Shipwreck Cove at Bay Shore Marina Park

Once you've paid your admission, you will have the opportunity to buy some different kinds of animal food. It's not necessary to buy this right away, there are spots to purchase the food in the farm. You enter through a covered area where you will find pens of small animals that are your best bet for feeding. There are bottles available as well as food pellets. One thing you will find here, there are a lot of ways to spend two dollars here and three dollars there, so it's best to head in with a budget in mind.

The pens at White Post Farms let you get really close to the animals. They all know the drill: when you approach they come right to the fence to see if you have any food for them. There are plenty of areas for kids to wash their hands after feeding the eager livestock.

In addition to the standard pigs, goats, cows and deer, there are a number of exotic animals to visit as well. You will find monkeys, kangaroos, zebra, llamas and even a chinchilla. Most of these animals are on special diets, so feeding them is off limits. As such, they're not always as eager as the domesticated animals to come over and say hello.

You will find plenty of shady areas to take a break at White Post Farms. Near the snack concession and picnic tables there's a singing animal show, The Barnyard Singing Chicken Show. It's a cute musical review featuring animatronic chickens singing familiar children's songs. The show plays continuously and there is plenty of bench seating.

A large pond is the home of White Post Farms aquatic animals. There are a number of fish and turtles living here, and the nicely landscaped area is perfect for taking a rest. This is also the area where you will find the public restrooms.

A terrific spot that sets White Post Farms apart from other animal exhibits is the playground area. This is a huge play space that features large wooden jungle gyms and trucks, as well as a pirate ship. The gravel play surface is not ideal, but the equipment is in great shape.

Adjacent to the playground sets is a playhouse village. Each of the houses is individually landscaped and kids have a ball running from house to house and exploring. There are pretty gingerbread houses, a barn and a log cabin among the many styles of house. On the opposite end of the playground area is a SpongeBob-themed play area for smaller children. There is also bounce area with a separate admission price that only inflates on weekends.

The White Post Mining Company is an old west-themed play area with a cutout main street and a large working sluice that winds its way around the whole space. Kids can buy bags filled with sand and "treasure" to sift through at the sluice. The winding troughs provide working space at many different heights to accommodate children of all ages. The main street set is a great spot for taking pictures.

There are rides at White Post Farms as well. The train winds its way through an imaginary Indian village, and kids who ride in the engine can ring the bell. You have to purchase tokens to go on any of the rides, and White Post Farms will steadfastly refuse to refund any unused token -- so if you're not sure if your children will like the rides (or pony rides), don't purchase more than you're sure you are going to use. This somewhat puzzling policy (NO REFUNDS is printed right on the tokens) was the only visitor-unfriendly complaint we had during our trip. The train ride tokens are $2.00 and the tokens for the rockers are fifty cents.

Horse and pony rides are available for adventurous children. Tokens must be purchased for $5.00 each and the ride winds its way around the center of the farm, led by a handler. The choice of a pony is perfect for smaller children, while kids up to 60 pounds can ride on the horse.

White Post Farms is open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $8.00 per person, and coupons are available for $2.00 off if you sign up on their website. If you're visiting on a weekend and want to take advantage of the inflatable bouncers, you can buy a $12 combo ticket. In the summertime, they mix in bouncers that spray water. Feed options for the animals range from twenty five cents for a handful from a vending box to $5.00 for a souvenir pail. Bottles are $2.00 each. A visit to White Post Farms can easily last three to four hours, longer if you pack a picnic lunch and your kids can't get enough of the playground.

White Post Farms

The playground is made up of two main structures, both of which feature a number of slides and built-in games. There are a series of climbs which range from the simple to the challenging. The play surface is a soft wood mulch. There is one swingset at Lakeland, with two toddler and two standard swings. All four have deep trenches, so smaller kids may have difficulty getting onto the standard swings on their own.

The larger platform is the launching pad for a nice set of triple wavy slides. Although there is shade nearby, these slides get a lot of sun exposure and can get pretty hot during the afternoon. In the adjacent shady area, there are many picnic tables for parents to take some cover while the kids play.

The highlight of the playground at Lakeland County Park is the accessibility. There is a large amount of handicap parking available just a few yards away from the playset. A long ramp provides easy entry to the platforms, and there are wide bridgeways that connect the two areas. Play spots like the steering wheel are close to the ground, and they are all seamlessly integrated with more challenging play equipment.

There are a number of nature trails that guide visitors through the park's preserve. It's almost completely boardwalk and hard sand, so taking a stroller through the trails is no problem. Kids may not always be so excited by a long walk through the woods, but the trails at Lakeland have their rewards. There are many opportunities to see wildlife, including fish, turtles, frogs, birds, ducks, geese -- we even saw some chipmunks. The woods here are full of sights & sounds, not to mention a little adventure. There were no trail maps during our visit, so we were never quite sure where we were.

Lakeland County Park is open every day until sunset. There are public restrooms that are open from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Despite its proximity to the Long Island Expressway and Vet's Highway, it's a nice spot for a quiet walk through the woods and some fun on a playground that is built for just about anyone.

Lakeland County Park

Once inside, there are literally hundreds of hands-on science experiments and demonstrations. Many are geared towards school-aged kids, so the Central Pavilion can be skipped if you're visiting with small children. But if you have a mixed crowd, the Pavilion floor can be accessed easily with a stroller. The very popular bubble table is fun for all ages.

