THE ROCKAWAYS

 Due to the pandemic, some things have changed. Social distancing and mask wearing is needed if around people that do not live with you. In some cases some places may be closed or have different hours. If possible call ahead where you can.

🍄 NYC PARKS HAPPENINGS FOR KIDS : Parkids NYC Resources:

• Kids Sport Programs
• Summer Camps
• MillionTrees NYC Games
• Rec Centers
• BeFitNYC
• Nature Centers

🍄 Rockaway Freeway Parks Rockaway Frwy. bet. Beach 108 St. and Regina Ave., Beach Channel Dr., Queens

• The Rockaway Freeway parks are intermittent parcels of land that extend from Beach 22nd Street to Beach 108th Street. 
• Located adjacent to the 4.5 miles of freeway, they beautify the roadside in Far Rockaway, Edgemere, Arverne, Hammels, and Seaside. 
• Beach 67th to 69th Streets and Beach 81st to 83rd Streets, respectively, bound the two parcels that are most commonly used. 
• Both are on the north side of the freeway. 
• Dog-friendly areas.

🍄 Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk Beach 3 St. to Beach 153 St. and Boardwalk to Atlantic Ocean.

• Beach goers can enjoy the sand and water, the variety of concessions, and the city's only legal surfing beach, located between 67-69 Street and 87-92 Street.
• Rockaway Beach is also home to a variety of playgrounds and other outdoor activities.
  Barbecuing areas
• baseball, basketball
• bathrooms
• beaches
• eateries
• fitness equipment
• handball courts
• playgrounds
• roller hockey
• skate parks
• spray showers
• volleyball

🍄 Rockaway Community Park 53-98 Almeda Ave., Norton Ave. bet. Beach 58 St., Sommerville Basin and Beach 49 St., Conch Basin

• Rockaway Community Park is an intriguing example of the diversity of New York City’s parks. 
• Situated on 253 acres on the Jamaica Bay in southern Queens, Rockaway Community Park offers a great opportunity for wildlife and nature lovers. 
• Bird watchers can observe exotic birds in their natural habitat, like a snowy owl hunting his prey, while fishing enthusiasts can cast their lines in the wide open watersheds.
• When exploring the marshes and shoreline of Rockaway Community Park, it is easy to imagine a simpler time far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
• Once a resort for the well-heeled of New York, Rockaway Community Park is now an unspoiled getaway for all New Yorkers. 
• Basketball,
• Cricket fields
• dog-friendly areas
• hardball courts
• playgrounds
• tennis courts

🍄 Jamaica Bay and the Rockaways

• Jamaica Bay is an 18,000-acre wetland estuary surrounded by the Rockaway Peninsula to the South, Brooklyn to the West, and Queens to the East, and includes approximately 10,000 acres of parkland managed by the National Park Service and NYC Parks as an urban national park.
• Comprising an area almost equal to the size of Manhattan, the bay consists of numerous islands, a labyrinth of waterways, meadowlands, and two freshwater ponds.
• The wetlands provide a unique environment for both wildlife preservation and urban recreation.
• Enclosed by the Rockaway Peninsula and protected from the Atlantic Ocean, the region currently hosts over 325 species of birds, 50 species of butterflies, and 100 species of finfish.
• A favorite stop for migratory waterfowl, the area is an integral part of the larger, regional ecosystem.

🍄 Roy Wilkins Recreation Center • Roy Wilkens Pool • 177-01 Baisley Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11434 • (718) 276-4630

• Swimming info and Registration info age 1-1/2 to adults
  Registration for Learn to Swim is conducted through a free online lottery. Winners are chosen at random. You must have a valid email address to register.
• Cost: Participation is free with an NYC Parks Recreation Center Membership. All Learn to Swim participants, including children, adults, and the parents of toddlers, must be members of an NYC Parks recreation center. Memberships are free for kids and teens younger than 18 years old. 
• How to become a member , under age 18 is FREE, Age 18 - 24 is $25

🍄 Sorrentino Recreation Center 18-48 Canaga Avenue • 718.471.4818

• Media lab/fitness/fun/library/pool table/arts and crafts
• Classes follow 6-12 week increments
• Open 9am-10pm
• Membership needed
• Events/classes/Schedules

Parks nearby:

• Lanett Playground (0.43 miles)
• Grassmere Playground (0.45 miles)
• Beach 17 Playground (0.55 miles)
• Beach 9 Playground (0.58 miles)
• Rockaway Beach and Boardwalk (0.59 miles)

🍄 Gateway National Recreation Center Bldg 1 Fort Tilden, Far Rockaway, NY 11691

Many Places - One Park

• There are three geographic units: Sandy Hook, New Jersey; Jamaica Bay and Staten Island, New York City. 
• The NYC units include Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Fort Tilden, Riis Park in Queens, Floyd Bennett Field and Canarsie Pier in Brooklyn. 
• Staten Island has Great Kills Park, Miller Field and Fort Wadsworth. 
• These sites and others make up the 27,000 acres of Gateway, one national park.

