Nov 22, 2008
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Nov 22, 2008 |
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Helen B. Duffield School students' top LI picks
May 18, 2008 Kidsday asked Tracy Kramer's students from the Helen B. Duffield School in Ronkonkoma to tell us the places they love to visit over and over again. Here's what they wrote. The Long Island Game Farm Manorville Have you ever been to the Long Island Game Farm? Well, you should go now! It is a great place to go with family and friends. I like it because you get to pet all the animals and feed most of them. While I was there I fed the baby lambs and the giraffe. I also got to pet the new baby chicks. They were so cute! We got to see a tiger show that had a rare white tiger in it. When my family and I were at the game farm we also went to Bambi Land. Bambi Land is part of the game farm where the deer are. It is fun to feed them with baby bottles and deer feed. They tickle your hand when you feed them. That was my favorite part of the game farm. They also have fun rides. My brother and I went on a great carousel and the swings that go round and round really fast. It was a fantastic family day. If you're hungry while you're there you can either get food at the concession stand or pack a picnic to bring there and eat at their tables. Either way it is a great day to share with friends and family. WHERE: Chapman Boulevard, Manorville, 631-878-6670; longislandgamefarm.com -- Julia Price, Kidsday reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Wood Kingdom Coram Wood Kingdom is a great indoor playground for kids. There are so many things to climb on and play in. They have really cool swing sets to play on with long slides. There is an awesome wooden castle playhouse to climb up and slide down. There is a giant pirate ship to play on, too. It makes you feel like a real pirate. It is the best place to play hide and seek through all of the play sets. My friends and I also play tag when we go there. At Wood Kingdom there is a scavenger hunt that is so much fun. You have to find the hidden clues in the playhouses. The winner gets to pick a prize from the treasure chest. They also have a place for toddlers to have a great time. So the next time you are stuck indoors on a rainy day and want to run around and play go to Wood Kingdom. It is also a great place to have a birthday party! WHERE: 544 Middle Country Rd., Coram, 631-698-0212; www.woodkingdom.com -- Ryan Olivieri, Kidsday reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Boomers Medford Boomers is a great place to have fun with family and friends. The rides are amazing. I think the best ride is bumper boats. They also have miniature golf, rock climbing, bumper cars and more. One of the arcade games attests your skills on a skateboard. There is a train tour around Boomers that goes pretty fast They also offer a birthday party package, whether it's for two kids or 80 kids. It's a blast to have a party at Boomers. When you are in the arcade you can win tickets by doing well. If you win enough tickets you redeem them for prizes. Food and drinks are available if you get hungry. You can choose from a long menu including pizza, hamburgers, fries and more. WHERE: 655 Long Island Ave., Medford, 631-475-1771; www.boomersparks.com -- Shaun Catterson, Kidsday reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Citibank Park (home of the LI Ducks) Central Islip What better place to spend an exciting weekday or weekend game with family or friends than Ducks Stadium. It's great to have a stadium so close by. A family of four can enjoy great seats that are reasonably priced as well as hot dogs, popcorn and more. Each year my school has held family fun nights there. How exciting to watch a baseball game with a majority of friends and teachers from school. Citibank Park is not just a place to watch baseball, you can also play lots of games and try to catch foul balls. During the 7th-inning stretch, many things happen. For example you can go in the Bouncy House, play arcade games, see how fast you can throw a ball and workers use a shirt gun to blast Ducks T-shirts into the crowd. If it's your birthday and you go to Ducks Stadium the whole crowd will sing happy birthday to you! You can also stand in the dugout. Quacker Jack, the team mascot, isn't just funny, he is my favorite part of the game. When I was watching the game in May, Quacker Jack unexpectedly popped out and surprisingly pranked my dad. Quacker Jack lifted up my dad's hat and put it on himself without my dad realizing. The crowd was laughing hysterically. Visit and you will have lots of laughs and see great baseball. WHERE: 3 Court House Dr., Central Islip, 631-940-3825; www.liducks.com -- Anthony Di Silvestre, Kidsday reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Heartland Golf Park Edgewood Heartland Golf Park is a wonderful place to visit and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. There are several different things you can enjoy during your visit such as practicing your swing at the 92-stall, two-tier automatic tee-up driving range (day or night); 9-hole par-3 golf course (day or night), golf lessons by the pros, 18-hole miniature golf mountain (day or night) shopping in a pro golf shop and enjoy lunch at their restaurant. They also offer really cool birthday parties for kids of all ages. Heartland is the best place to spend quality time with my family and have a great time playing a game we all love. We love to warm up our swing on the driving range by having a contest for who can hit the ball farther. Then we play a game of miniature golf or have lunch