General Events

• 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. Attend a camp tour on 2/11, 1pm. Call for an appointment.
• Horsing Around, Greenlawn Equestrian Center, 29 Wood Ave., Greenlawn, (631)456-1700. The Center hosts a Valentine’s Day Craft on 2/11 at 4pm. Children may also attend a Winter Mini Camp, which includes horseback riding, horsemanship and crafts, from 2/20-2/24.
• It’s Play Time, 85 Sea Lane, Farmingdale, (631)393-0801, www.kzamli.com. KZAM - Next-Generation Party Center hosts limited Winter Recess Open Play sessions. RSVP only, the sessions will be posted on the website listed the week before they occur, which is 2/20-2/24.
• Winter Recess Bounce Sessions, 101 Carolyn Boulevard, Farmingdale, (631)777-JUMP (5867), www.bounceu.com/farmingdale. Get busy bouncing at BounceU. The incredible venue offers Winter Recess Bounce Sessions from 2/20-2/24.
• Sleepover with the Sharks, Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center, 431 E. Main St., Riverhead,(631)208-9200, ext. H2O, www.longislandaquarium.com. School-age children may experience an unforgettable sleepover and learn about top ocean predators. Fun activities and crafts are included. Children take a nocturnal prowl through animal care areas and then sleep in the underwater viewing area with the sharks nearby. Reservations are required. 2/24, 6pm, until 2/25, 7am.
• Maple Sugaring Day, Benner’s Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, East Setauket, (631)689-8172, www.bennersfarm.com. All phases of maple sugaring will be demonstrated at Benner’s Farm’s working homestead during this popular day. Visit with animals, help gather sap in the woods, see how trees are tapped, stand in front of the warm fire where the gallons of sap are boiled and more. Finally, taste the finished syrup and hot waffles made from scratch. For all ages. 2/25, 12-4pm.
• Sweet Treat, www.ihoppancakeday.com. Bring 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.

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Plays, Concerts and More...

• Not in Kansas, 141 South Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst, www.studiotheatreli.com. Travel down the yellow brick road with Studio Theatre Children’s Theatre’s The Magical Land of Oz. The adaptation of the classic story centering on Dorothy and friends is performed live for audience members of all ages. Purchase tickets online. 2/4, 2pm.
• I Wanna Hold Your Hand, 97P Main St., Stony Brook, (631)689-5888. All You Need is Love... The Best of the Beatles comes to the Ward Melville Heritage Organization Educational & Cultural Center. Experience an evening of dinner and dancing while listening to renditions of the ensemble’s beloved tunes. Call to make your required reservations. 2/4, 7pm.
• 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.  
• Winter Whimsy, 440 Montauk Highway, Great River, (631)581- 1002. Warm up to classical music at the Carriage House at Bayard Cutting Arboretum. The 2012 Winter Concert Series features an array of musical instruments, including violin, cello, piano, clarinet, harp, flute and saxophone. The free concerts adhere to a first-come, first-serve seating policy. Call with questions. Running on 2/5, 2/12, 2/18 and 2/26 at 2pm.
• Belle of the Ball, 71 East Main St., Patchogue, www.patchoguetheatre.com. Be the guest of Ovations Dance Repertory Company when you attend Beauty and the Beast, Jr. This tale as old as time features lively costumes and sets at the Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts. Find details and tickets online. 2/11, 11am and 3pm.
• The Flying Trapeze, Staller Center at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, www.stallercenter.com. Check out the “not just for kids” show Stand Up 8. The theatrical circus features stunts, fire eaters, an escape artist, a clown, a trampoline champion and other exciting performers and feats. 2/12, 4pm.

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Museums

• Super Science, 1 W. Main St., Riverhead, www.lisciencecenter.org. Family Science Saturdays at the Long Island Science Center are a great way to spend time bonding. Kids may visit the museum for Design, Explore & Create. Participants engage in crafts, make bubbles, solve a mystery and more. 2/4 and 2/11, 11am-4pm.

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Parks and Nature

• Nourish Nature, Smithtown, (631)265-1054. Bring your child ages 3-5 to Tiny Tots: Let’s Discover Nature Hour at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve this month. Parents and children learn about the natural world on 2/2 with Ocean Explorers and on 2/16 with To Nature with Love. Both events take place from 10-11am. Call to register.

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Ongoing: Support Groups, Workshops and More...

