Five Things To Do Before Summer is Over

Summer is rapidly winding down. Stores are announcing back-to-school sales and sports physicals are underway for the fall sports season. Sure you've had a summer to-do list, but maybe the summer doldrums have taken hold.

As a parent, you might be dreading hearing another 'I'm bored' from your child.

Here's our list of five things to do locally to celebrate the end of summer with a bang.

*overnight at Blydenburgh County Park. Located on Veterans Highway, this 627-acre park has a camping section where Suffolk County residents can pitch a tent and spend a night for a small fee, depending on the night of the week. Why not dust off the tent, light a small camp fire and roast s`mores while telling ghost stories or reliving your favorite memories of this summer? It's an inexpensive outing that provides a change of scenery.

*and go fishing while at Blydenburgh County Park. Suffolk County Parks department rents row boats off Stump Pond for $10 an hour, plus a $10 deposit. Step onboard and push off the dock for a private picnic or load up on fishing gear to cast a line.The row boats also make an excellent fishing spot as the lake contains pumpkinseed, large mouth bass, perch and bluegills. Row boat rentals are only available through Labor Day.

*Jump off the diving board at These Town of Islip pools are open to both residents and non-residents through early September. Families can purchase to escape late August's heat and dive into the cool waters. Three pools cater to different ages and experience levels, featuring a kiddie pool, Olympic size swimming pool and diving pool.

*Hike the Long Island Greenbelt Trail through Islandia into Hauppauge. Lead your children outdoors to experience part of the 32-mile Long Island Greenbelt trail that runs from the Long Island Sound to the Great South Bay. A small portion of the trail cuts through Islandia and Nesconset into Hauppauge, traversing the local woodlands. An entrance to the trail can be found off Terry Road, south of the Long Island Expressway. Look for LIPA powerlines and a hiker's sign along the roadway. As the path crosses some local roadways, this activity may be more suitable for older children and adults. 

* Attend a free summer concert outdoors. There's still time to catch one of the performance at the various summer concert series being held in the Hauppauge and Nesconset area this summer. The Nesconset summer concert series wraps up with a family friendly comedy night on Aug. 16 at 7:30 p.m. The has two more free performances featuring Streetfighter, a Rolling Stones tribute band, on Aug. 18 followed by Beatles tribute band, Strawberry Fields, on Aug. 25.