at their cozy restaurant. The best thing about it is that we can go anytime day or night because they are Long Island's first fully lit golf course. This summer my dad and I are going to get professional lessons from the pros. "I can't wait." WHERE: 1200 Long Island Ave., Edgewood, 631-667-7400; www.heartlandgolfpark.com -- Julia Gordon, Kidsday Reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Town of Riverhead Skate Park Riverhead Skateboarding at the Town of Riverhead Skate Park with my brother and friends is so much fun. Each time I go I try new tricks and get lots of exercise. There is a beginner section and an advanced section. There are so many different sized ramps, as well as two half-pipes and grinding rails. My favorite feature is the fun box, where you skate along the top and jump (or ollie if you're talking skateboard terms) off the end, which is about 2 feet high. Good music is always playing, which helps you get in a groove. There are always better skaters to watch and learn from. In addition to skateboards, the Skate Park is open to bikes and in-line skates. It has many bright lights so you can also skate or ride at night. It is awesome to glide and ride at the Town of Riverhead Skate Park. WHERE: Stotzky Park, Pulaski Road, Riverhead, 631-208-3826; riverheadli.com -- Kyle Walter, Kidsday reporter, 10, Ronkonkoma Sayville Ferry Service Sayville to Sailors Haven, Fire Island If you love the wind blowing through your hair and the strength of the waves pushing against the boat, the Fire Island ferry is the perfect place for you. Ferries leave from Sayville to Sailors Haven every day. Each ride is a new exciting adventure. I loved seeing the fish in the crystal-clear water. You feel the warmth of the sun beaming down on you especially when you sit up top on the ferry. Don't forget your sun block! The ride starts slow but keeps getting faster and faster. It reminded me of a roller coaster going up a hill, then down the hill. It gets more exciting when the dock gets closer. What a thrilling ride! As you get off the ferry, head straight to the nature trail. You will enjoy the animals walking past you. Then it is time to go to the beach. As you walk, you feel the sand going in and out of your toes. I ran to the water and jumped over each wave until I got really tired. WHERE: Sayville Ferry Service, 41 River Rd., Sayville, 631-589-0810; www.sayvilleferry.com -- Brianne Branco, Kidsday reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma United Skates of America Seaford United Skates of America is great to have family fun. This roller skating rink offers both open skating admissions and assorted party packages. It even has arcade games for everyone to enjoy. Both kids and adults can enjoy skating to DJ music. The skilled DJ entertains both kids and adults with great music. It gets even better! In United Skates you can bring your own roller blades or skates, or they will supply skates to you for a reasonable rental fee. While celebrating a kid's birthday party, the kid gets to be a guest DJ for a song and gets to spin the "wheel of fortune" for a surprise prize. Birthday Party guests are served pizza, soda and birthday cake. There is also a "Big Shot VIP" Party Package! It includes the premier seating behind velvet ropes for all members of your party, United Skates Party invitations and a balloon centerpiece at every table. Also a private party host dedicated to your party. There is a lot more to the package, too. WHERE: 1276 Hicksville Rd., Seaford, 516-795-5474; www.usa-skating.com -- Kimberly Fable, Kidsday Reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Riverhead Raceway Riverhead Last summer I went to Riverhead Raceway with my dad. We had a lot of fun. There are many different races that take place; regular racing, street-car racing in a figure-8, and a Demolition Derby. There's a great view from every seat -- and don't forget your earplugs! Two of the race-car drivers, Cheesebox and Slim Jim, were taking pictures with the kids. At one point, Cheesebox came up to the fence and shook it and the crowd went wild! The race cars were very cool-looking. Some had huge wheels, engines on the hood of the car, and one even looked like the Tazmanian Devil. It was very exciting to watch. During one of the races Cheesebox was tied for first place with Muddog. As they were headed for the finish line, Muddog bumped Cheesebox out and won the race. They got out of their cars and started pushing each other. At that point, Cheesebox threw his helmet at Muddog. Later, during the Demolition Derby, Cheesebox got his revenge. He won the race while Muddog's car burst into flames. It was awesome. It's a fun day with your family and friends. Gates open on Saturday at 3 and Sunday at noon. The season ends in September. WHERE: Route 58, Riverhead; 631-842-7223; www.riverheadraceway.com -- Jonathan Kotak, Kidsday Reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Matt Guiliano's Play Like a Pro Baseball Hauppauge Matt Guiliano's Play Like a Pro Baseball is not only a place where you can play baseball and softball, but soccer, dodgeball and lacrosse. You can have your birthday party at Guiliano's, and invite your friends and family to come and eat pizza and cake, and then play soccer or dodgeball in the indoor soccer area. But Guiliano's is mostly a place to learn and to practice baseball and softball. They have eight hitting areas where coaches teach kids from 6 years old and up how to hit, and four batting cages with pitching machines to help you practice what the coaches have taught you. There is also an area where up to four pitchers can learn how to pitch with