There are no entrance fees for Gateway National Recreation Area. But fees ARE charged for expanded amenities. That includes beachparking to access beach centers. So some of the activities mentioned here for kids may be in any one of those parks

• Jamaica Bay Junior Ranger Program This self-guided Junior Ranger program is now available year-round for children ages 7-12. Pick up a booklet at the Floyd Bennett Field Ranger Station and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. The booklet contains self-guided activities at Floyd Bennett Field, Fort Tilden, Jacob Riis Park, and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. After completing one section, children will receive the Junior Ranger Badge, and a certificate for that site. Then, they will receive a certificate for completing the next two sites. Finally, upon completion of all four sections of the booklet, children receive the Jamaica Bay Junior Ranger Patch! For more information call 718-338-3799 or 718-318-4340. Download Jamaica Bay Junior Ranger Program
• Kids And Youth Park Online Fun Games / Artwork can be displayed / Be a webRanger
• Field Trips for Kids
• Youth Camping , also HERE
• Jamaica Bay Kayake Trail
•  A slew of activities for grown ups AND kids in Jamaica Bay are listed HERE
•  Get US Annual Parks pass here | FREE for all 4th GRaders! Jamaica Bay Unit: Floyd Bennett Field Visitor Contact Station (Brooklyn), 718-338-3799; Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center (Queens), 718-318-4340. FEES
• Beach parking fees at Jacob Riis Park, Queens: For most vehicles, beach parking is $10 per day or $65 per season. For oversized vehicles (more than 20 feet), charge is $20 per day or $135 per season. Hours of collection are 7 A.M. to 5 P.M. IA Military Pass holders along with their families and IA EKIP Fourth Grade Pass holders along with their families will receive free beach parking.
• Permits and Reservations

• Program info: “Be a Good Egg” is an outreach, education, and social marketing initiative that is implemented by Audubon staff, chapters, volunteers, and other conservation partners. The program strives to reduce human disturbance threats to beach-nesting birds like the Piping Plover, Least Tern, and American Oystercatcher, which nest directly on the sand. Many of our shorebird and seabird populations are federally and/or state listed or are of conservation concern. These birds depend on our New York beaches to safely nest, rest, forage, and raise their young without the threat of disturbance.
  • Volunteers help conduct on-the-beach public outreach events and encourage people to “share the shore” with birds while visiting the beach. After teaching beach-goers about the local bird species, staff and volunteers ask beach-goers to sign the “Be a Good Egg” pledge to: 1) respect fenced-off nesting areas; 2) keep the beach clean by properly disposing of or carrying out trash; and, 3) keep dogs off of nesting beaches or on a leash if allowed. By protecting beach-nesting birds and their habitats, we’re also protecting other wildlife and sensitive beach ecosystems.
    • Audubon New York, a state office of the National Audubon Society, coordinates the program in New York and hosts outreach events in Nassau County and western Suffolk County. In the Rockaways, the New York City Audubon Society works with the Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity to implement Be a Good Egg outreach. Volunteers are essential to the success of this program! Adults and high school students with an interest in conservation, a positive attitude, and a willingness to talk with people on the beach are encouraged to sign up to volunteer. No prior experience or bird knowledge is necessary; volunteers will be trained in beach-nesting bird biology and identification and public engagement techniques.
    • To learn more about the “Be a Good Egg” program in New York, visit ny.audubon.org or email NYcoast@audubon.org. For more info or to sign up to volunteer with “Be a Good Egg” in the Rockaways, please emai NYcoast@audoban.org or info@nycaudubon.org

  
  

  • Gateway National Recreation Area is proposing to increase parking fees in Riis. These parking rates would go into effect for the summer of 2021. This would be Gateway’s first increase since 2012.
  Proposed 2021 Fees at Riis Beach:
  $20 per day
  $100 per season
  $50 per oversize car per day
  $200 per oversize car per season
  
  Visitors with Senior or Access Passes would be charged half price for parking, as they are currently.
  
  “We are committed to keeping the park affordable but also want to provide visitors with the best possible experience,” said Gateway Superintendent Jen Nersesian. “The money from the parking fees will help improve our visitor facilities and services.”
  
  Non-beach services, such as access to Floyd Bennett Field, Canarsie Pier, and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, will remain free.
  
