 30 hands-on exhibits and weekly themes.

A Year With Frog and Toad - Garden City. Arnold Lobel's well-loved characters hop from the page to the stage in the musical “A Year with Frog and Toad.”

Disney's The Little Mermaid - Lindenhurst. An adventurous little mermaid leaves her undersea realm for a sixteenth birthday excursion to the surface. She hopes to find the prince of her dreams, but first she must face the evil sea witch.

101 Dalmatians - East Islip. In London, dalmatian parents, Pongo and Perdita, happily raise their dalmatian puppies, until the monstrous Cruella De Ville plots to steal them for her new fur coat! Live performance. Tickets are $10 in advance; $12 at the door.

Click, Clack Moo - Westhampton Beach. Based on Doreen Cronin's Caldecott Honor Book of the same name, this raucous and "mooooo-ving" musical is sure to delight audiences of all ages!

Train a Seal, Kiss a Lion - Riverhead (Aquarium). From now throughout September, Long Island Aquarium visitors will have a unique opportunity to get up close to seals and sea lions each Saturday.

Sunday, May 4

Circus Incognitus with Jaime Adkins - Port Washington. In this new show starring Jamie Adkins, clowning and acrobatic feats bring to life a story of a man who has something to say, but can't quite get it out. The audience follows Jamie on an adventure about having the courage to try new ideas.

Backyard Bird Count - Bridgehampton. Join a South Fork Natural History Museum educator in this annual bird counting event. Ages 8-11.

Star Wars: May the 4th Be With You - Shirley. The Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library is hosting an entire day of free Star Wars-themed events for May the 4th Be With You Day.

Family Sundays at the Nassau County Museum of Art - Roslyn. Each Sunday, Nassau County Museum of Art offers a 1pm docent-led family walk-through of the exhibition and supervised art activities for the whole family beginning at 1:30pm. Special family-friendly gallery guides of the main exhibition are available in the galleries.

Heckscher Hatters at the Tulip Festival - Huntington. Children of all ages are invited to be Heckscher Hatters and create springtime hats to wear in the historic children's parade through Heckscher Park. Free.

Main photo: Baby Animal Day. Courtesy of the Suffolk County Farm and Education Center.