indoor pitching mounds, and two fielding areas where fielders can practice taking ground balls and running bases. The best thing about these areas is that you can practice with your team or by yourself. The coaches are all former professional or college baseball and softball players. The thing I really liked about Guiliano's is that some nights you can see some of the Long Island Ducks, college players and high school players practicing right next to you as you do your workouts. Guiliano's also has indoor baseball camps during holiday and breaks from school, and summer baseball camps. I have been going to camps at Guiliano's since I was 6, and I would tell anyone this is the place for you. WHERE: 1745 Expressway Drive N., Hauppauge, 631-342-9033; www.PlayLikeaProBaseball.com -- Patrick Galvin, Kidsday Reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Eastern Long Island Kampground Greenport Eastern Long Island Kampground in Greenport is absolutely the best place to get away and bond with your family. We had so much fun riding our bikes and telling stories around the campfire. You can bring a tent, or you can rent a camper and have it set up at the site ready for you when you get there. It is a family-owned place, and there is lots to do. There is a pool, a playground and a general store. There is also a recreational center where there are planned events throughout the day. It is a fun place to spend time with your family. WHERE: Route 48 Queen St., Greenport, 631-477-0022; www.easternlikampground.com -- James Mutell, Kidsday Reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Touch-N-Go Farms Medford Touch-N-Go Farms can teach you anything you need to know about horses. They first teach how you to groom a horse. They take out Bobby or Hailey, both very gentle horses. They have all different kinds of brushes and tools to groom the horse. You get to brush the two sides of its belly and its mane and tail. The best thing about Touch-N-Go Farms is getting to know the horses. During my visit they took out Maggie, Bayman and Casper. Boy, I wished I could ride on all of those horses. Lucky me, I was able to ride Bayman. You will have a lot of excitement when you get on the horse. If you can't reach the horses saddle rings, there's a special stool to help. When you get on the horse you feel like you are a giant on top of the world. It's better to take lessons in the winter because in summer the horses are very cranky and hard to work with. Before you leave you get to feed the horses. Even the ones you didn't ride. Remember don't forget the sugar cubes. WHERE: Touch-N-Go Farms, 188 Bellport Ave., Medford, 631-924-4466 -- Brianne Branco, Kidsday Reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma The Rinx Hauppauge The Rinx is an awesome place to spend time with family and friends. They have a lot of activities that are really fun. My favorite is playing ice hockey. Girls and boys of all ages can go to hockey clinics to learn how to play hockey. You can even join a hockey team. If you are interested in ice skating, the Rinx is the perfect place for you. They have open skating sessions every day and you can take skating lessons from an inspiring teacher. The Rinx has summer camp where you can skate, play hockey, have lunch with friends and play many other games. Some of the things that you can do at camp are go swimming, play soccer, lacrosse and volleyball. It gives you a taste of how a lot of different sports are played. My favorite activity besides hockey is volleyball. There are skating programs for adults, too. My dad plays lunchtime hockey a few times a week. No matter what age you are there is always a spot for you at the Rinx. The Rinx is open all year. WHERE: 660 Terry Rd., Hauppauge, 631-232-3222; Therinx.com -- Brittani Mingoia, Kidsday Reporter, 10, Ronkonkoma The Long Island Museum Stony Brook If you want to have family fun on Long Island and still learn about history, take a trip and visit the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook. There are a lot of reasons it is a great place to visit. One reason is you can learn about the old times, and the museum teaches you what life back then was really like. Another reason is you can see the old horse-drawn vehicles. There are over 100 carriages to see, like the Royal coaches, stagecoaches, gypsy wagons and a firefighting pumper. Some are carriages that transported families from place to place. These carriages had big wheels and some had no doors. They had no heat during the winter so the families had to put blankets over themselves. They had no air-conditioning during the summers so they were very hot. You can also visit the Graves Brothers Carriage Shop, where the horses and the carriages were maintained. I saw the machinery, which had the pulleys and belts. The machinery was really working like it was really taking care of the horses and the carriages! It was making a lot of noise. The last reason is when you go into the Margaret M. Blackwell History Museum you get to see special exhibits and if you go into a special little room in the back you get to see dioramas of miniature bedrooms, dining rooms, kitchens and more. When I saw this, it reminded me of the rooms you would see in a huge mansion, but they were really tiny! The museum has different exhibits every month or so. The exhibits that I had the opportunity to see were: The Levittown homes and Diana Ross, the famous singer, and the Supremes' dresses. You can do some fun things before you leave the museum. You must visit the carriage house and see the carriages, visit the art museum and see the fantastic paintings and most of all visit