General Events

• Crafts and Compelling Tales, 2385 Grand Ave., Baldwin, (516)223-6228. The Baldwin Public Library features myriad events this month. Children ages 3-5 are invited to Early Winter Preschool Story Times at 10:30am and 2pm. At 4pm, little ones in grades k-3 partake in a Valentine Story-Craft. Registration is required. And at 7pm, engage in a Valentine Cupcake Decorating class for a small fee when you register by calling the number listed. 2/7.
• Exploring ADHD, 3940 Sunset Ave., Seaford, cindy@ptscoaching.com. Certified ADHD coach and parenting specialist Cindy Goldrich, Ed.M., ACAC, of PTS Coaching leads Top Ten Strategies for Parenting Children with ADHD. The free event is held at Seaford Middle School. 2/7. History in the Making, Holy Trinity Parish Hall, Brooklyn Avenue and 7th Street, Valley Stream, (516)825-7157. Discover truths about Long Island’s past with a free slideshow titled Valley Stream Then and Now provided by President Guy Ferrara of the Valley Stream Historical Society. 2/15, 8pm.
• Now Registering, 250 Round Swamp Road, Melville, (631)692-6840, www.tshcamp.com. Despite the chill, now’s the time to register for summer programs. Thomas School of Horsemanship Summer Day Camp and Riding School celebrates the 60th anniversary of its day camp. Campers participate in daily swim, sports, the arts and a full horseback riding program. Special rates are available through 2/15, and registration is also now open for spring riding programs. For further information, visit the camp, call or log online.
• Midwinter Break, Not Just Art, 183 South St., Oyster Bay, Vacation Day Music Class offers songs, instruments, props and creative movement for children ages birth-4. Runs Monday-Friday, 10:15-11am and 11:30am-12:15 pm. Open Art Studio invites 3 to 12 year olds to enjoy icy crafts. Paint, sculpt, bead, collage, construct and make ice art. Monday-Friday, 10-11:30 am, 12:30-2pm, 3-4:30pm. Events take place between 2/20 and 2/24.
• Spectacular Sports, Friends Academy, 270 Duck Pond Road, Locust Valley, www.fa.org. Sign up your children in grades k-5 for a Soccer Clinic. 2/21-2/23.
• Winter Wonderland, M.A.T.S.S. Kids’ Gym & Early Childhood Education Center, 171 Eileen Way, Syosset, (516)496-7765.M.A.T.S.S. offers a Mini-Camp that includes games, crafts, gymnastics and lunch. Obtain more information about the camp for children ages 2-10 and be sure to inquire about a sibling discount by calling. 2/21-2/23, 10am-2pm
• Winter Break Program, SUNY Old Westbury Clark Center, www.nybaseballacademy.com. Specialized programs for children ages 7-14. Register online. 2/21-2/24, 9am-12pm.
• Soccer Clinic, Friends Academy, Duck Pond Road, Locust Valley, (516)393-4207, www.fasummercamp.org. For children in grades k-5. 2/21-2/23.
• Sweet Treat, www.ihoppancakeday.com. Take the family to your local IHOP for National Pancake Day. Each guest receives a complimentary short stack of signature buttermilk pancakes between 7am and 10pm. Guests are then encouraged to make a voluntary donation to support a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital or another local charity. 2/28.
• Your Best Shot, www.cinemaartscentre.org. Polish your best cuts of film for the second Long Island Biennial, a juried exhibition for Nassau and Suffolk County filmmakers. Co-hosted by The Heckscher Museum of Art, the competition deadline is 4/30. Come July, Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre presents the winners’ films at a special event. Find an application and further information at the website listed.
• Get in the Game, South Shore Sports Complex, 3505 Hampton Road, Oceanside, www.southshoresportscomplex.com. South Shore Sports Complex offers different clinics and workshops to foster young athletes’ skills. On Mondays, kids may check out an Allen Watson Baseball Clinic from 5-7pm and 8-10pm. Molloy College coach Tiffany Delesandro leads softball clinics on Mondays from 6-8pm, and fellow Molloy coach Mike Callahan teaches a baseball clinic on Thursdays from 6-8pm. On Saturdays, kids enjoy basketball camp from 9am-noon and a lacrosse camp. Sundays are Long Island Goal Keeper Academy Soccer Clinics. South Shore Sports Complex additionally has afterschool tutoring and exercise programs. For details, log online.

