Amusement Parks in Long Island City

The more than a dozen brick-and-mortar locations that make up Ultimate Champions Taekwondo Association share not only a style of combat, but a teaching philosophy as well. Tracing the lineage of their combative art back to Grandmaster Sang K. Oh, the instructors adhere to his teachings, exemplified by the quote, "The person who can defeat others with flashy techniques but is without love toward his fellow man will in the end defeat himself." Students use the physical empowerment of mastering jumps, kicks, and weapons to arm themselves with discipline, confidence, concentration, self-respect, and courtesy for others.

Outside of the classroom, the organization reaches out to the tri-state community with ample demonstrations of some of their most exciting techniques. Practitioners soar skyward in flying kicks or fill the air with the whirring blows of nunchakus, bos, and kamas. Fists slam through boards, balloons, and bricks to demonstrate the striking power of tae kwon do and the structural flaws in the Three Little Pigs' panic room.

Gymboree offers a bevy of baby-engaging classes in which parents and wee ones work together to build the tot's creativity and encourage development through play. Weekly classes are available for the freshly born sapling to the 5-years-young wise wanderer. This deal is valid for rhythm-building music classes, imagination-expanding art classes, mobility-enhancing sports classes, Gymboree's most popular class, Play & Learn, plus all family classes. The month membership (usually $112, plus a $35 enrollment fee) allows you to take one class per week, with make-ups available during enrollment if you miss a class. This deal also includes unlimited attendance at Gymboree's open gym sessions (contact location for schedule), and you will receive a $25 discount on Gymboree clothing with a $50 purchase.

The successor to Coney Island’s iconic amusement parks of the 20th century, Luna Park delights families with games, entertainment, and attractions ranging from classic spinning teacups to "The Cyclone Roller Coaster", an 85-foot roller coaster originally built in 1927. As youngsters acclimate to adrenaline on low-fi rides such as the Big Top Express, a colorful circus train featuring clowns, elephants, and a bright-red caboose, bigger kids and stilt-wearing toddlers dive in to such exciting diversions as the Wild River, a log flume that culminates in a sopping, 40-foot plunge. Luna Park packs even bigger thrills into roller coasters such as the Steeplechase, which accelerates from zero to 40 miles per hour in less than two seconds, and the Soarin’ Eagle, which glides above crowds on the paths below. Throughout the day, games such as Whac-a-Mole and Duck Pond challenge players’ skills at naming every animal’s Latin taxonomy.

Bayville Adventure Park provides thrills and chills for visitors of all ages. Attractions such as a tree-top adventure zone and rock climbing wall encourage healthy competition, while a pirate-themed miniature golf course invites guests to practice their short game and best parrot impression. The park also has an arcade and an ice cream parlor. And while the environs at Bayville are generally swashbuckling, the arrival of fall heralds a change and decks every available hall to transform into a winter wonderland in November with attractions like Captain Bay's Yo Ho Holiday Lights Show (which opens at 4:00 p.m), Santa's Toy Factory Fun House, a holiday shop, a holiday express train, ice skating, and a chance to meet Santa Claus himself and other holiday characters.

Beyond its roaring arcade and indoor amusement center, The Funplex’s entertainment emporium quenches patrons’ thirst for fun with a newly opened swimming pool. Children safely splash in the roped-off kids’ area, kept in check by the watchful eye of the ever-stalwart lifeguard and the high-tech vigilance of the deep end’s force field. The in-ground mini lake eases heat-wave woes with the cool comfort of The Funplex’s clean and well-kept aquatic playground. As families frolic in the soothing crystalline current, swimmers can perfect their butterfly strokes, dog paddles, and cat flailings. Armed with a two-day pass, pool-goers can splish and splash on two consecutive days or use one pass immediately and save the other for their next underwater tea time.

The masterminds behind Keansburg Amusement Park, located just off the beach, oversee a park designed to turn a day out with the family during warm weather months into a mini vacation. By dotting the park with roller coasters, go-karts, arcades, and classic boardwalk fare, the owners seem to have realized their vision while also addressing the interests of different-aged groups. Families can glide around the park's classic carousel, and kids ride the colorful Jolly Caterpillar before he presumably morphs into a butterfly at closing time. Some of the park's newer attractions include a fleet of bumper cars and the Rocking Tug ride. With its more than 35 rides, the park has garnered accolades such as Best of New Jersey from the readers of NJ Monthly Magazine, as well as a 2011 Best of Monmouth County from the readers of Asbury Park Press.