the dioramas of miniature furniture. As you can see you can learn and have fun at the same time! WHERE: 1200 Rte. 25A, Stony Brook 631-751-0066, www.longislandmuseum.org -- Jessica Melling, Kidsday Reporter Libby Lu (reviewed at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove) Libby Lu is a great place to go. You can go there and get your nails and makeup done. They also let you pick out a style for your hair. I likes the black and pink curled hair that they used on me. They have many different types of products to buy. They have makeup, jewelry, shirts, shoes, chairs and suitcases. Almost anything a girl could want. When you arrive there, they bring you to the area where they do your makeup, nails and hair. You pick out the package that you like and they do what's in that package. The people there are very nice. The girl who did my hair and makeup was Jessica. I also got to take home a really cool bag, and in that bag I got to put five items form the bins one the wall. I asked another young girl what she likes about Libby Lu and she said she likes all the sparkles that they use. One of the best things is that you could have your birthday party there. You could invite as many friends as your mom will let you. It is where a girl can be a girl. WHERE: Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, 631-979-3612 For more information on a club near you: www.clublibbylu.com -- Kayla Silverstein, Kidsday reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Tanger Outlets Riverhead The Tanger Outlet is the best place to go if you have the urge to shop, shop and shop. The outlet has a huge selection of stores to go to. This place has everything you could ever want. I remember one time, when my mom and I stayed at the outlet for hours, just shopping and shopping. Me and my family always have a good time at the outlet, not only because we buy things that we like and need, but also the convenience of having everything in one place not to far from home. Imagine going to a designer store to shop, then going to another place miles away. At the outlet, there is no need for that. The Tanger Outlets has more than 160 designer stores, from Aeropostale to Office Depot. At the outlet, you can also find food services. There are food courts that include everything from McDonald's to ice cream, so if you're hungry or thirsty, there is always one near you. So, if you're in the mood to shop, you should go to the Tanger Outlets. WHERE: 1770 W. Main St., Riverhead, 631-369-2732; www.TangerOutlet.com -- Sabrina Figueroa, Kidsday reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Laser Kingdom Coram Laser Kingdom is a great place to visit because there are plenty of things to do including playing laser tag. You can also visit the video arcade that has lots of different games to play. There is one game that you have to destroy buildings as monsters. It is a great place for a birthday party. You get to Laser Kingdom and you play the games such as the mini basketball hoops and the crane game. Then they get you started on the game of laser tag. You get laser guns to shoot your opponents. There is a dark room to go in. After two rounds you go into the party room. You get pizza and cake. WHERE: Coram Location 544 Middle Country Rd., Coram, 631-698-0414 Farmingdale Location, 133 Milbar Blvd., Farmingdale, 631-694-6148; www.laserkingdoms.com -- Christopher Henn, Kidsday Reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Captree State Park Babylon Captree is a great place for families to enjoy. They can enjoy the beautiful view of the Great South Bay, go fishing and crabbing. It is where a great big boat can take you on an amazing cruise through the Great South Bay or you can just pull up a chair, relax and watch the many boats passing by. At Captree, you could also go to the beach with friends and family. You could swim in the water or just lay around and get a tan. Children can play in the sand and build sand castles. You could play Marco Polo in the water as it is not very deep right off the beach. Kids can also play at the small playground that Captree has. Adults can play volleyball in the water or in the sand. Everyone can hunt for shells and see who can find the biggest. Then, pack up the family and head to the restaurant, Captree Cove, for great burgers and fries for lunch. These are just some of the wonderful things that Captree State Park has to offer! WHERE: Robert Moses Causeway (Exit 40), south to park; http://www.nysparks.com/parks/info.asp?parkID=151 -- Ryan Johnston, Kidsday Reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Dave & Buster's Islandia Dave & Buster's is an awesome and fun place to go. They have tons of games to play. They have Skeeball and lots of other arcade games to play and win tickets. I like Dave & Buster's very much because you can play many different games and even go home with a great prize. They also have pool tables for teens and adults. When I go there I bring my Power Card that I got the first time I went to Dave & Buster's. It holds tokens so I can play the games. There is a huge prize area where you hand in your tickets that you win. If you have a lot of tickets saved up from the last time you were there, there's a big glass case that has video games and electronics, but those cost a lot of tickets. Before or after you play some games, you can sit down and have a good meal. Dave & Buster's serves lunch, dinner and a breakfast buffet. You can also plan to have a birthday party. WHERE: 1856 Veterans Memorial Hwy., Islandia, 631-582-6615, www.daveandbusters.com -- Jesse Riehm, Kidsday Reporter, 9, Ronkonkoma Copyright 2008 Newsday Inc. |