Slime, cupcakes and more places kids can create their own on Long Island

Do-it-yourself (DIY) experiences are popping up all over Long Island, giving crafty kids the opportunity to learn new skills and create Pinterest-worthy projects, edible sweets and more. In each location or class, experts work with children on their creations from start to finish, offering guidance and hands-on help when needed. The best part? Kids can take home their work, giving them a chance to show off what they’ve accomplished. They may even discover a newfound passion along the way. From decorating desserts to making slime, jewelry, clothing and more, here are DIY adventures for kids in Nassau and Suffolk.

Decorate cakes and cupcakes

Budding bakers (or kids who just love cake!) can check out A Cake in Time (5768 Rt. 25A) in Wading River, a bakery specializing in custom cakes and other confections such as edible cookie dough, fresh pastries and more. Walk-ins are welcome to customize a 6-inch vanilla or chocolate cake, or jumbo cupcakes, using colored fondant, piping bags filled with frosting and a variety of candy like gummy bears and jelly beans, which is supplied by the bakery. Kids can also use rollers and imprinters to add unique patterns to their fondant, or watch as the bakers create tie dye fondant that can be used on their edible creations. When the decorating is done, children can package their sweet treats in a pastry box to enjoy at home. A Cake in Time is open Wednesday through Sunday, and walk-ins can decorate anytime between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Price: $25 for 4 jumbo cupcakes, $35 for a 6-inch cake, $15 for a kit with two cupcakes for children ages 5 and younger. More information: 631-359-0011, acakeintime.com

Make five different types of slime 

Little slime lovers won’t be able to get enough of The Lanyard Ladies (433 Merrick Rd.) in Oceanside, a DIY destination where kids can make up to five different types of slime. The Lanyard Ladies host slime workshops twice a week from September through June, during school breaks and throughout  the summer for kids ages 5 and older. Kids can choose to make three out of the five slime options: Gooey slime made with glue, fluffy slime made with shaving cream, snow slime, clay slime and crunchy slime. They can also add a variety of colors to their slime, as well as beads, gems, jewels and sparkles.  All the ingredients are given to kids to make the slime by themselves, and they can decorate the containers, too. In addition to slime, The Lanyard Ladies also offer recurring lanyard and friendship bracelet workshops, as well as seasonal crafts for Valentine’s Day, Halloween and the winter holidays. Check The Lanyard Ladies’ monthly online calendar for specific days and times of the workshops. Price: $20 for each workshop,  but discounts are available if parents sign up children for multiple classes. More information: 516-578-2248, thelanyardladies.com

Sew pajamas, pillows and stuffed animals

Future fashion designers can get their start at Little Miss Sew It All (287 Wading River Rd.) in Manorville, a studio that teaches students who are in kindergarten and older to sew. On Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. during the school year and Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. in the summer, kids can walk in and get one-on-one sewing lessons from an instructor. Kids can choose to sew pieces like plush animals (a pig, dog, ladybug, turtle and more) a circular pillow, a fish backpack, a set of pajamas or an article of clothing such as  pants or a shirt. They can also ask an instructor to create something totally unique, like a Minecraft pillow. The studio provides sewing machines and fabric featuring polka dots, flowers and other prints, as well as bold neon colors. It typically takes sewers-in-training 45 minutes to an hour to finish one sewing project, but some parents opt to drop their children off for the entire day, allowing kids to sew three or four different pieces. When kids are finished, they can walk out wearing their new articles of clothing, or they get a bag to bring their creations home. Price: $36.99 for an hour drop-in, $24.99 per hour for two or more hours, $19.99 per hour for the whole day. More information: 631-909-3855, littlemisssewitall.com