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Parks and Nature

• SPLASH (Stop Polluting Littering And Save Harbors) Meeting, Freeport Recreation Center, 130 E. Merrick Road, Freeport, (516)378-4770, www.operationsplash.org. This free informational meeting, which is held on the first Tuesday of every month, will show you how you can volunteer for SPLASH and help clean up Long Island’s harbors.  2/7, 7:30pm

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Plays, Concerts and More...

• Chopin’s Competition, 1 South Ave., Garden City, www.aupac.adelphi.edu. Adelphi University Performing Arts Center presents Vassily Primakov when the award-winning Russian-born pianist performs at the university’s concert hall. Visit the website for tickets to the show on 2/4, 8pm.
• Step Afrika and Black Violin, Tilles Center for the Performing Arts Atrium, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, www.tillescenter.org. Celebrate stepping, an art form based in African tradition, in a rare double-bill with the classically trained, three-time Apollowinning duo who have created the ultimate synergy between classical and hip-hop music. 2/9, 7pm.
• Hot to Trot, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale, www.nassaucoliseum.com. See the Harlem Globetrotters at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum as the team dazzles with basketball tricks and skills. Get your head in the game on by purchasing tickets at the site listed. Shows are available at 1pm and 5pm. 2/19.
• Cute as a Cupcake, 2222 Hewlett Ave., Merrick, (516)868-6400. The Magic Curtain Players Family Theatre presents Pinkalicious on Saturdays. This delightful show tells the tale of a girl who eats too many cupcakes decked out in her favorite hue. Call for tickets to the fun-filled children’s show. Now through 3/24, 2pm.

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Museums

• Child’s Play, 1 Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor, www.nassaumuseum.org. Artist Nathan Sawaya turns a childhood passion into intricate sculptures with his use of LEGO blocks. A handful of his creations centering on the theme of identity are now on display in the exhibit “Nathan Sawaya: Recent Works” at the Nassau County Museum of Art. The exhibit may be viewed from 11am-4:45pm, Tuesday-Sunday. Docent-led tours are available at 2pm. Find additional details online. On view until 3/18.

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Ongoing: Support Groups, Workshops and More...

