Budget-friendly family day trips via LIRR's Family Fare

Families looking for a budget-friendly escape can take advantage of the MTA's Family Fare. The deal lets up to four children ages 5 to 17 ride the Long Island Rail Road alongside a fare-paying adult for just $1 each, round-trip, every day of the week..

The deal was expanded in the fall to include kids up to age 17 years of age (previously, it capped at 11). Kids under 5 always ride free.

Combine that with a neighborhood you can explore entirely on foot once you step off the platform and you have a full day out for less than what most families spend on a single stop at an amusement park, plus no car, gas or parking hassle.

Here are three kid-friendly, walkable Long Island communities to spend the day via the LIRR:

How the Family Fare LIRR ticket works

• How to purchase: Buy a regular adult ticket, then add up to four child fares at $1 each, either at the ticket window or through the TrainTime app.
• Ages: Covers ages 5-17 
• Ratio: One adult can bring up to four children for $1 each.
• Anytime use: Valid on peak and off-peak trains, any time of day, all week.
• Traveling alone: A teen riding without an adult can't use the Family Fare and must buy a regular child ticket.
• Extra kids: A fifth child (or more) pays the regular child fare, which half the adult fair for riders aged 5 to 17,  instead of $1; The total cost of your tickets will depend on your starting station because of the adult fare.
• Expiration: Tickets are valid until 4 a.m. the day after purchase.

Oyster Bay

Oyster Bay is a harbor hamlet where history, water and a true small-town Main Street all come together in one easy, walkable trip. The LIRR drops you right across from Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park, and from there, everything below is within walking distance.

What to do

• Spend the afternoon at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park: Set along Oyster Bay Harbor, the park has a beach, two playgrounds, ballfields, tennis and basketball courts, and a boat launch (63 Larrabee Ave., 516-624-6202, oysterbaytown.com). There you'll also find The Sandbox, a newly-opened casual concession stand with a variety of rotating food trucks. (63 Larrabee Ave.; 516-624-6202)
• Walk through history: A restored 1889 station building, the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum offers vintage rail cars you can explore and a free augmented reality app that brings Theodore Roosevelt to life. Admission is $8, $7 ages 6 to 17 and is free for children 5 and under. Open weekends only, noon to 4 p.m. (1 Railroad Ave., 516-558-7036, obrm.org)

• Get out on the water: At The Waterfront Center, you can rent kayaks and paddleboards or board historic vessels for a family harbor sail. Rentals start at $32. Open daily 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in season. (1 West End Ave., 516-922-7245, thewaterfrontcenter.org)

Cool down with classic Italian ices: At Bonanza’s, you'll find Italian ices, hot dogs and chicken tenders at a casual, family-friendly spot that’s been serving the community for more than a century. The original lemon ice is a must-try. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (25 Shore Ave., 516-922-7796, bonanzas1897.com)

Worth a quick ride

Just a 10-minute drive from the village, Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park (1395 Planting Fields Rd., 516-922-9210, plantingfields.org) spans 400 acres of gardens, greenhouses and wooded trails on a former Gold Coast estate. Stroll the seasonal blooms, tour the historic Coe Hall mansion or wander the Camellia House greenhouse, one of the largest in the country. Access is free of charge. Open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Greenport 

Venture to the North Fork for a full-day outing, where Greenport rewards the trip with a waterfront village, classic attractions and plenty to keep kids busy. Once you arrive, the harbor, parks and Main Street are all easy to explore on foot.

What to do

• Ride the antique carousel at Mitchell Park: The Jess Owen Carousel, gifted by Grumman Aircraft Corp. nearly a century ago, costs $3 per ride or $30 for 15 tickets (free for kids 4 and under). Nearby parks, including Fifth Street Park with its playground and beach, are also worth a stop. (115 Front St., 631-477-2200, villageofgreenport.gov)
• Play minigolf: At the Drossos Motel, you'll find an 18-hole course open to the public, with a snack bar for an easy postgame bite. Rounds cost $10 per person. Open daily 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (69125 Main Rd., 631-477-1334, drossosmotel.com)

• Explore maritime history: The East End Seaport Museum has a saltwater aquarium, a children’s room focused on local sea life and exhibits on Greenport’s whaling and fishing past. Open daily 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Tuesdays. Admission is $5; kids 12 and under are free. (103 Third St., 631-477-2100, eastendseaport.org)
• Sit down for brunch: Crazy Beans serves breakfast, brunch and lunch daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in a retro luncheonette setting. (2 Front St., 631-333-2436, crazybeansrestaurant.com)

Worth a quick ride

Tucked into Moores Woods, the Greenport Miniature Railroad offers a nostalgic loop through the trees just minutes from downtown. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., rides are $6 and include two loops on the track, with trains running about every 15 minutes on the quarter hour. (Moores Lane, greenportminiaturerailroad.com)

Rockville Centre

If your idea of a family day trip is easy, kid-friendly stops, Rockville Centre delivers. Just steps from the LIRR station, this highly walkable downtown packs in play spaces, creative activities and sweet treats, making it an easy, mostly indoors option with plenty to do in any weather.

What to do

• Let the little ones loose: At The Children's Social Club, you'll find a padded play space built for kids 9 months to 7 years, with a snack bar for parents. Sessions run 90 minutes and reservations are required, no walk-ins. Bookings start at $25 for 1.5 hour of play Monday through Friday (Saturdays and Sundays and reserved for private parties). (280 Sunrise Hwy., 516-544-4019, thechildrensocialclub.com)
• Paint-your-own pottery: Artrageous Studio is geared toward a kid-friendly art experience. Pick your own piece starting at $10, paint it and the studio will fire and finish it for you. (5 N. Village Ave., 516-255-5255, artrageousrvc.com)
• Bowl a few frames: At Maple Lanes RVC, there's open bowling, an arcade and food service to make this a solid rainy-day backup or a last stop before the train home. (100 Maple Ave., 516-678-3010, maplelanes.com)
• Grab a treat: Sugarberry Bakery & Café offers European pastries, cakes and coffee, open daily until midnight if you're catching a later train. (312 Sunrise Hwy., 516-764-2881, sugarberrybakery.com)

Worth a quick ride

Just a short drive from downtown, the Center for Science Teaching & Learning brings science to life with its dinosaur exhibit, featuring animatronic and skeletal dinosaurs alongside more than 40 live animals, including a resident emu. Admission is $15; $12 ages 12 and under. Open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. except Wednesday. (1450 Tanglewood Rd., 516-764-0045, cstl.org)

For another family-friendly stop, head to Veterans Park, where Mr. B’s Inclusive Playground offers a free, accessible play space designed for children of all abilities with wheelchair ramps, adaptive swings, a sensory dome and Braille panels, plus a splash pad for cooling off. (111 N. Oceanside Rd., 516-678-9288)