Make your own ice cream 

Instead of watching someone else scoop ice cream, kids can make their own from scratch at CoolMess (1512 Old Northern Blvd.) in Roslyn. The process is easy: Once families are seated, an ice-cream machine will be brought to their table. Guests choose from a vanilla or chocolate liquid ice-cream base, add it to the churn and watch it freeze solid. Then kids can add three out of the 24 toppings, which include M&Ms, Snickers, gummy bears, hot fudge, caramel, brownies, cookies, fruit and more. Rainbow sprinkles and whipped cream are complimentary. Anything that isn’t eaten onsite can be taken home in to-go cups. Kids can also enjoy Cool Mess’ cereal bar, pre-made ice cream and gelato, a candy wall and a play area equipped with a giant Connect 4 to play during their visit. Additionally, there’s a full menu featuring burgers, salads and more. CoolMess is open noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday, noon to 9 p.m. Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Price: $29.99 for one batch of ice cream, which feeds up to three people and comes with three  toppings, rainbow sprinkles and whipped cream. More information: 516-801-2665, coolmess.com/roslyn

Customize home decor 

Kids can spruce up their rooms by making trendy, HGTV-approved home decor at AR Workshop’s three Long Island locations in Port Washington (273 Main St.), Bellmore (2930 Merrick Rd.) and Smithtown (83 East Main St.). The studio offers family "crafternoons" throughout the year, which are special workshops where kids and parents work together, as well as specific kid-friendly classes each week. Included in the cost of the workshops are all the materials, guidance from instructors and the finished product, which is always brought home the day it’s made. Workshops include decorating pillows or tote bags with multicolored paint and stencils,  staining, sanding and painting game boards (chess or checkers), wood-plank signs and accessory boards, knitting chunky yarn blankets and pillows and more. For specific dates and times of family “crafternoons” and kid-friendly workshops, check the calendar on each location’s website. Price: Youth projects start at $40. More information: Port Washington, 516-247-6452, arworkshop.com/portwashington; Bellmore, 516-780-0135, arworkshop.com/bellmore; Smithtown, 631-352-0221, arworkshop.com/smithtown

Bead your own bracelets and make your own beauty products 

ReCreateU (19 S. Village Ave.) in Rockville Centre makes designing jewelry and going to the spa accessible to kids with its bracelet bar and beauty bar. When accompanied by an adult, kids ages 5 and older can take part in either activity. At the bracelet bar, kids choose to make a 6, 7 or 8-inch bracelet with a silver or gold charm. Multicolored “empowerment beads” are used to string the bracelet together. The beads each have a meaning, like amazonite promotes clarity and pyrite promotes health, which kids are taught about by the store’s experts. For the DIY beauty bar experiences, kids can make their own body scrubs, bath soaks, bath bombs, face masks, rose water facial sprays, room sprays and essential oil perfumes. For each product, kids can add their favorite scents and essential oils, such as lavender, grapefruit and lemon scents or rosemary and peppermint essential oils. The Nourishing Honey Mask and Detoxifying Charcoal Mask are the beauty bar’s most popular items. Everything kids make in the store is ready to be brought home and enjoyed the same day. Price: $20 for the DIY bracelet and beauty bar packages. More information: 516-678-8886, recreateu.com

Paint piggy banks, stuff plush animals and decorate mini lockers 

Gone are the days of only painting pottery. At Cool Crafts (3443 Merrick Rd.) in Wantagh, kids can stuff plush animals like unicorns, monkeys, cows, elephants and teddy bears, decorate an accessory or utility box, paint a piggy bank and other pieces of pottery or customize mini lockers. Kids are able to use any of the provided materials for their art projects, including a rainbow assortment of paint and marker colors, gemstones and foam stickers. Everything made in store is taken home the same day, even the pottery, which does not need to be fired in a kiln. The times and days customers can walk in varies each week, so it’s best to call ahead. Price: $11.95 to $22.95 for plaster crafts, $13.95 for a piggy bank, $19.95 for a mini locker, $12.95 for a plastic utility box, $13.95 for a large accessory box and $22.50 to $32.50 for a stuffed animal. More information: 516-735-2007, coolcraftslongisland.com