• ADD Aid, East Meadow Jewish Center, 1400 Prospect Ave., East Meadow, (516)932-0903, nassau-county@chadd.net, www.chadd.net/105. CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Defi cit Disorders) of Nassau County hosts its monthly forum and support group, 7:30-8:30pm. A parenting workshop, “Sensory Processing Disorder and the Child with Attention Defi cit,” follows at 8:30pm. 2/27.
• ADHD Parent Training, (516)487-0636, www.adhdparenttrainer.com. In sessions with Elaine Lerner, MSW, CSW, parents learn how to develop behavior management skills for children struggling with behavior, focus, attention, organization, hyperactivity, impulsivity and/or oppositional defiance. Groups now forming in Garden City and Hauppauge. Give your child a better chance at success in school, at home and in social settings. Enroll online or by phone.
• Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders Parent Support Group, Grace Lutheran Church & School, 400 Hempstead Avenue, Malverne, (516)887-3371. Meets the first Tuesday of every month at 7pm.
• Bereavement Groups, Friedberg JCC, 15 Neil Court, Oceanside, (516)766-4341, ext. 131, www.friedbergjcc.org. Bereavement support groups available. Learn your strengths and receive support from others experiencing similar feelings. Call for dates and times.
• Bereavement Support, Good Shepherd Hospice, Carle Place, Babylon and Port Jefferson, (631)474-5500. Support groups are currently available for children and adults in eight-week sessions at all locations.
• Bereavement Support Groups, COPE, (516)484-4993. This grief and healing organization, dedicated to supporting parents and families living with the loss of a child, holds monthly meetings. Call for this month’s meeting dates, times and locations.
• Bereavement and Trauma Services, North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center, 480 Old Westbury Road, Roslyn Heights, (516)626-1971, www.northshorechildguidance.org. Provides low-cost support groups and trained professionals for those who have been through traumatic experiences. Specialists are available for schools and communities to provide crisis intervention, therapy and consultations.
• Brain Fitness Groups, Advanced Mindcare, LLC, (516)569-7717, (516)376-0865 to sign up. For all ages. Groups include different exercises for stimulating brain activities and offer information on how to achieve and sustain optimum mental performance. Learn to fulfill your potentials, achieve balance and take a better control over your life. Call to sign up.
• Breast Cancer Phone Support, (516)877-4314. The Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline & Support Program offers a new telephone support group for women with breast cancer. If you or someone you know cannot physically attend a breast cancer support group for any reason, this is a wonderful alternative for a forum. The weekly group allows women to speak with breast cancer survivors and patients, along with a social work facilitator, on conference calls. Sessions run on Mondays from noon-1:30pm, with seven upcoming phone chats. Call to register or obtain details.
• Breast Cancer Support Groups, Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Program, most groups held at the Adelphi Breast Cancer Program, School of Social Work, Adelphi University in Garden City, offices: (516)877-4314, hotline: (800)877-8077, www.adelphi.edu/nysbreastcancer. Individual, group and telephone counseling are available, along with a 24/7 hotline staffed by trained volunteers who have had breast cancer. Groups offered include: Women with Breast Cancer, Single Women with Breast Cancer, Young Women with Breast Cancer, Post Treatment, Women Newly Diagnosed, Telephone Support and more. Pre-registration required. Call for start dates and to find out about other groups, including those for couples, teens and men with breast cancer.
• Children of Divorce, Saltzman Community Center, 131 Hofstra University, Hempstead, (516)463-5234. A support group for children 3 and older who have endured a divorce.
• Children’s Bereavement Program, Hospice Care Network, 99 Sunnyside Boulevard, Woodbury, (631)666-6863. The Hospice Care Network is one of the largest hospice organizations in New York State with offices in Woodbury, Bayshore and Fresh Meadows, Queens. Open to boys and girls ages 5-14 who have experienced the death of a loved one and are in need of support. Contact the listed number.
• Connecting Mothers, Mocha Moms, (516)448-3323, mochamomsqueens@yahoo.com, mochamomsqueens.tripod.com. Mocha Moms is a support group for mothers of color, striving to create a nurturing village for members. The Queens chapter is a blend of Queens and Long Island stay-at-home and working mothers. Group activities includes: support meetings, field trips, speakers, “Moms Only” nights and community service. All interested moms are welcome.
• Grandparent Advocates Supporting Autistic Kids, North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center, 480 Old Westbury Road, Roslyn Heights, (516)626-1971, www.northshorechildguidance.org. This support and advocacy group is for concerned grandparents of autistic children. All adult family members are welcome. Meetings take place the last Thursday of every month (except December), 11:30am-1pm.