The ramp that leads down to the Pavilion floor gives you a great view of the Mercury capsule that is suspended from the ceiling. All along the way down, there are displays that encourage kids to explore the science behind light and sound.

In the North Wing there are a number of space-related exhibits, including a remote-controlled Mars explorer and workable models of some of the tools used by astronauts. This is also where you will find the preschool area, a gated play space that features a play supermarket, doll houses and toy car tracks. There are many books and even a few more elaborate exhibits that demonstrate simple physics like pulleys and cranks. This is a very secure area with a single entrance and a staff member that records each adult and number of children as you enter and exit.

Upstairs in the North Wing are two great exhibits that feature something for everyone. The sports exhibit lets kids clock their speed when throwing a variety of balls, measure the bounce of different balls, and test their reflexes with life-sized top fuel race cars that need to be shifted through their paces. In addition, an exhibit about networking combines hands-on demonstrations of how computer networks work alongside natural networks, like the huge ant colony.

Outside on the Hall of Science's grounds, you will find the Science Playground. This is a huge space, with lots of areas to explore. Most of the surface here is a soft composite padding, so running (and the inevitable falling) is no problem. There is a separate fee of $4.00 per child to explore the playground.

The outdoor area is open from April through December, and boasts a number of water centers that are ideal for warm weather. An extensive set of metal tools gives kids the chance to churn and redirect a long waterway, and there is a combination fountain and mister that kids can play in. There are also sand boxes, slides and plenty of places to play hide and seek.

The climbing space net is a unique take on the traditional playground jungle gym. It uses a flexible steel rope structure that responds to the climber's weight and demonstrates how the interlocking triangle shapes gives the structure strength.

The Rocket Garden is probably the most famous part of the museum, and it's visible from the Parkway. It's scheduled to open as a miniature golf course in June 2009, but non-golfers will still be able to walk outside and get a closer look at the Atlas and Titan rockets that powered America's Mercury and Gemini programs.

The New York Hall of Science is open seven days a week from April through August. From September through March they are closed on Mondays. The hours vary, but they are generally open from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. during the week and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekends. On Fridays, the museum stays open until 5:00 p.m. and offers free admission after 2:00 p.m. Check their website for schedule specifics. Admission for adults is $11.00 and children between the ages of two and seventeen pay $8.00.

The New York Hall of Science

There is a brand new playground at Robert Moses, and it is very similar to the setups at Jones Beach and Heckscher Park. It's a very colorful, state-of-the-art play space with lots of areas to explore. The close proximity to both the parking lot and the bath house (with its bathrooms and snack stand) are an extra bonus.

The back end of the playset features a replica of the three colorful slides that are sized down for smaller children. While not a completely separate area, the smaller play areas are concentrated in one spot with lots of space. Just to the back end of this area is a fire truck that is very popular with young ones. The truck faces inwards towards the big slides and rock wall, so siblings can see each other play.

This is a big playset with lots of places to explore. The whole area is fenced in with one long path that leads in and out, making it very easy to let kids explore without worrying that they'll wander off. There are places to get onto the playset that are challenging, such as the rock wall, as well as simple stairs and ramps for those who can't climb their way on. There are built-in games all over the set, although it must be said that many of them are missing parts.

The play surface at the Robert Moses State Park playground is a very soft composite. It is surrounded by powdery beach sand, and there are many benches surrounding the set for parents to take a break. For those hot and sunny beach days, there are many shaded areas on (and beneath!) the playset, as well as a gazebo.

Of course, the main attraction at Robert Moses is the beach. One of the great things about the huge parking lot here is that there are multiple access points to get onto the beach. Most people try to park close to the bath house, but if you'd rather avoid the heavy traffic you can park way out on the edges and still find a close trail onto the beach and boardwalk.

The beach at Robert Moses State Park is the best on Long Island for shell hunters. This is due largely to a phenomenon that makes it a great spot for little kids as well: the long and flat shoreline is a haven for tidal pools, where small children can frolic in the sand and water without worrying too much about waves or depth.

There is a long nature trail that leads visitors out to the lighthouse. The emphasis is on long -- children should be prepared for a lot of walking if a visit to the lighthouse is in your plans. The start of the trail can be found at the eastern end of parking field five. The whole trail is on a boardwalk, which makes the walk with a stroller a breeze. There are frequent spots to stop and sit, but very little in the way of shade.

Don't be surprised when out on the trail if you find that you're the ones being watched. This is a great trail to see a wide variety of wildlife, and there are helpful signs along the way that identify the kinds of birds and other animals that you're likely to see.

The end of the long trail culminates at the lighthouse and visitor's center. There is a steep set of stairs to get up to the lighthouse, so this should be the end of the line for strollers (there's plenty of stroller parking space here). A large anchor at the foot of steps is a nice picture spot for kids who made the long trek.

Inside the visitor's center, there are many artifacts and photographs of the lighthouse's history. A small gift shop features books, posters and other small momentos that you wouldn't mind carrying back. There is also a pair of vending machines for cold drinks and restrooms to prepare for the long return journey.

Robert Moses State Park is open seven days a week, year-round. There is a daily parking fee during the summer season, and Empire Passes are honored. The lighthouse is part of the Fire Island National Seashore, and is also open every day and is free to visit. In addition to the beach and playground, there is also a pitch and putt golf course, surfing and surf fishing.

Robert Moses State Parrk