Design and decorate apparel 

Behind the retail display at clothing and gift store Macked Boutique (678 Route 25A) in Rocky Point, is Macked by Me, a design studio where kids can decorate apparel, make slime and more. Kids ages 4 and older can design their own stencil using the store’s printer or they can choose a pre-printed one, such as a unicorn, floral skull or Disney character. Then kids can use the stencils to paint a piece of apparel or an accessory. The boutique offers shirts, pencil cases, towels, makeup bags, tote bags, drawstring bags or pillow covers. Macked Boutique also offers slime-making, which kids can customize to be any neon color they want. Everything made in the store goes home the same day. Walk-ins are welcome to check out the design studio seven days a week during the store’s business hours (check website for hours), except if there’s a scheduled birthday party. Price: $11.95 to $29.95 for apparel, $9.95 for slime, $2.95 for a glitter kit. More information: 631-849-5311, mackedboutique.com

Learn to cook healthy meals 

The Long Island Children’s Museum (11 Davis Ave.) in Garden City teaches little ones  how to prepare healthy meals during its Kids in the Kitchen program, which is held every Friday. The half-hour cooking lesson is open to museum members and nonmembers. Kids can use cooking tools like spatulas, mixing bowls and measuring cups to make the recipe of the day with help from adults. Past classes have included recipes for cheesy veggie quinoa bites, turkey meatballs with spinach-stuffed shells and sweet treats like Oreo-stuffed cookies. On the first Friday of every month, Kids in the Kitchen whips up an allergy-friendly recipe that’s nut-free, dairy-free and gluten-free, such as  blueberry muffins. The museum partnered with Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Kohl’s Cares to help teach kids the importance of good nutrition and exercise. During the school year, the class is open to kids ages 3 to 5 at 11:30 a.m. and during the summer, the program is available to kids ages 3 to 8 at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Check the calendar on the Long Island Children's Museum’s website for the recipe of the week. Price: $5 nonmembers, $4 members for one cooking class. More information: 516-224-5800, licm.org

Make chocolate candy 

Each Chocolate Works location on Long Island offers walk-in candy-making experiences for kids, as long as a birthday party is not in session. Kids can fill molds like cellphones or rocket ships with milk chocolate from a fountain and wait for the shapes to freeze. Then kids can decorate them with candy such as Smarties, jellybeans and sprinkles. Some locations offer more elaborate chocolate activities, as well. All chocolate projects generally take 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours to complete, and are recommended for children ages 5 and older. Check each location’s website for business hours. Before you visit, call ahead or schedule an appointment over the phone. Here’s a sampling of what is offered at each location:

Bellmore:  Customers can participate in any of this location's eight activities. Kids can dip a candy-filled kebab stick in chocolate ($5 per child), dip a pretzel, Oreo or graham cracker in chocolate and decorate it with rainbow sprinkles, mini chocolate chips or M&Ms ($3 per item), fill a chocolate mold ($20) and decorate it ($25), make a chocolate pizza ($20), dip a marshmallow or strawberry in a chocolate fountain ($2 per dip), make a chocolate lollipop ($5 per lollipop) or make a candy bar ($15 per bar). More information: 2350 Merrick Rd., 516-900-1119, chocolateworks.com/bellmore

Plainview: Customers can decorate chocolate molds ($25), create custom candy bars ($25) and make candy sushi rolls ($20). More information: 371 S Oyster Bay Rd., 516-252-3855, chocolateworks.com/plainview

Rockville Centre: Anytime the store is open, customers can fill chocolate molds and decorate them with an assortment of candy. This Chocolate Works location also posts on social media when it hosts a chocolate-making open house. More information: 191 N. Long Beach Rd., 516-665-3241, chocolateworks.com/rockville-centre

Stony Brook: On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, kids  can choose from five “do it yourself” options: A chocolate garden or beach scene in a special gift box ($20), dip and decorate six pretzels or Oreos in chocolate with toppings ($20), create a red, white and blue chocolate flag ($15), make a chocolate pizza ($20) or fill and decorate a chocolate mold ($15). On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, call ahead before visiting. More information: 143B Main St., 631-675-9366, chocolateworks.com/stony-brook

