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Young artists can refine their skills at the Art League of Long Island.
1. Art Classes & Workshops
Whether they’re aspiring artists or just want to try something different, you’ll find a diversity of places around Long Island that offer classes and workshops in drawing, painting, photography, and more. The Art League of Long Island offers young artist and teen classes all year ‘round, including drawing and painting, Anime/Manga, cartooning, ceramic art, photography, and fashion and sewing. Gold Coast Arts Center is another spot that caters to the visual and performing arts, with workshops summer camps and more.
2. Yoga & Aerial Hammocks
Yoga classes are the perfect way for your teen or tween to strengthen their bodies, learn relaxing breathing techniques, and find some inner peace after a stressful day of classes or a tough day on the soccer field. Sea Change Holistic Wellness Center in Lindenhurst has yoga classes for all ages. The Smithtown Historical Society hosts yoga classes with kids – the goat kind! Revolution Yoga in Rockville Centre has plenty of classes for older kids, including any of the Gentle and Rev Flow classes as well as a number of upcoming family yoga classes. Emerge Yoga & Wellness in Massapequa offers multiple classes for all levels of aerial yoga including flow, cocoon and deep release.
3. Escape Room
Escape rooms, where a group of people are ‘locked’ in a room for an hour and have to figure out how to get out, are a fun way to challenge your tween or teen and their friends to use their minds and not their phones. Of course, they aren’t technically locked in but they do have to work together to figure out the clues that will help them escape. You’ll find a slew of escape rooms all around Long Island with uniquely decorated themed rooms that target these age groups. Great for developing team-building and problem-solving skills, they are also a very cool birthday party venue.
4. Museums
From art to aviation and everything in between, Long Island’s museums offer many opportunities for young adults to explore the Island’s diverse culture and history. At the Nassau County Art Museum in Roslyn Harbor, drawing, animation, and other classes for young artists are offered through its new Manes Family Art & Education Center. The museum also offers programs for children and young adults (up to age 21) with autism. The Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium in Centerport offers plenty to interest older kids, including the mansion and Natural History and Cultural Artifact galleries. Shows at the planetarium that are sure to grab their attention including one set to the music of Taylor Swift. Another museum worth exploring is the Cradle of Aviation in Garden City, which has a number of programs for tweens, and hosts the The Long Island Retro Gaming Expo and Cradle-Con: Comic, Collectible and Pop Culture Expo each year.
RELATED: Technology and coding for teens and tweens at The Gaming Center
Teens can learn cooking techniques and kitchen skills at What’s Cooking in Oyster Bay.
5. Cooking Classes
If your teen or tween has shown interest in cooking family meals, a cooking or baking class could be right up his or her alley. At What’s Cooking in Oyster Bay, kids learn skills at classes and workshops throughout the year. Its International Cooking class lets aspiring chefs learn how to make an appetizer, main dish, and dessert from a new country each month. It also offers a variety of culinary camps and workshops during the summer and school breaks. The Cooking Lab in Port Washington (and soon to be in Garden City) has summer camp sessions, after school classes and single workshops for kids ages 8 and up. The Babylon Mercantile in bucolic Babylon village boasts specialized classes for kids such as sushi, pasta making. They also host more generalized classes such a healthy breakfast options. Find more places where kids can learn cooking and baking techniques here.
6. Volunteer
It’s no secret that middle- and high-schoolers can be, shall we say, a bit self-centered. It’s not a bad idea to teach them the importance of giving back. (They can also earn those much-needed community service hours for school and church programs.) Check your local library for in-person and take-home volunteer opportunities. They seem to be offered monthly. Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk teams with local high schools in its Student Build program (kids must be at least 16), so you child’s school might already participate. If not, your teen can help start it up in his or her school. For kids younger than 16, there are other ways they can get involved, including serving meals to onsite volunteers, putting together gift baskets for Habitat families, or participating in workshops specifically designed for kids ages 8-15. Long Island Cares is always looking for volunteers to join its mission of feeding the hungry on Long Island. The Book Fairies in Freeport are often seeking volunteers to sort books for underprivileged children and schools.
