Extreme Sports and More Thrilling Activities for Kids on Long Island

Zip through the air at WildPlay at Jones Beach. Courtesy WildPlay
Zip through the air at WildPlay at Jones Beach. Courtesy WildPlay
8/11/23 - By Jaime Sumersille

Extreme sports aficionados on Long Island don't have to go far to get their adventure on, because both Suffolk and Nassau counties offer plenty of businesses catering to thrill-seeking kids.  

Want to go for a spin? Long Island go-kart tracks put kids in the driver’s seat, while ropes courses and axe-throwing venues provide an enduring adrenaline rush. However your child prefers to get his or her adventure fix, you'll probably find it on Long Island. So ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. 

In the meantime, check out our Long Island Guide to Play Spaces and Fun Zones. If your kids prefer to pedal, our guide to Long Island biking trails offers great rides in Nassau, Suffolk, and the East End.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Be advised: Some destinations have minimum height requirements; click through for those and other safety requirements. 

Tiki Action Park: RPM Raceway Farmingdale
Enjoy the thrill of the chase at RPM Raceway in Farmingdale. Photo courtesy of RPM Raceway

Go-Kart Racing Courses on Long Island

1. Country Fair Entertainment Park — Medford

Up to 25 racers per heat can compete on this course. Families can also enjoy two mini-golf courses, batting cages, a driving range, and a sheltered picnic area. Height requirements: 60 inches for drivers (55 inches for rookie cars); those under 55 inches can ride with a licensed adult.

2. RPM Raceway — Farmingdale

Up to 10 child and adult drivers can compete in side-by-side racing on two separate, quarter-mile tracks. Races last about 10 minutes. The facility also features an arcade, pool tables, and a race simulator. Annual memberships are available. Five party rooms are available for rent. NOTE: Kids must be at least 6 years old and 4 feet tall to race junior go-karts. To race on the adult karts, kids must be at least 4 feet 10 inches tall. Virtual reality games and race simulators add to the fun. 

RELATED: Bounce Houses and Trampoline Parks for LI Kids 

Extreme Sports and More Thrilling Activities for Kids on Long Island:: Tiki Action Park
Race around the go-kart track at Tiki Action Park for an adrenaline rush. Photo courtesy of Tiki Action Park

3. Tiki Action Park — Centereach

This outdoor track offers single and double go-karts (58-inch minimum height requirement for drivers, 40-inch minimum height requirement for passengers). Racers can get 30- or 60-minute unlimited passes. Weather permitting, Tiki Action Park is open from March to early December.

RELATEDTweens & Teens Guide to Long Island

Extreme Sports and More Thrilling Activities for Kids on Long Island:: Urban Air Adventure Parks
Challenge yourself to a ninja obstacle course at Urban Air Adventure Park. Photo courtesy of the park

Aerial Adventures for Kids on Long Island

4. Urban Air Adventure Parks — Dix Hills, Lake Grove

The indoor adventure franchise opened its second Long Island destination in May 2023. Like the established center in Lake Grove, the new Dix Hills destination features attractions such as Sky Rider, an indoor zip line-style ride; a ropes course, trampolines, a tumble track, and more. Birthday parties and group events are available at both venues.   

RELATEDAwesome Amusement Parks on Long Island for Families

Extreme Sports and More Thrilling Activities for Kids on Long Island: Axe & Smash.
Experience the thrill of throwing an axe at a wooden target at Axe & Smash. Photo by the author

Axe-Throwing Destinations on Long Island for Family Fun

5. Axe Kicking Entertainment — Mineola

Newcomers to axe tossing are taught by experts at this standalone venue near Roosevelt Field Mall. Enjoy simple target tossing or graduate to more sophisticated games, including plate smashing and human foosball. There is also a family-friendly archery game that uses arrows with safety tips.   

6. Axe and Smash — Mattituck

Children 12 and younger can enjoy axe tossing at this new North Fork destination, although children younger than 15 must be accompanied by an adult. Finger food is available from Lucharito’s, a well-established Mexican food franchise on the North Fork that has a site next door.   

7. NY Axe Throwing — Farmingdale, Selden

Groups of up to 24 players can enjoy axe tossing at either venue. The sites also host birthday parties and fundraisers. Children as young as 11 can participate; safe archery is also available at both sites.

8. Q-Zar — Carle Place

This well-established Nassau County adventure sports destination recently added a four-lane axe-tossing area that it calls Q-Axe. Children must be at least 12 to participate in axe tossing; ages 12-17 require an adult to be present and participate.    

Zip Lines and Ropes Courses for Kids on Long Island

9. The Adventure Park — Wheatley Heights

Kids 3 and older will find plenty of fun at the Adventure Park, located in western Suffolk County. Enjoy 49 ziplines, 14 treetop trails, and more than 200 platforms connected by a series of bridges and ladders. Guests must be at least 7 years old to play on the trails, but kids 3-6 will delight in the Adventure Playground.

10. WildPlay at Jones Beach — Jones Beach State Park, Wantagh

WildPlay quickly became one of our favorite beachside attractions when it opened at Jones Beach in 2019. Kids can enjoy several obstacle courses loaded with ladders, bridges, and tunnels, as well as a 40-foot harnessed tower fall. The signature zip line, which travels 700 feet over the beach, offers breathtaking views of Long Island’s most popular state park.

This post was originally published in 2016 and was updated in August 2023. 

Places featured in this article: