Things to Do in Fort Salonga

At Kids U, upbeat instructors camouflage learning as playtime. They invite youngsters and parents into a kid-size gym that jump starts imagination with vibrant colors and a multitiered PlayQuad. The 17-foot playground spans 2,000 square feet of indoor space, where children explore tunnels and soar in swings. At classes, teachers inject freestyle play with structure while still allowing for creativity. The small, laid-back sessions cover subjects that range from gymnastics to cooking and building with LEGOs, all while interweaving themes such as teamwork and motor skills. The instructors pioneer similar subjects in three-hour day camps, molded around the Summer Olympics. Kids U's parties combine the fun center's two signature styles of recreation—freestyle fun in the PlayQuad and ordered activities—according to chosen themes, which, like concepts kicked around for the White House Correspondents' dinner, include Rock Star and Pajama Party.

The soft light of the setting sun creeps across the water. Above the placid reflection, a paddle boarder floats silently. These quiet moments are what Step Into Liquid's instructors hope to give to their pupils. Along the north and south shores of Long Island, they help groups balance atop boards during lessons or tours, which pass by resplendent coastal homes. The personal watercrafts also serve as floating mats for on-water yoga workouts, which call students to stretch their muscles and strengthen their cores.

The experienced staff at Tullio’s Pottery Place creates a safe and respectful environment for potters of all levels of experience to learn. In the spacious studio, instructors guide students through throwing, painting, and firing their own masterworks. Ladies’ Night, Date Night, and Parents’ Night Off parties give grownups a creative outlet where they can bedeck premade pieces of pottery with stencils, their own designs, or re-creations of the bowl that Gene Hackman wore over his face for the entirety of The Poseidon Adventure. Pupils can get their hands dirty during 6- or 12-week personalized classes, with unlimited time provided during the week for them to finish work started in each session. Raku firings with a large selection of glazes are offered twice monthly.