• 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.
• Adult Day Care Program, Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center, 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack, (631)651-8900. The Jewish Association for Services for the Aged (JASA) has a Social Adult Day Care Program for cognitively impaired senior adults on Mondays, from 10am-2pm. This program provides movement classes, music and art, reminiscence activities and inter-generational programs at an affordable, sliding-scale fee.
• Afterschool Recreation Programs for Children with Special Needs, Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center, 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack, (631)462-9800. Programs are available through next June, Monday-Thursday, 3:30-6pm and Friday, 3:30-5:30pm. Activities include a snack, homework help, crafts, group games, gym activities and swimming. Call for information.
• Anger Management/Social Skills Fun Clubs, Kid Esteem, 411-A Lexington Ave., West Babylon, (631)321-6675. Anger Management, Girl Power, Making Friends, Power of Boys, ADHD Brain Power classes now forming. These groups offer a creative, fun approach to social skills, emotional growth and self-esteem for children ages 4-13 and their parents. Call to register.
• Bereavement Support Groups, Good Shepherd Hospice, various locations (631)821-2255. At 4747-20 Nesconset Highway, Port Jefferson during afternoons: Spouse/Partner Loss, ages 55 and older; Children’s bereavement support, ages 5-12; Spouse/Partner Loss ages 55 and younger. At Danfords on the Sound during evenings: Spouse/Partner Loss, age 55 and older. Pre registration is required for all groups. Call for more information.
• Breast and Ovarian Cancer Support Group, The Suffolk Y JCC, 74 Hauppauge Road, Commack, (631)462-9800, ext. 129. This support group is for women who have been diagnosed, are in treatment or are survivors of breast and/or ovarian cancer. Share your feelings, fears, frustrations and hope with others. Held on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month from 7:15-8:45pm. Free.
• Caregiver Support Group, Day Haven Adult Day Services, 2210 Smithtown Ave., Ronkonkoma, (631)585-2020, www.dayhaven.org. This services center holds free monthly groups for family caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia. Groups offer emotional support and practical advice for those aiding a frail loved one or someone with memory loss. Free, on-site, professional care available for frail older adults and those with Alzheimer’s during meetings. Meetings are the second Tuesday of each month, 6-7:30pm. Call to find out more about services, including those for spouses, and other meeting locations.
• Children’s Bereavement Program, Hospice Care Network, 99 Sunnyside Blvd., Woodbury. The Hospice Care Network is one of the largest hospice organizations in New York State with offices in Woodbury, Bay Shore and Fresh Meadows, Queens. It’s open to boys and girls between the ages of 5-14, in grades k-9, who are expecting the death of someone they love and are in need of support. If you know a child you could benefit from this program, contact Mary Gravina in Counseling Services at (631)666-6863.
• Children’s Diabetes Support Group, The Good Samaritan Hospital, Home Care America, West Islip, (631)376-4049. Informational support group and counseling specifically for those with gestational or juvenile diabetes.
• Compassionate Friends, Plainview, (718)767-0904. A nonprofit self-help bereavement group for parents who have experienced the death of a child, from any cause, at any age. The group meets the third Friday of every month, evenings. Call for more information.
• Cystic Fibrosis Support Group, 101 Eastwood Blvd., Centereach, (631)580-6075. For parents of children with cystic fibrosis. Meets the third Monday of each month, 7-8pm. Contact Hilary Fuslo at the listed number with any questions.
• MOMS Club of Western Brookhaven, Lake Ronkonkoma VFW Hall, 55 Lake Shore Road, www.brookhavenmomsclub.webs.com. On the final Thursday of every month, stay-at-home and part-time working moms are invited to attend a meeting of the MOMS Club of Western Brookhaven. Open to moms of Centereach, Hauppauge, Holbrook, Holtsville, Lake Grove, Lake Ronkonkoma, Nesconset, Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma, this support group is there to lend an ear to moms of the Long Island community.
• Moms Club of East Northport, (631)651-8245, momsclubeastnorthport@yahoo.com. A local chapter of the Moms Club International. Moms supporting moms. Group activities include play dates, moms’ night out, group discounts at popular places, book clubs and more.
• Postpartum and Perinatal Support Group, Smithtown/St. James, (631)334-8410. Free ten-session support group for women with postpartum and perinatal mood disorders. Call for dates and times.
• Social Skills Programs, Sunshine Prevention Center, 468 Boyle Road, Port Jefferson Station, (631)476-3099, www.sunshinepreventionctr.org. Topics include: understanding and expressing feelings, self-esteem, problem solving, friendship, tolerance and more. For children ages 5-12.
• Volunteer for Animals, Bideawee Westhampton, 118 Old Country Road, Westhampton, www.bideawee.org. Bideawee, one of the nation’s oldest humane organizations, seeks volunteers at its Westhampton location. Help out with hands-on care for the Adoption Center, or lend support through administrative, technological, outdoor or other tasks. Get involved with the Pet Therapy or Reading to Dogs programs, which encourage the human-animal bond and offer aid to those most in need.
• 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.
• Volunteers Wanted, (516)224-6467, www.hospicecarenetwork.org.Help members of your community who have suffered devastating losses by volunteering for the Hospice Care Network’s 23rd Annual Children’s and Family Bereavement Dinner, to be held on 4/27. This fundraising dinner provides aid to the Family Bereavement Program, which offers support to those who need it most. Find out more about the Hospice Care Network at the website and volunteer by calling.

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