Keep Fit: Stay Active with Your Kids This Season
Spring fever has hit the East End, with kids arriving home from school with a ton of of pent-up energy. Luckily the Hamptons and North Fork have a number of indoor and outdoor family-friendly fitness options to keep kids active no matter what the weather. Check out the below list of fun, wellness-inspired area activities.
Ice Skating
The winter and early spring have been too fickle for pond skating to be a safe option for kids, but there are a number of skating rinks that kids can enjoy throughout the month of March. Gurney’s Montauk has opened its oceanfront skating rink for its inaugural season. For the adults, there’s an ocean skate bar. Visit gurneysmontauk.com for more details. If you’re in Southampton, head to the Southampton Ice Rink at the Southampton Golf Range. The rink is covered and refrigerated, and hosts events like teen nights. Visit southamptonicerink.com for additional information. If you’re on the North Fork, Greenport Village has opened its skating rink in Mitchell Park. Head to villageofgreenport.org for more info.
Bowling
Bowling can be a great mental exercise, and it’s an activity that’s not attached to a screen. The All Star in Riverhead boasts 22 lanes in its main area, and the experience is rounded out with black lights, glow-in-the-dark lanes and Top-40 music hits. The All Star has a number of weekly specials, like Sunday Funday—all you can bowl for two hours for $12; and Rolling Thunder Monday and Thursday—all you can bowl from 8 p.m. until closing for $15, including shoes. The All Star is located at 96 Main Road, Riverhead. For more information, visit theallstar.com or call 631-904-0580.
Hiking
This winter has been atypically warm. If you have enough daylight hours, take advantage by exploring the natural beauty of the East End on one of the area’s hiking trails. Head to Montauk to explore Camp Hero and the Point—there’s a jetty around the lighthouse made of flat rocks wide enough for kids to easily traverse. Montauk’s trail system also includes Hither Hills State Park, Shadmoor State Park and Montauk County Park. Montauk Point State Park also hosts guided seal hikes throughout early spring, when seals are most likely to be seen. Call 631-668-5000 for reservations and schedule information. If you’re located further west, check out Cedar Point in East Hampton, Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge in Sag Harbor, Red Creek Park in Hampton Bays or Indian Island County Park in Riverhead. Make a day trip out of the trek to Shelter Island to hike Mashomack Preserve, which encompasses almost 2,100 acres. And on the North Fork, there’s Orient Beach State Park. Regardless of where you choose to hike, your family will enjoy the burst of exercise amidst the peace and quiet of an East End early spring.
Swimming
Get in the water year-round. The East Hampton YMCA’s pool offers a number of open-swim hours, allowing kids to enjoy swimming even when the weather outside is chilly. Visit ymcali.org for additional information. Head a little farther east, and kids can swim in Gurney’s Montauk’s oceanview, salt-water pool between 11 a.m. and 8 p,m. Visit gurneysmontauk.com for additional info.