• Juvenile Diabetes Group, Sid Jacobson JCC, 300 Forest Drive, East Hills, (516)484-1545 ext. 148, sdenison@sjjcc.org, www.sjjcc.org. A ten-week support group for parents and their children ages 5-12. The program provides support, education and socialization for you and your child and includes meetings with a social worker and a nutritionist. Call for details.
• K.I.S.S. (Kids in Special Services), Mid-Island Y JCC, 45 Manetto Hill Road, Plainview, (516)822-3535 ext. 332. An array of classes including sports, arts and crafts, socialization and nutrition for high functioning children with developmental and/or learning disabilities such as language delay, ADHD, Asperger’s and autism spectrum disorders. Call to reserve a spot.
• Learning to Learn Center, North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center, 480 Old Westbury Road, Roslyn Heights, (516)626-1971, ext. 333. This program is designed to identify and assess learning and developmental disabilities and attention deficits, and help children and their families adjust and adopt appropriate coping skills. If you suspect a problem in your household, call for more information.
• Mindfulness Meditation Group, Advanced Mindcare LLC, (516)569-7717, (516)376-0865. Looking for comfort, peace and balance in your life? This group will teach you how to become aware of distractions and refocus your attention without feeling frustrated. Please call for dates, times and to reserve a spot.
• Mom Matters, 170 Little East Neck Road, West Babylon, (631)478-7301. Mom Matters is about learning to embrace that caring for loved ones also means taking care of you. If you are looking for somewhere to have fun, be yourself, and learn to live in balance, you have come to the right place. Mom Matters offers support and resources to moms. Meets every fourth Tuesday at 6:30pm.
• Moms’ Group, The Mothers’ Center of Southwest Nassau, 100 Main St., East Rockaway, (516)599-7788, www.swnassauny.motherscenter.org. A discussion group for new Mother’s Center members where moms can meet and share the joys and challenges of motherhood. Childcare is provided during group time. Call to learn more about the center and other groups and social events available. Meets on Fridays.
• Mothers’ Group, The Wednesday Mothers’ Club of Floral Park, United Methodist Church, 35 Verbena Ave., Floral Park, (516)270-3573, (516)775-2576, wmcmembership@hotmail.com. A non-denominational social and support group for expectant mothers and mothers of children in kindergarten or younger. Activities include monthly Mom’s Night Out, social events, educational programs, new mom meals, community outreach and playgroup sessions. Newsletter available.
• The Next Step, Mid-Island Y JCC, 45 Manetto Hill Road, Plainview, (516)822-3535. Program offers teens with special needs in grades 7-12 the opportunity to develop basic leadership skills and perform community service. Meets two Sundays per month, 1-3:30pm. Call for a schedule.
• Parent Coaching Workshop Series, PTS Coaching, Plainview, www.ptscoaching.com. Examine how ADHD impacts your child’s development. Develop the tools needed to help your child succeed.
• Parent Discussion Groups, Parenting Resource Network, Friedberg JCC, 15 Neil Court, Oceanside, (516)634-4192, www.parentingresourcenetwork.org. Designed for parents of children ages birth to 5, these free discussion groups aid in processing the many complicated issues faced by parents.
• Parenting Skills Groups, Advanced Mindcare, LLC, (516)569-7717, (516)376-0865. The group provides teaches how to effectively manage your and your child’s emotions and prevent your child’s oppositional, defiant behavior, including hostility, defiance, temper tantrums, verbal and physical aggression and anger outbursts. Learn to create an environment where communication, collaboration and problem-solving are encouraged and practiced on a consistent basis.
• Social Skills Groups, Advanced Mindcare, LLC, (516)569-7717, (516)376-0865. Among other things, children learn how to introduce themselves, greet others, take turns in conversation, follow directions and accept criticism, as well as deal with losing, mistakes, teasing, bullying, controlling anger, reducing stress, solving conflict, alleviating social anxiety and much more. They are taught how to give and accept compliments, get along with others, compromise, use manners and more.
• Volunteer for Hospice Care, Bay Shore, (516)224-6467. Hospice Care Network needs volunteers to serve on the committee for the 23rd Annual Children’s and Family Bereavement Dinner on 4/27/12. Meetings are held once a month in Bay Shore. The dinner benefits the Children’s and Family Bereavement Program offered by Hospice Care Network, which provides the Long Island community with counseling services, peer interaction, education and other programming. Contact Chris Court at the number listed for additional information.
• Winthrop-University Hospital, 259 First St., Mineola, (516)663-2350, www.winthrop.org. Toddler and Preschool Support (TAPS): Support group for the families of toddlers and preschoolers with diabetes. Meets monthly on Saturdays. Kindred Spirits: Support group for children of all ages with diabetes and their families. Meets monthly on Thursdays.

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