7. Adventure Parks & Courses
These high flying attractions are perfect for those adventure seeking teens and tweens. The Adventure Park at Long Island has aerial “trails” in the woods that stretch from tree to tree, and each provides a new type of challenge. There are 49 zip lines, 14 trails, and more than 200 challenges. They also host fun glow night events. WildPlay at Jones Beach features three courses with ropes, bridges, and tunnels, a 40-foot bungee jump, and a 700-foot long zip line. While the courses are quite rigorous and take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours to complete, depending on which you choose and your speed, there are other activities with varying degrees of intensity. Keep an eye out for their Black Friday season pass deals. So worth it! Bayville Adventure Park offers a Jungle Tree Top Adventure ropes course, in addition to other fair fun and seasonal attractions such as a winter wonderland in the summer and scream park in the fall. For more adventure park fun nearby, check out our full list.
8. YMCA
Let teens know there’s more to YMCA than the popular wedding song. At the YMCA of Long Island, which has locations throughout the Island, Pre-Teen Centers offer FREE activities such as swimming, fitness, sports, a game room, arts and crafts, cycling, and dance and Zumba classes for kids in fifth to seventh grades. AtTeen Centers, it’s time for the eighth to 12th-graders can have some fun, including swimming, a fitness center, board and video games, dance classes, and more, all FREE. The Y’s Leaders Club is for seventh to 12th-graders and focuses on team-building, fund raising, volunteer work, and special events. There are sports programs, swimming, and other activities available.
9. Library Passes
Your local library is a treasure trove of FREE activities for teens and tweens. From volunteer activities to learning new skills and meeting new people, there’s no limit to what they can discover at the library. Encourage your child to check your library’s website to see what’s happening. And, don’t forget, many libraries offer FREE passes to local and city museums and plenty of other perks, too.
10. Amusement Parks
From water parks to old school fair fun, Long Island amusement park scene does not disappoint. While Splish Splash is the only dedicated water park, teens can find water ride fun at Adventureland as well. These spots make it safe for tweens and teens to wander on their own a bit too, fostering some independence.
RELATED: The best destinations for LI kids to learn about diversity
Teach your teen or tween the value of community service at Habitat for Humanity of Suffolk.
11. Roller Skating and Ice Skating
Whether they’re taking off on roller or ice skates, Long Island rinks cater to this demographic. Some host drop off teen nights and glow sessions, like United Skates of America while others like Gr8t Skates in Shirley host teen-friendly dance party events. There are plenty of outdoor roller rinks in parks too for in-line skaters or roller hockey fans. Depending on the season, ice skaters can hit the ice indoors or outdoors.
12. Laser Tag
You’re never too old – or too cool for laser tag. These Long Island hot spots have upped their game with more types of competitive games, crazy accurate laser guns and even a 5,500 sq.ft., multi-level course with hideouts and at Xplore in Commack.
13. Axe Throwing
If lasers aren’t your thing, maybe try your hand at axe throwing. It’s safe – we promise! Plus, most Long Island axe throwing places are for the older kiddos. While some are solely axe throwing, Axe Kicking Entertainment in Mineola has football bowling, archery and plate smashing, while Axe & Smash in Mattituck you can create smash art, take in a wrestling match or catch a classic film on weekends.
14. Boats, Paddles and More
You can rent pedal boats, kayaks, canoes and paddle boards at several spots along Long Island’s vast shorelines – or inland at lakes. There are so many areas such as Stony Brook Harbor and the Peconic Riverfront in Riverhead that are perfect for exploring via the water.
Go Karts
Get your motors running and those pre-licensed tweens and teens behind the wheel – of a go kart that is. With both indoor and outdoor tracks to choose from this is a good option to get the adrenaline pumping.
16. Golfing
Now that Long Island has a Top Golf location, swinging the irons for some fun is a hop, skip and a jump away. But we also have some par-3 courses on Long Island where teens can sharpen their game. Or check out these mini golf courses for more fun. However, if you want a virtual option, X-Golf in Westbury and Commack, Pickle N Par Clubs in Melville and Smithtown or Simplay in Smithtown have ginourmous screens for you to simulate your swing.
17. Arcades
Lucky kids these days can swipe their Apple Pay rather than lugging a pocket full of quarters at these Long Island arcades. From pay-one-price passes at Round 1 in Hicksville to half priced days at Dave & Busters locations, arcades are doing more to draw in the younger crowds.
If your child appreciates the vibe of New York City, check out our cool activities for teens in NYC.
Top photo: Kids can explore abstract techniques in LICM’s de Kooning Abstract Art program. Photos courtesy of the programs/classes