  Our public engagement period on the proposed fee increase is open through Oct. 16, 2020.
  
  Gateway invites you to submit written suggestions, comments and concerns online at Gateway_Feedback@nps.gov.
  

🍄 Michaelis-Bayswater Park 701 Bay 32nd St, Far Rockaway, NY 11691
Dwight Ave, Seagirt Blvd bet Beach 38th St and Bay 32nd st • (212) 639-9675 • closes 9pm

• Barbecuing
• basketball courts
• dog-friendly area
• canoe and kayak launch sites
• tennis courts / playgrounds
• handball courts
• baseball fields
• bathrooms 
• spray showers

🍄 Rockaway Community Park Conch Pl. and Edgemere Park Rd, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 •  in Jamaica Bay

• Great for wildlife and nature lovers, exotic birds, marshes, unspoiled getaway
• Basketball courts
• Cricket Fields
• Handball Courts
• Tennis Courts
• Dog-Friendly Areas
• Playgrounds

🍄 Skate Parks

Far Rockaway Skate Park Beach 11th Street off Seagirt Blvd, near the Rockaway Beach Promenade, Far Rockaway, NY 11691
(718) 318-4000 • open till 9pm

• concrete and smooth metal
• scooters and inline skates
• Requirements to follow and signed release for under age 18: HERE

ALSO: Shore Front Parkway at 91st Street (just off the boardwalk) Clipmode Park

Rockaway Beach Skate Park Beach 92nd Street entrance (was reopened Aug 21, 2020 )

🍄 Baseball

Fort Tilden Baseball Fields Murray Rd, Breezy Point, NY 11697

• Sports complex with multiple baseball and softball fields, food truck, bathrooms
• Free baseball instruction is offered in the spring. Privately-run recreation leagues abound for different professional and community groups.

🍄 Playgrounds by the Beach: All Wheelchair Accessible (check website for which has accessible swings etc)

• Beach 30th Street Playground Boardwalk between Beach 29th and Beach 30th Streets
  1-09 Beach 30th St, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 • closes 9pm
• Beach 59th Street Playground Boardwalk and Beach 59-60 Sts
• Beach 17th Street Playground BEACH 17 ST and SEAGIRT BLVD
• Beach 9th Street Playground B 9 Street, North of the Boardwalk
• Hockey Rink B 109 ST and SHORE FRONT PKWY
• Rockaway Playground - M B 84 ST and SHORE FRONT PKWY
• Rockaway Playground - N B 82 ST and SHORE FRONT PKWY
• Rockaway Beach Playground SHOREFRONT PARKWAY AND BEACH 73 ST
• Sandpiper Playground Shore Front Pkwy and 107th

see pics on facebook here

🍄 Playgrounds and Schoolyards and Facilities

👟 Redfern Playground Beach 12th St. and, Redfern Ave, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 • (212) 639-9675

• Baseball Fields
• Bathrooms
• Basket Ball Courts
• Handball Courts
• Playground
• Jenn Swing
• Accessible

Other Parks Nearby

• Westbourne Playground (0.82 miles)
• Lanett Playground (0.86 miles)
• Grassmere Playground (0.97 miles)
• Jamaica Bay Park (1.01 miles)
• Beach 9 Playground (1.10 miles)

👟 Lanett Playground 1-8 Lanett Ave, Far Rockaway, NY 11691 • (212) 639-9675

• Playground
• Handball Court
• Bathrooms

👟 Grassmere Playground Grassmere Terrace, Far Rockaway, NY 11691

• Playground
• Handball Courts

👟 Westbourne Playground 26-01 Mott Ave, Far Rockaway, NY 11691
Mott Ave., Westbourne Ave. bet. Bay 28 St. and Bay 25 St. • (212) 639-9675

• Bathrooms
• Playgrounds
• Handball Courts
• Spray Showers

👟 Seagirt Boulevard Community Garden 30-03 Seagirt Blvd, Far Rockaway, NY 11691

• Gardening for community.
• Also picnic area and barbecue area
• Also called Clipmode Park

Questions? >>> Recreation and Parks Department
Inwood Park Bayview Ave, Inwood, NY 11096 • (516) 571-7894

Rockaway Community Parks & Recreation 8601 Shore Front Pkwy, Far Rockaway, NY 11693 • (718) 318-4000

More Things to do click here

updated Sept 12th, 2020

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Macaroni Kid Five Towns-Valley Stream-The Rockaways serving Hewlett, Woodmere, Inwood, Cedarhurst, Lawrence (The Five Towns), Valley Stream, Malverne, Rosedale, Far Rockaway, Atlantic Beach, The Rockaways.