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Family Forum: Family Time over Spring Break

There are a number of fun nearby options available for families home during the vacation and good weather enhances the possibilities.

 While are rejoicing because schools will be closed next week for spring break, their parents may be puzzling over how that week should be spent.

Families heading to Florida and other vacation destinations will certainly experience a change of scenery; those remaining in town may also experience a change as spring takes over and families shouldn’t hesitate to integrate the anticipated good weather into their plans.

Of course kids look forward to the time off to get together with friends, but there is also plenty to do as a family, if schedules permit. Outdoor tennis courts are available at the , the high school and middle school as well as at the lesser used Haypath Park in Old Bethpage.

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If a bike rack is accessible, one fun family outing might be a bike ride in Bethpage State Park or on the bike paths at Caumsett State Park in Lloyd Neck which offer beautiful vistas of the water, nature and even a mansion on the premises.

Families with dogs might bring their pets over to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration dog park for a "play date" with other dogs which translates to tons of fun for everyone in the family. The zoo is another winning family destination and while the Bronx Zoo has  much to offer, the smaller Central Park Zoo in New York City may be more manageable and conveniently located, and, with its polar bears, monkeys, penguins and tropical rainforest, equally enjoyable.

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More structured outings might include attending a program at Borders in Syosset such as the free "Springtacular Event" on Saturday, April 16 which is an art and crafts day for families to celebrate the season. Families might also consider visiting Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead which as part of its program, offers interaction with penguins and sea lions.

Of course, for parents, this break is not all about entertainment and it is a good time to clean out closets and clean up  outdoors. While it may be difficult to enlist the support of the kids for these endeavors, a trip to the mall to replace some of the discarded clothes or an evening around an outdoor firepit toasting marshmallows once the yard is in order, may be sufficient enticement to bring them into the process.

However the week is spent, it should be relaxing because once school resumes it will be marathon of finals, projects and end of the year activities, and kids and parents alike will be summoning upon the reserves of energy they have hopefully acquired during this time off!

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