Jaime Sumersille

Latest posts by Jaime

Easter Bunny Pictures and Easter Brunches near Long Island

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Fri, 03/08/2024 - 11:51am

Join in the fun at Sweetbriar Nature Center's festival and egg hunt. Photo courtesy of the center

Dust off your bonnets and baskets and get ready to snap some Easter Bunny pictures on Long Island. Pose for Easter Bunny pictures, have an Easter brunch, or even hunt for Easter eggs dropped from a helicopter.

Word to the wise: You should book reservations or purchase tickets soon, as these fun Easter outings are nearly guaranteed to sell out.

Find more seasonal happenings in our Family Activity Calendar.

Best STEM and STEAM Summer Camps on Long Island for Kids

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Sun, 03/03/2024 - 7:16am

Park Shore Country Day Camp offers a science camp option for kids. Photo courtesy of the camp

Long Island has quite a few summer camps where kids can expand their knowledge of all things STEM and STEAM.

If you have kids who want to spend their summer camp experience building robots, learning to code, or launching rockets, you're in luck. At the Long Island summer camps we've listed below, children can have fun, make new friends, and also learn new skills to help them thrive during the school year. Some camps include the arts among their offerings, too.

For lots more on Long Island summer camps, check out our Long Island Summer Camp Guide and our Camp Directory, where you can search for summer camps by type, age, and town.

26 Best Free and Fun Things To Do on Long Island with Kids March 2024

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Sun, 02/25/2024 - 7:35am

Adventureland opens its outdoor amusements for the season on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Photo courtesy of Adventureland

From St. Patrick's Day to Easter, family fun springs to life on Long Island in March.

Kick off spring with a sweet maple sugaring event at the Suffolk County Farm or try your Irish Luck on the Farm at the Smithtown Historical Society. The Greatest Show on Earth comes back to town with high flying acts and dare-devilish stunts. Embark on a Japanese storytelling journey at the Landmark on Main Street. with masks, mimes, and music.

Read on for all the ways you can pack your calendar this month on Long Island.

Best Things To Do at Westbury's Samanea Mall, a Long Island Entertainment Destination

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Tue, 02/20/2024 - 6:54am

Golf simulators at X Golf in the Samanea Mall allow players to practice their swing. Photo by the author

The Samanea New York Mall is a rebrand and reboot of the Source Mall in Westbury, and its many options make for a fun outing. The mall has a diverse roster of stores and venues that offer dining, arts, and entertainment–with a bunch more on the way.

Here is the scoop on what's open, coming soon, and planned for the future. Similar to New Jersey's American Dream Mall, Samanea seeks to flip the script on the outdated shopping mall concept.

For more fun local escapes, check out our Guide to Day Trips and Weekend Getaways.

Awesome Laser Tag Arenas on Long Island

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Fri, 02/16/2024 - 7:19am

Long Island Laser Tag brings laser tag to your home or a location of your choosing.

These days you can tell the kids to take their sibling rivalry into the arena at one of Long Island's thrilling laser tag venues. This competition-style activity engages players physically and mentally as they strategically attempt to tag the opposing team while not getting tagged themselves. But think fast … or tag, you're out.

There are some great spots to play laser tag in Nassau and Suffolk counties, so get ready to think on your feet and have fun. Many of these facilities offer other attractions like go-karts and arcades to get the whole family playing together. We've also included a couple of options where the laser tag comes to you, so you can plan the activity in a convenient location like your backyard or a nearby park.

For more ways to have fun indoors, check out our Guide to Indoor Play Spaces on Long Island. There's always something great to do for families on Long Island and we've got the info you need at our events calendar.

Presidents Day Weekend 2024: Best Things To Do on Long Island with Kids

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Wed, 02/14/2024 - 7:17am

The Nassau Coliseum hosts larger-than-life animatronic dinosaurs at Jurassic Quest this weekend. Photo courtesy of Jurassic Quest

Looking for the best things to do on Long Island this Presidents Day weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list.

Stomp back to prehistoric times at the Nassau Coliseum as it hosts this over-the-top dinosaur attraction, Jurassic Quest. Or, watch as the East End town of Southold is transformed into a winter wonderland at its annual, free WinterFest celebration. For a more interactive experience, Journey to Oz puts the audience front and center at the Long Island Children's Museum. Kids become cast members and sing, dance, and act onstage alongside the professional cast.

And, because the weekend is just the jumping-off point to another school break, make sure to bookmark our list of the top winter break fun for kid-friendly things to do all week long.

Best Free and Affordable Summer Camps on Long Island

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Sun, 02/11/2024 - 11:05am

At Long Island's Y camps, campers build friendships. Photo courtesy of the YMCA

Looking for the best free and affordable summer camps on Long Island? Read on for our roundup of some great picks that won't break the bank.

For kids on Long Island, summer is a fun-filled 10 weeks, but for moms and dads, those two months need to be filled with activity before the home becomes a whining zone of boredom.

Summer camps can be a significant investment, but some Long Island summer camps are actually quite affordable, and others offer scholarships and financial aid.

Here is our list of the most affordable summer camp programs on Long Island. Find more summer camp resources in our Guide to Summer Camps.

28 Things To Do in Massapequa with Kids

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Mon, 02/05/2024 - 6:01pm

Massapequa Preserve's bike trails connect to Long Island's Greenbelt Trail. Photo courtesy of the preserve

The community of Massapequa is massive. From its northernmost boundary at the Southern State Parkway to the waters of South Oyster Bay, this community within the Town of Oyster Bay extends through the village of Massapequa Park to the Suffolk County border. With bustling downtown areas along both Park Boulevard and Broadway, and a thriving beach community on the South Shore, Massapequa is a family-friendly jewel in Nassau County.

We've rounded up all our favorite Massapequa destinations for kids and families below. Of course, you'll find more fun local communities to explore in our Guide to Nassau County, plus more fun expeditions in our Guide to Day Trips on Long Island.