Things to do for Kids and Families on Long Island February 4 and 5: Nature Activities and All That Jazz!

2/1/12 - By Dara Stewart

How about this weather we've been having? This weekend is no time to stay cooped up in the house or at your local bounce-play place. Get out and enjoy the weather! There are lots of outdoor activities going on this weekend to enjoy, including a seal cruise and a few other nature-based activities, as well as some indoor events in case the weather turns or it rains, like a Black History Month celebration at the Children's Museum, a LEGO day at the Nassau County Museum, and a concert at the Suffolk Y JCC. Get out and have fun!

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Saturday:
All That Jazz!
Long Island Children's Museum
Garden City
 3pm
$3 with museum admission (LICM members $2)
Celebrate Black History Month by exploring the life of one of the jazz greats, Louis Armstrong! Born in New Orleans, known as the “birthplace of jazz,” Louis Armstrong is renowned all over the world for his talent. Children can listen to beautiful jazz music, learn how to scat, and make a craft trumpet for their very own jazz solo!

Show Us Your LEGOS
Nassau County Museum of Art
Roslyn Harbor
 11am–2pm
Museum admission plus $5 per family materials fee
Inspired by the brick art of Nathan Sawaya, presently on view in the Contemporary Gallery, young LEGO artists are encouraged to bring their plastic brick constructions to the museum for show-and-tell. No reservations are needed. Weekend parking fee is $2 (members free).

  Owl Discovery and Craft Program
  The Farm at Oyster Bay 
10:30am
Free
Join the Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society in learning about the behavior and life cycles of the several species of owl in our area. After the interactive program, children will dissect an owl pellet to see just what it is that an owl eats. A special gift goes to the child with the biggest  “prize” inside their pellet! Kids will also create pine-cone owls to take home. Call to register; group size limited to 20.

Animals in Winter
 Seatuck Environmental Center 
Islip
10:
30am12pm 
Members $4, nonmembers $6
Have you ever wondered where animals go in winter? Do they hibernate, migrate or tough it out? Hike through the woods to search for animals and discuss their various strategies for dealing with winter.

Did Sweetbriar Sam See His Shadow?
 Sweetbriar Nature Center 
Smithtown
1
2:30pm 
Members and scouts $5 per child, nonmembers $6 per child
Meet Sam, Sweetbriar's resident groundhog, and take a walk along the trails to spy other wildlife while enjoying a crisp winter's day. Create a pop-up groundhog to take home.

Saturday and Sunday:

Celebrate Groundhog Day!
Maritime Explorium
Port Jefferson 
$5 per person
 1–5pm
Make your own shadow puppets.

Seal Cruise
Captain Lou Fleet
Freeport
12-2:30pm
adults $25, seniors $22, children $20, children under 3 free
The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation sails from Freeport, Long Island, aboard Captain Lou Fleet, to view winter harbor seal populations throughout Hempstead Bay. A naturalist will be on board to discuss biology and behavior of seals and other marine life encountered. Carry-on children are free. All proceeds support the New York State Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program. For more information or to make reservations, please call 631-369-9840 or go to the website. In case of inclement weather, please contact the Riverhead Foundation.

Sunday:

Ocean Science Sunday: Love in the Sea
Co
ld Spring Harbor Whaling Museum
Cold Spring Harbor
Free with paid admission
2:30pm

Discover unusual ways sea creatures find their valentines in the ocean. Try your own hand at helping to pair up animals and create your own seahorse pillow.

Meet the Artist: Danielle O'Malley
The Long Island Children's Museum
Garden City
 3pm 
Free with museum admission
Meet artist Danielle O' Malley and help build a collaborative tiny neighborhood installation using cardboard boxes and other fun materials. After the workshop, visit Danielle’s exhibit in the KaleidoZone gallery. 

Bari Koral Family Rock Band concert
   Suffolk Y JCC
 Commack

Free
 12pm
This fun, energetic concert will have everyone singing and dancing in the aisles. Reservations required by e-mailing alevy@syjcc.org .  

Fun for Kids: Suncatchers 
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve Nature Museum

 Smithtown
1:30–2:30pm
Adults $4, children 3–17 $3, children under 3 free
Your kids will discover interesting facts about the sun and create a suncatcher. Reservations are required.