Gina Massaro

Gina Massaro is a Long Island native who believes in whimsy, fairies, and the idea of never growing up. She’s a mom to 3 young kids and a small zoo, and she has over 8 years of experience and childhood education expertise as a preschool educator. She tries to find time to write and paint between school pickups, diaper changes, and dog walks. For more of her art and writing check out her website: ginamassaro.com.

Latest posts by Gina

Swim with Sharks, Meet Penguins, and Other Animal Experiences at the Long Island Aquarium

Submitted by Gina Massaro on Tue, 04/04/2023 - 4:30pm

Animal encounters are easily one of the most fun and memorable parts of visiting the Long Island Aquarium.

Home to one of the largest all-living coral reef displays in this hemisphere, a 120,000-gallon shark habitat, and 100+ engaging aquatic exhibits, the Long Island Aquarium is also overflowing with opportunities to get up close and personal with the animals!

From selfies with penguins to the chance to wade through a critter-filled salt marsh, animal encounters are easily one of the most fun and memorable parts of visiting the Long Island Aquarium. To make sure you don’t miss a thing on your next trip, take a look at some of our favorite interactive experiences, broken down by those that are free with the cost of admission and those that require an additional free–plus, oftentimes, a reservation.

Indoor Playground La La Land Opens in Babylon

Submitted by Gina Massaro on Mon, 03/06/2023 - 6:44am

The indoor playground has plenty of play space. Photo courtesy of the venue

La La Land is Long Island's newest indoor playground for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. La La Land is warm and inviting, and little ones can explore, pretend, climb, slide and so much more in a safe environment built just for them.

Check out our Guide to Indoor Play Spaces for Long Island Kids for other activity ideas, and find more great things to do with little ones in our Long Island Baby Guide and Preschooler Guide.

Best Zoo and Museum Summer Camps on Long Island

Submitted by Gina Massaro on Sun, 03/05/2023 - 8:03am

Budding marine biologists will learn about local ecology at the Long Island Maritime Museum's summer camps. Photo courtesy of the museum

There's no shortage of summer camps on Long Island for families. There are art summer camps, sports summer camps, and yes, even museum and zoo summer camps. Many of Long Island's science and nature museums offer summer camps and workshops, while a few farms also offer summer camps that allow children to get hands-on with animals. We've rounded up the best museum, zoo, and animal summer camps. These cool summer camp experiences cater to kids from ages 3 years to high school.

Looking for more on Long Island summer camps? Check out our Long Island Summer Camp Guide and Camp Directory, where you'll find our list of the best day summer camps in Nassau and Suffolk County, and can search by town or interest to find the right summer camp for your kid.

Visiting the Long Island Children's Museum with Kids

Submitted by Gina Massaro on Mon, 01/02/2023 - 1:15pm

A collaborative effort takes place in LICM's TotSpot. Photo courtesy of the museum

Visiting the Long Island Children's Museum in Garden City is a must-do activity for Long Island kids. The museum is home to more than 10 regular exhibits and also has rotating, seasonal shows throughout the year.

The museum's facilities range from a play space geared toward toddlers to climbing structures for older kids. The institution also hosts regular classes and is a popular spot for birthday parties. Read on for a rundown of all its features.

Find out more about Long Island's many cultural institutions in our Museums and Art Guide for Long Island Kids.

50 Best Christmas Songs for Kids

Submitted by Gina Massaro on Thu, 12/01/2022 - 12:00pm

It's just not Christmas until you hear Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You". Photo by Dennis Leupold

Christmas songs have a way of getting everyone in the holiday spirit. You just can't be a Grinch when you're fa-la-la-ing. Your holiday playlist might feature classic Christmas songs, modern pop tunes, easy-to-sing songs, silly Christmas songs—remember Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer?—or a great mix of everything. Singing Christmas songs makes decking the halls, trimming the tree, and roasting the chestnuts feel so much more fun and festive. We've listed all the greatest hits here, and linked to videos so you can memorize all the Christmas song lyrics and not just hum the chorus over and over!

Here are the 50 best Christmas songs to listen to with kids this holiday season, no matter what your musical tastes are. For even more holiday fun, including 101 Christmas activities and crafts for kids and the best kids' Christmas movies to watch this season, check out our guide to Christmas Activities and Holiday Fun for Kids.

Best Thanksgiving Movies for Kids and the Whole Family

Submitted by Gina Massaro on Tue, 11/08/2022 - 11:00am

Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow is a Thanksgiving movie full of cool creatures kids will love. Photo courtesy of the Jim Henson Company and Lifetime Pictures

Watching Thanksgiving movies is part of many families' Thanksgiving traditions, much like watching football or the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. And gone are the days of having to gobble up Thanksgiving dinner by a certain time to catch whatever special is airing on network TV. With so many streaming platforms, there are a variety of Thanksgiving movies for kids and families to watch at any time.

Whether it's an animated Thanksgiving special, a family-friendly football film, or even a holiday classic to get everyone in a festive mood, here are 20 of the best Thanksgiving movies and specials for kids and families. For even more Thanksgiving fun—including hilarious Thanksgiving jokes and fun Thanksgiving crafts, games, and activities—check out our Thanksgiving Activities Guide for Families.

Luxe Play Space WowMoms World Opens on Long Island

Submitted by Gina Massaro on Mon, 11/07/2022 - 6:53am

A view of the play space. Photo courtesy of WowMoms World

WowMoms World, which recently opened in Mineola, is a luxury play space that also offers services for caregivers. The relaxing space is set up so that children can play or take a class while caregivers or parents enjoy a manicure, a bite to eat, or even take a class themselves. This unique business–which currently has other outposts in Canada and Florida–truly has the entire family in mind.

Check out our roundup of affordable after-school classes for Long Island kids and other ideas in our Childcare Guide to Long Island.

Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns Opens on Long Island

Submitted by Gina Massaro on Mon, 10/10/2022 - 9:05am

Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns is back and bigger than ever on Long Island.

Woosh went the wind, out went the lights, and Rise of the Jack O'Laterns returned to our sights. After a 2-year hiatus, the must-see Halloween event is back. With the world's largest pumpkin trail and more than 5,000 hand-carved pumpkins, our family couldn't wait to experience the spooktacular event again. Here is everything you need to know about Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns and some pro tips for your visit.

Our Long Island Halloween Guide has tons more ideas for Halloween activities, and you can find more seasonal events in our Fall Fun Guide for Long Island.

Gina Massaro

Latest posts by Gina

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