Build a terrarium with succulents

Take gardening to a whole new level at the Modern Terrarium Bar (8 S. Park Ave.) in Rockville Centre, where kids ages 5 and older can build their own eco-friendly terrarium with a  small succulent. Guests choose a succulent, such as a mini cactus, air plant or aloe, and then will be guided through how to plant it in unique pots like mugs, glass jars and geometric hanging planters. Charcoal, gravel and soil come with each terrarium but decorative elements can be added on as well, which include healing crystals, large rocks, multicolored sand, sea shells, covered moss and sea glass. The plant bar also hosts terrarium-building workshops (check the website’s calendar for dates) that teach children about plant care while they decorate their pots. The shop is open Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Price: The DIY package starts at $27 and includes a pot, charcoal, gravel, soil and one small plant. Customers can choose a larger pot at an additional cost and add-ons like multiple plants, multicolored sand, crystals and more range from $0.25 to $5.23. More information: 516-608-0635, modernterrariumbar.com

Decorate giant gingerbread and sugar cookies 

Kids get their degree in “gingerbread-ology” from Gingerbread University (3225 Sound Ave.) in Riverhead by simply walking into the store and decorating cookies. Throughout the year, kids can decorate traditional gingerbread houses , as well as gingerbread and sugar cookies. Different shaped cookies are offered in each season. For example, flowers, butterflies and fish in the spring and summer, while snowmen, turkeys, ghosts, pumpkins and more are offered in the fall and winter months. The cookies are 12 inches, giving kids a lot of space to decorate them with colored vanilla or chocolate frosting in piping bags, chocolates, candy and a variety of sprinkles. All activities take about 30 minutes to an hour to complete, and all cookies are packaged in to-go boxes for families to enjoy eating at home. Gingerbread University is open Saturdays and Sundays 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May through December. Reservations are suggested as the shop gets busy. From November through December, the store recommends checking their website for extended days and hours, as peak gingerbread season is between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Price: $12.50 and up, depending on the type of cookie. More information: 631-727-7309, gingerbreaduniversity.com

Build a birdhouse, putting green and more

On the first Saturday of each month, kids ages 5 to 12 can visit their local Home Depot location to participate in a free, hands-on building workshop. Past projects include a wood easel to display artwork, a colorful rocket pencil box, a putting green, blooming flower art in a green frame and more. Parents are required to stay with their child while the project is completed, which usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes. The event, however, is three hours long and kids can partake at any time. The workshop is self-paced with instructions included in each project kit. The instructions show kids how to use a hammer, screwdriver, screws and glue. Then they can decorate their project with paint and stickers. Kids also receive an official orange Home Depot apron and completion pin. Registration is not required but is recommended as workshops have limited project kits. Price: Free. More information: Check your local Home Depot’s calendar for the kids workshop of the month and register at homedepot.com/workshops

Fuse glass, make mosaics, more 

There’s no shortage of activities at ARTrageous (5 N  Village Ave.) in Rockville Centre, an art studio with  four creative walk-in experiences kids will love. The studio is open seven days a week and offers pottery painting, glass painting, glass fusing and mosaic making. All ages are welcome to paint their own pottery, selecting one of the studio’s 500 pieces to decorate before it’s fired in the kiln and picked up after two weeks. ARTrageous recommends kids ages 6 or older to paint glass bottles, cups, pitchers, vases and candle displays, all of which can be taken home the same day as long as it’s set in the oven at home. Budding artists ages 6 and older are welcome to make a fused glass project, which involves topping a clear glass base with colorful glass in different designs. The piece can be picked up in two weeks, after ARTrageous fires it into a sparkling dish, bowl, sun catcher, night light or ornament. Kids ages 6 and older can create mosaics by gluing rainbow tiles to wall decor, framed mirrors, candle holders, word art, dog leash holders and more. The studio’s staff will teach kids how to make all four types of art pieces. Price: Prices range from $10.99 to $60, depending on the size of the project, but hundreds of children’s pieces are available to choose from in the $10.99 to $34.99 price range. More information: 516-255-5255, artrageousrvc.com