The Teachers’ Workshop provides educators with an immersive experience at the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center. Teachers are placed in the role of students, and learn about how to use the building and site to teach students about environmental design, dune ecology, climate change, coastal resilience, and more. Participants can receive CTLE (Continuing Teacher and Leader Education) hours through the New York State Education Department.

Here are some preview questions from the Energy and Us unit. This will cover the first 30 minutes of the workshop

https://forms.office.com/g/7q7qisgE4q

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please call 516-809-8222 or email jbenc@parks.ny.gov to cancel your reservation if you cannot attend so your spot can be made available to others.

All Ages | Games

Play cornhole, jumbo Jenga, giant checkers, and more! A laid-back evening of outdoor games and fun for the whole family with concessions available such as pretzels, cotton candy, ice cream, cold drinks and popcorn.

Fee: Free, Concessions available for purchase

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors. 

RSVP: Not required. 

Children (Ages 2-4) | Class

Come to Jones Beach and join us for an exciting new activity every week. Your little one will get creative, get moving, and start learning about the fun of the outdoors and of science.

Theme: Sharks

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors, with possible short outdoor activity

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Children (Ages 5-7) | Class

Join us for some beachside fun! Your curious children will enjoy learning about the wonders of nature through a creative craft and a hands-on activity!

Theme: Sharks

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors, with possible short outdoor activity

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

All Ages | Activity

Join us with our guest, AOSNY. for an evening of night skies! On our back deck, we will use multiple telescopes to focus on the various celestial bodies.

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors

Weather: In the case of inclement weather, we will notify folks of cancellation via-email, and we will update this webpage morning-of.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Speakers:

Amateur Observers’ Society of New York

Established in 1965, the Amateur Observers’ Society of New York (“AOSNY”) was created as a means for astronomy enthusiasts of all ages to meet together. Amateur Astronomy is about helping others, learning, doing, and having fun!

Their mission is to bring Long Island astronomy to the public and provide astronomy resources to members. This expresses their commitment not only to serve their members, but also to educate and inspire the public.

All Ages | Movie

Nothing like a great movie on the beach! Join us this summer for movie nights on our back deck with concessions available such as hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, cotton candy, ice cream, and more. Bring your own towel, blanket, or chair!

The movie will start at 8:00pm and end at 10:30pm. Activities including crafts, games, and more will be provided from 7:00pm to 8:00pm.

Theme: Broadway award-winning musical about the life one of America’s founding fathers.

Fee: Free admission, Concessions available for purchase

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Wellness Activity

Join us for this intentional and grounding self-care workshop where you will make your own sugar scrub with essential oils.

Fee: Free 

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: RSVP Required.  

Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend. 

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Hike

State parks are a great place to explore from behind the lens of a camera! Photographers of all experience levels are invited to hike through the West End. Participants must provide their own camera equipment. Participants are welcome to use their phone cameras.

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors

Distance: Up to 2 miles of walking on sand and pavement.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

All Ages | Lecture

Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center is home to several educational animals—come and meet them! Learn about our reptile species, hear their individual stories, and spend time with them in person!

Fee: Free / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend

Children (Ages 0-8) | Read-aloud

Drop in to our hour of storytelling. Our educators will make our picture books come alive for your children. Our library of entertaining picture books will keep your kids interested all morning long.

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

Each picture book takes about 10 minutes to be read aloud.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Class

A basic level yoga class with our yoga instructor that will take place outdoors on our ocean-facing deck. 

We encourage attendees to bring their own yoga mats. We have a limited amount of yoga mats at the Center—first come, first served.

Fee: Free 

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors, weather allowing—otherwise will be indoors. 

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Program begins 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend. 

The Teachers’ Workshop provides educators with an immersive experience at the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center. Teachers are placed in the role of students, and learn about how to use the building and site to teach students about environmental design, dune ecology, climate change, coastal resilience, and more. Participants can receive CTLE (Continuing Teacher and Leader Education) hours through the New York State Education Department.

Here are some preview questions from the Energy and Us unit. This will cover the first 30 minutes of the workshop

https://forms.office.com/g/7q7qisgE4q

RSVP required. Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please call 516-809-8222 or email jbenc@parks.ny.gov to cancel your reservation if you cannot attend so your spot can be made available to others.

Children (Ages 2-4) | Class

Come to Jones Beach and join us for an exciting new activity every week. Your little one will get creative, get moving, and start learning about the fun of the outdoors and of science.

