When you’re looking for fun family-friendly things to do, Long Island and the areas around West Islip have plenty to offer. Here are a few of the places and activities to try.
JK Kayak & SUP
Providing family fun on the water, JK Kayak & SUP is a touring company with certified guides who can take you on tours of the waterways of Suffolk and Nassau Counties. You can learn to be an
“IMG_0136” by Eddie Awad, used under CC BY 2.0
expert paddler or just relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The company offers anything from 1 to 3 hours of kayak tours and 90-minute SUP lessons or tours. Depending on the location and activity, there is usually a minimum age limit of 10 to 12-years.
Belmont Lake State Park
Belmont Lake State Park is in North Babylon, just 4 miles from West Islip, and offers 463 acres of recreational space. The park is bisected by Carll’s Creek and the 42-acre Belmont Lake. Rowboats, pedal boats, and kayaks are available to rent on the lake, or you can take your own canoes and kayaks. Angling is also popular at the lake.
For hiking and biking, 7.6 miles of trails encircle the lake and follow the creek. Picnic areas have picnic tables and barbecue grills, but you can rent a pavilion if you desire. To keep your youngsters amused, the park has in place baseball fields, basketball courts, and playgrounds.
Sky Zone Trampoline Park
Located in Deer Park, the Sky Zone Trampoline Park offers fun for the whole family. The park provides attractions such as the challenging Warped Wall, Freestyle Jump, SkySlam to dunk like a pro, and the foam zone with its huge pool of foam squares for you to dive into. For younger kids, Toddler Time allows children age 5 and under to get in on the action. Various tickets and pass options are available.
Long Island Museum
Around 30 minutes north of West Islip at Stony Brook is the Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages. The museum, established in 1939, covers 9 acres and features three modern exhibition buildings and five historic structures. It celebrates Long Island’s rich history and diverse cultures, through permanent exhibits and a series of changing exhibitions.
In the grounds of the Long Island Museum are an 18th-century barn, a 19th-century schoolhouse and blacksmith shop, and a replica of a bayman’s shack complete with tools, furniture, decoys, and a duck boat. The Carriage Museum features a collection of vehicles tracing the history of America’s horse-drawn carriages along with interactive displays and immersive scenes of 19th-century New York.
Babylon Riding Center
The Babylon Riding Center in West Babylon offers guided instructional trail rides in the beautiful Belmont Lake State Park. The rides are on well-maintained bridle paths and on horses, to suit your ability. For more personal service, you can book a private trip just for your family and, to create a lifelong memory, have your pictures taken while you’re on horseback by the shore of the scenic lake.
These are just a few of the activities for your family without having to travel far from West Islip.
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