Explore the art and science of sound! Blue Man Group ~ Making Waves at Long Island Children’s Museum, Jan. 26-May 4, 2008.  
Only NY-metro area opportunity to see national touring exhibit.

Long Island Children's Museum
11 Davis Avenue, Garden City, NY (Museum Row)
Sept-June: Open Tues.–Sun. (and most holidays), 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (tickets sold until 4).
July-August: Open Daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (tickets sold until 4)
General Admission: $9; members and children under 1: free; visitors over 65: $8
For More Information: (516) 224-5800 • Web site: www.licm.org

By Kyle Zook

If you are traveling anywhere near the vicinity of Long Island, NY, and have youngsters between the ages of 2-12 in tow, then you won’t want to miss The Long Island Children’s Museum located in East Garden City.  The 40,000 square foot facility boasts 14 indoor and outdoor hands-on exhibits and galleries that are proven to entertain young children; but the whole family will really enjoy it as well.

An anchor institution of Museum Row at Mitchel Field, the Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) is a private, non-profit educational organization chartered by the New York State Education Department.  The Museum has been in its current location since 2002.  Crowds are generally thinner during weekdays after 1:30 p.m. during the school year: perfect for homeschooling outings!
Children will love all of the great hands-on activities, such as Bricks & Sticks, where children can create architectural masterpieces using blocks, sticks and connectors; or create a virtual space with an interactive software exhibit.
The Bubbles exhibit is one of the more popular exhibits for children of all ages.  Here children can step inside a giant bubble, blow bubbles within bubbles and create giant honeycomb bubbles.
Climb-It@LICM is another very popular choice for kids, where they can venture though a two-story climbing structure.  It’s wheelchair/strolleraccessible, so no one needs to get left out!
Older children will also enjoy the Communication Station, where they can broadcast the news and explore forms of communication ranging from cave painting to satellite technology.  There’s also the mUSic exhibit where they can explore instruments from around the world, and Sandy Island will allow them to build their own beach with rolling waves and examine microscopic sand grains.
For the littler ones, there is the TotSpot, where toddlers can climb and crawl about in a safe environment.  They can drive and pretend to fill the tank of a real motorcycle, investigate a smaller scale LIRR car, visit a kid-sized construction zone and marketplace, or take a cruise on a padded baby boat.
There is also a state-of-the-art, 150-seat theater where families can experience films and live performance related to the Museum’s month’s themes: the LICM web site will have the most current and upcoming productions. You can visit them at www.licm.org .

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