Play Time for Long Island Children with Special Needs

Play time is crucial to childhood development—it teaches children basic sensory functions, as well as how to interact and get along with the people around them. Playtime with a child with special needs can be tricky because most organized play spaces aren’t adaptive to the needs of some children. Luckily, Long Island has all kinds of play areas geared toward all children.

And for more kid-friendly activities, be sure to check out our Long Island Events Calendar.

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Kids Yoga with Maria
1353 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn
516-413-0882
Maria I. Perez, RYT is a certified yoga teacher that shares essential yoga-based tools with children ages 3 to 13. Maria adapts her yoga program in order to help develop motor skills, improve confidence and social skills in children with special needs. She provides a sensory integration, offers coping techniques, engages the emotional brain, facilitates self-awareness, and is orderly and consistent. Small group and private classes are also available.

Pump It Up
225 Community Drive, Suite 250, Great Neck, 516- 466-7867
135 Dupont St., Plainview, 516-575-2300
Pump It Up has partnered with Autism Speaks and now offers Sensory Jump Time, a program open to all children on the autistic spectrum and their families. Children attending Sensory Jump Time have the opportunity to make new friends, jump, slide and play sensory-friendly games within a controlled, safe and supportive atmosphere. Giant, inflatable houses provide the perfect environment for practicing coordination, balance and motor skills.

Nassau County at the Aquatic Center
Eisenhower Park, East Meadow
516-572-0501
The aquatic center offers youth-adapted programs geared towards kids with special needs. These groups will usually feature small student-to-teacher ratios and will work on swimming skills and meeting individual goals. In addition to providing swimming lessons, participants may learn water safety and play group games.

Dreamnastics 
38 Great Neck Road, Great Neck
516-829-8099
Gymnastics is a fantastic way to improve mobility and fine motor skills in children with special needs and Dreamnastics offers classes for children with special needs. A one on one teacher to student ratio helps children to strengthen and lengthen muscles in a fun play time environment.

Gymboree Play & Music
Multiple Locations
The Sensoree Kids class, led by an occupational therapist and a Gymboree teacher, places an emphasis on helping children ages 3-6 with sensory processing difficulties to cope with sensory stimuli in their everyday lives. Parents participate and are invited to bring their child's own therapists.

Mastic Sports Club Sports for Special Needs
630 Moriches Middle Island Road, Moriches
A sports-based program designed for children with special needs and disabilities that provides the basics for participation in sports including hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer and bowling. Kids play to their own level while developing important socialization skills and learning about peer unity through team play.

 

Photo Courtesy of Dreamnastics

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