Day of Play
All Ages | Activity
In conjunction with Nassau County Girl Scouts’ Thin Mint Sprint, join for the after-party at Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center!
Anyone is welcome to play, whether you’re a scout or not! We have a series of programs designed with Girl Scouts badge requirements in mind.
12:00pm-1:00pm Chalk Art (Tied to Art in the Outdoors badges)
Listen to the sounds of nature, see wildlife and flowers, and make chalk art inspired by your observations.
1:00pm-2:00pm Monarch Tagging Talk and Pollinator Garden BioBlitz
Monarch butterflies are migrating, the bugs are buzzing, and we are going to catalog them—for science! Join us in the garden to help catch-and-release different pollinators.
2:00pm & 2:30pm Microplastics Beach Cleanup
Embark on a half-hour walk to find evidence of microplastics in our Jones Beach sand! Our educators need your help finding and identifying these pieces of garbage. Learn more about why they are so damaging to our ecosystem.
3:00pm-4:00pm Seashell Mandalas
Practice your patterns by arranging found natural materials into beautiful mandalas, and take a polaroid picture home to remember it by.
Outdoors/Indoors?: Both, this event is rain or shine
Fee: Free / Vehicle use fee may apply
RSVP: No RSVP needed, walk-ins welcome.
Wild Kids: Birding
Children (Ages 7-12) | Activity
If you want to master the outdoors, join our workshop! Our educators will share the tricks, tools, and tips learned from our time in the wilderness.
Theme: Birding
Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply
Outdoors/Indoors?: Both.
Distance: If weather allows, up to 1 miles of walking on sand and/or pavement.
RSVP: RSVP Required.
Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.
Tiny Tots: Jellyfish
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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: Jellyfish
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.
Tiny Tots: Jellyfish
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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: Jellyfish
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.
Share the Names: Algonquin BioBlitz
All Ages | Activity
How many names does one living thing have? Embark on a mission to meet familiar animals, plants, and more here at Jones Beach, and speak their Algonquin-language names.
Fee: Free / Vehicle use fee may apply
RSVP: RSVP Required.
Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.
Tiny Tots: Bivalves
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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: Bivalves
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.
Tiny Tots: Bivalves
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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: Bivalves
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.
Storytime Corner Walk-in Hour
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.
Storytime Corner Walk-in Hour
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.
Be a Water Protector Day
A day of family fun! Join a relay race, make bracelets, take a water protector pledge, and more.
Tiny Tots: Insect Explorers
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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: Insect Explorers
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.
Singing to Kelp
A mindfulness activity where you will build your conversational relationship with nature. Go for a walk and play some simple instruments like xylophones!
Tiny Tots: Insect Explorers
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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: Insect Explorers
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.
Storytime Corner Walk-in Hour
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.
Plover Day with Audubon New York
Family fun at the beach! Learn about all the beach nesting birds that call Long Island home. In Partnership with Audubon New York
Wild Wild West End
Howdy, partners! Are you looking for a western-themed fun summer adventure? Join us in the Wild Wild West End for games, crafts, and other activities! Earn gold coins at different activities to redeem for a prize and ride off into the sunset with your loot.
Storytime Corner Walk-in Hour
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.
Tiny Tots: Sharks
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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.
Tiny Tots: Sharks
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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.
Shark Week with Sharks4Kids
Celebrate Shark Week 2025 on Long Island with Sharks4Kids ambassador, Marissa DeBonis and the Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center! Family-friendly fun for all!
Astronomy Night with Dr. J Bret Bennington
All Ages | Guest Lecture
Join Dr. J. Bret Bennington for a night of summer skies! The program will start indoors for a brief talk on the winter sky before heading outside. On our back deck, we will use a telescope to focus on the Moon, the brighter stars, and their constellations.
Fee: Free
Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors and 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.
Speaker:
Dr. J. Bret Bennington - Chair of the Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability, Hofstra University
Dr. Bennington is a paleontologist who is also interested in regional geology and the geologic history of Long Island, his home for most of his life. In 2019 he was honored with the Neil Miner Award by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers for exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth sciences.
Storytime Corner Walk-in Hour
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.
Tiny Tots: Sand Castles
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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: Sand Castles
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.
Tiny Tots: Sand Castles
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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: Sand Castles
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 American Crafts
Children (Ages 3-12) | Craft
Learn about the history of July 4th and some of the big events that happened in New York State! Make a firework decoration to bring home.
Fee: $4 a person / 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.
Tiny Tots: Rainbows
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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.
Tiny Tots: Rainbows
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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.
Wild Kids: Fish Prints
Children (Ages 7-12) | Activity
If you want to master the outdoors, join our workshop! Our educators will share the tricks, tools, and tips learned from our time in the wilderness.
Theme: Fish Prints
Fee: $4 per program participant / Vehicle use fee may apply
Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors, with outdoor walk if weather allows.
Distance: If weather allows, up to 1 miles of walking on sand and/or pavement.
RSVP: RSVP Required.
Doors close 10 minutes after start time. Please cancel your reservation if you cannot attend.
Storytime Corner Walk-in Hour
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.
Global Wind Day Crafts
Children (Ages 3-12) | Class
What moves the clouds in the sky? What pushes the waves to shore? That’s right, WIND! Celebrate Global Wind Day by creating an easy breezy craft with us at the Center.
There are two 30-minute sessions. Please select either 10:30am or 11:30am.
Fee: Free / Vehicle use fee may apply
Outdoors/Indoors?: Indoors for the craft, with a short outdoor walk.
RSVP: RSVP Required.
Storytime Corner Walk-in Hour
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.
Tiny Tots: Camping
Children (Ages 3-6) | 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: Camping
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.