Theme: Field Day

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors, with possible short outdoor activity

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Children (Ages 7-12) | Activity

Join an educator each week to explore a different topic in science, technology, engineering, art, or mathematics through experiments, art projects, and more. 

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Hike

Learn about Jones Beach’s own “living fossil” the horseshoe crab. Join an educator to explore the beach to try and spot horseshoe crabs and their molts. 

 Meet at the Center before following our educator in your own vehicle to the Boat Basin. 

Please wear: 

• Waterproof, closed-toe shoes 

• Sunscreen and a hat 

Fee: $4 a person

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors. In the case of inclement weather, patrons will be notified via email.  

Distance: 1 mile 

RSVP: RSVP required. 

Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend. 

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

Children (Ages 7-12) | Class

Slap on those gloves and get your dissection tools ready because we’re diving into the anatomy and survival adaptions of the Green Crab. Join us for a guided crab dissection for a deeper understanding of these magnificent marine animals.

All kids must be accompanied by an adult.

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors on tables.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Children (Ages 7-12) | Activity

Join an educator each week to explore a different topic in science, technology, engineering, art, or mathematics through experiments, art projects, and more. 

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

All Ages | Hike

Have you ever wanted to explore the park after dark? Now is your chance! Take a night-themed walk by rainbow colored lanterns to celebrate Pride Month.

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors. Will be cancelled via email in the case of inclement weather.

Distance: Up to 1 mile walking on sand.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Children (Ages 2-4) | Class

Come to Jones Beach and join us for an exciting new activity every week. Your little one will get creative, get moving, and start learning about the fun of the outdoors and of science.

Theme: Rainbows

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors, with possible short outdoor activity

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Bike Ride

Join us for a leisurely bike ride with rest stops for birding. Learn about the different habitats on Jones Beach and keep your eyes open for shorebirds, ospreys, warblers, tree swallows, and more. No experience required. Binoculars are provided--but bikes and helmets are not.

We will be meeting at the Center, going over a few basics of birding and facts and then participants will follow our educator via bike across the West End.

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors. Will be cancelled via email in the case of inclement weather.

Distance: Up to 4 miles of biking.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

All Ages | Lecture

Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center is home to several educational animals—come and meet them! Learn about our reptile species, hear their individual stories, and spend time with them in person!

Fee: Free / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend

All Ages | Tours

Drop in anytime during these hours to request a touch tank experience with an educator. Our educator will introduce you to hermit crabs and snails, some of which you might recognize from around Long Island!

Fee: Free

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.

The experience typically takes about 15 minutes to explore the different animal species and shells we house in our tank.

All Ages (6+ preferred) | Volunteer

Help beautify our beachfronts by helping us on this cleanup. 

9:30am-9:45am: Volunteer Check-in and Paperwork 

9:45am- 10:00am: Introductions and Safety Talk. 

10:00am- 11:30am: Beach Cleanup. Distance walked and end time of cleanup dependent on amount of trash present. 

Fee: Free / Please give your name to the West End 2 tollbooth to have your vehicle fee waived.

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors. Will be cancelled via email in the case of inclement weather. 

Distance: Up to 3 miles walking across sand. 

RSVP: RSVP Required.  

Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend. 

Please scroll down for further information.

For this day at the beach, we will provide:

• PPE (gloves)

• Garbage bags

• Other equipment needed for cleanup

However, we ask that you please bring:

• Reusable water bottle

• Sun protection

• Weather appropriate clothing

• Closed toed shoes

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Craft

Learn a new skill with us and create a craft to decorate your home, gift to a friend, or just to help you unwind and relax.

Theme: Coasters

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Hike

State parks are a great place to explore from behind the lens of a camera! Photographers of all experience levels are invited to hike through the West End. Participants must provide their own camera equipment. Participants are welcome to use their phone cameras.

Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors

Distance: Up to 2 miles of walking on sand and pavement.

RSVP: RSVP Required.

Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.

Adults & Teens (Ages 12+) | Wellness Activity 

Journey down to the seashore to enjoy a guided stretch and meditative exercise. 

Join the NYS Parks Wellness Challenge to win an exclusive sticker! 

Fee: Free 

Outdoors/Indoors?: Outdoors, but we will move indoors in the case of inclement weather. 

Distance: Up to 1 mile walk there-and-back walk on a sandy beach. 

RSVP: RSVP Required.  

Program departs 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.