Jaime Sumersille

Jaime Sumersille, a mom of two boys in Bellmore, has been writing for Mommy Poppins for over a decade. She’s always exploring Long Island’s beaches, parks, and new attractions, and loves sharing those experiences on the site. Jaime enjoys adding her family’s perspective to Mommy Poppins’ mission.

Latest posts by Jaime

What's Open Now on Long Island For Kids

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Fri, 02/12/2021 - 4:43pm

The birds eat out of your hands at White Post Farms. White Post Farms. Photo courtesy of the Farm

Most of Long Island has reopened, and businesses are welcoming visitors at a reduced capacity, but the answer to what's open on Long Island right now is far from simple. While we've had plenty of fun enjoying winter walks, our glorious parks, and favorite playgrounds, indoor family entertainment is harder to come by. A handful of indoor play spaces have reopened, while other spots have remained shuttered since March.

We've scoured the web to come up with this list of what's open now on Long Island. Bookmark this page; we'll update it as more spots announce their reopening dates. Keep in mind, coronavirus safety restrictions often mean reservations are required, and capacity is capped, so it's a good practice to call before venturing out to confirm availability or book your tickets in advance.

Top Indoor Play Spaces on Long Island Open Now

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Fri, 02/05/2021 - 2:25pm

The tanagram exhibit at the Long Island Children's Museum helps little learners engage in spatial learning. Photo courtesy of the museum

Chase away the winter blues and embrace a change of scenery outside the walls of your living room at one of these Long Island play spaces open now and welcoming visitors . We've rounded up 11 fun places to play indoors, from toddler-friendly play spots to action-packed sports centers for bigger kids. Of course, no matter which you visit, expect to see some changes from capacity limits, to temperature checks, and reservations requirements.

For more indoor fun, check out our Guide to Play Spaces, and find plenty of seasonal entertainment on our winter fun list for Long Island kids.

Things To Do on Long Island This Weekend & Beyond: Scavenger Hunts, DIY Sweets, and More

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Wed, 01/27/2021 - 9:52am

Enjoy ice skating, hot cocoa, and s'mores by the fire at Waterdrinker Family Farm. Photo courtesy of the farm

Outdoor fun is on the agenda this weekend. Long Island families can go on an outdoor adventure with Ranger Eric at the sprawling Sands Point Preserve or tackle a winter scavenger hunt at Sunken Meadow State Park. We have plenty of options to keep your squad entertained, energized, and enjoying the beauty of a Long Island winter. Speaking of which, we've found 15 spots to enjoy a winter walk, plus 18 spots to go cross-country skiing.

When you're done, reward yourselves—and your sweet tooth—at hands-on workshops at Carousel Bake Shop in Wading River or Stony Brook Chocolate.

If you'd rather stay in, we've got plenty of fun, interactive classes to choose from on our Poppins@Home site. Kids can learn to draw an iconic cartoon character or get their legs pumping with Happy Feet's online soccer series. Harry Potter fans are sure to enjoy a magic potions-inspired science class.

We've got more seasonal entertainment in our Winter Fun Guide, and our Event Calendar is, of course, updated daily with family-friendly fun.

Arts and Crafts Classes for Kids on LI

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Fri, 01/22/2021 - 3:14pm

As You Wish offers safe and socially distanced arts and crafts classes and creative holiday camps mini-camps.

Lucky enough to have a potential Picasso on your hands? Perhaps a little Salvador Dalí in the making? There are few things quite as inspiring as discovering your child’s artistic soul, and thanks to these local arts and crafts studios, the current climate doesn't have to stifle creativity.

You can cultivate your child's artistic vision on Long Island at one of these art spots that offer drop-in classes, private play dates, virtual classes, and more creative fun. Long-term commitments are often unnecessary, so kids can pop in for arts and crafts fun and get those creative juices flowing.

Check out our Guide to Classes and Enrichment Opportunities for Long Island kids for more fun options.

Restaurants Open for Christmas Dinner and Takeout on Long Island

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Sun, 12/06/2020 - 1:34pm

Let Lareira cater your Christmas dinner, and get a free kids meal for every adult entree you order for takeout or delivery.

If you’d rather kick back and relax than spend hours preparing a holiday spread, consider ordering your Christmas dinner in from one of these Long Island restaurants open and serving takeout dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Several are even accepting reservations to dine indoors or out over the holidays.

Once you've placed your Christmas dinner order or booked your reservations, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy a must-do holiday event, check out Long Island's most spectacularly decorated houses, enjoy a drive-thru light show, or explore one of the other options in our jam-packed Holiday Fun Guide.

10 Fun Outdoor Classes for Kids on Long Island Open Right Now

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Fri, 08/07/2020 - 8:00am

Kids can explore the natural world near Rockville Centre at the Center for Science, Teaching and Learning. Photo courtesy of the center

If remote learning taught us anything, it's that the "classroom" can be anywhere. Outdoor classes for kids in Nassau and Suffolk counties provide them with the opportunity to experience nature, exercise, art, and more in an educational environment unrestrained by classroom doors. And some are open right now.

Of course, we also have plenty of beaches, parks, trails, and more to explore.

Just remember: Social distancing restrictions remain in place. Parents should make sure all children wear a mask and follow class rules on interaction.

Find online classes and more virtual entertainment options in our Poppins@Home platform.

Ways to Support Local Businesses on Long Island During the Pandemic

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Tue, 05/12/2020 - 3:48pm

Get your weekly delivery of farm fresh goods from Goodale Farms. Photo courtesy of the farm

With the shift to contactless pickup and delivery options for shopping, supplies, and activities, local businesses across Long Island have had to get creative to stay afloat. Many small businesses have maintained social-distancing rules to keep serving their communities, and we've rounded up a bunch of ways to support their efforts to keep their doors open until the world reopens again.

From supporting local toy stores and bookstores to patronizing local restaurants, like those we profiled for their Mother's Day brunch menus, there are lots of ways to shop small. We recommend ordering directly from local businesses instead of third-party services whenever possible, and even if you don't need goods or services at the moment, consider pitching in by purchasing a gift card for future use. Every little bit helps a struggling small business right now.

And while you're showing your support for the businesses you love, we hope you'll count Mommy Poppins and our small business partners among them. You can support Mommy Poppins by sharing articles you find useful with friends or on your social media channels, checking out our directory of virtual classes, camps, and birthday parties and telling businesses you found them through Mommy Poppins. Also, as part of our effort to keep our local parent writers and this website afloat and support some of our favorite family businesses, we've created Poppins@Home, a platform for small businesses to share free and low-cost online classes and birthday parties with kids all over the country. Please consider trying a few of these fun, affordable, and creative classes—and spreading the word among your friends—as yet another way to support, uplift, and get through these challenging times together!

Toy and Book Stores Offering Curbside Pickup and Delivery on Long Island

Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on Mon, 05/04/2020 - 12:00pm

Fun Stuff Toys delivers plenty of cool gifts, plus personalized touches like gift-wrapping and hand-written cards. Photo courtesy of Fun Stuff Toys

As the pandemic-induced shutdowns extend into their second month, small businesses across Long Island have found creative ways to stay afloat, with many shifting to contactless curbside pickup and delivery. We've rounded up 10 local toy and book stores now offering contactless pickup and delivery. You won't find any big box stores or chains here, so you can treat your kids to a new toy or page-turner while knowing you're supporting a local business in the process.

For more things to do at home, check out our Stay-at-Home Guide, which lists hundreds of activities to keep families entertained. We've also got a great big list of 100 awesome craft projects, plus 64 easy science experiments, and tons more boredom busters.

Jaime Sumersille

Latest posts by Jaime

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