Long Island events for teens and their parents, from painting to cooking classes

Finding a reason for teens to spend time with parents is a win for all when that reason involves activities they'll actually want to join in on. 

A number of programs, from bowling to art to cooking, at Long Island venues are designed exclusively with teens in mind — and they're formatted to encourage parents to tag along. 

Ravleen Sahansra, 14, of Hicksville, recently attended an art class with her mother at Painting With a Twist in Selden. The studio hosts paint classes designed for those under the age of 18 to try with their parents or guardians. "My mom and I are both artistic, and we wanted to try something together that we both like to do," she explains.

Here are four fun activities to try:

PAINTING WITH A TWIST

At Painting With A Twist studios, located in Baldwin and Selden, there are classes that offer fun, creative approaches to bonding. Many sessions are designed for those who are under 18 to bring a parent along.

Some duos will each paint half of a heart, then push their two canvases together to create a whole; others will paint their pets. Preety Sahansra, Ravleen's mom, selected a jellyfish painting. “My daughter is planning to become a marine biologist. When we saw the glow-in-the-dark jellyfish picture, we thought it would be exciting to paint something related to her future field,” she says.

In some cases, if a participant is a beginner, the instructor draws a light stencil sketch on his/her canvas before class begins, so painters won’t feel overwhelmed. The instructor creates a step-by-step version of the painting along with the class. 

Bertha Portalatin, owner of the Selden location says, “If you’re having a great time, that’s what counts.” Katherine Bove, Baldwin owner adds, “We always tell teens and parents it’s their masterpiece, their universe, their artistic vision.”

INFO: Painting With A Twist: 855 Merrick Ave., Baldwin; 516-401-8846; or 331 Middle Country Rd., Selden; 631-846-8660; paintingwithatwist.com; Baldwin base price: $37 per person (adult or teen) for two-hour class; Selden base price: $35 per person (adult or teen) for 90-minute class

THE COOK’S STUDIO

More than 30 interactive cooking classes are offered in one-day-workshop style. Parents and teen cooking partners will create popular foods ranging from pizza to steakhouse surf and turf, all made from scratch. Surprisingly, owner Victor J. McNaulty says, “If a parent and teen sign up for a class, the teen is almost always the one who loves to cook and brings the parent along.” Grandparents sign up with their “grand-teens” often as well, and sometimes families of four will cook together. 

"Parents and teens bond over trying to get it right," McNaulty adds.

Each two-hour workshop, from dumplings to dough, begins with a demo presented by the chef. If it’s a pizza class, the chef shows everyone how to create the dough, the sauce, and so on. Next, with all the ingredients set in front of them, each parent and teen team gives what they’ve learned a try. Instructors will step in if someone needs help. As the workshop ends, everyone chows down on their creations.

INFO: The Cook’s Studio: 10 Wall St., Huntington; 631-896-1315; or 156A Engineers Drive, Hicksville; 516-439-1355; thecooksstudio.com; price: $95 per person 

BOWLING LEAGUES

At Strike 10 Lanes (Deer Park) and Port Jeff Bowl (Port Jefferson), you can create or join a parent and teen bowling league. In both bowling alleys, the process is similar.

General manager/owner Lou Seda at Strike 10 Lanes recommends a of group of 10 parents and their teens gather in advance. “Everyone’s busy these days. Joining or creating a parent-teen bowling league is a great chance to set aside one day a week at a certain time to be with your teen," Seda says. Seda works with each league to set how often they'd get together and for how long their league would run.

INFO: Strike 10 Lanes Deer Park: 849 Long Island Ave., Deer Park; 631-667-7750; strike10lanesdeerpark.com; league base price: $12.50 per person includes 3 games and shoes

Port Jeff Bowl: 31 Chereb Lane, Port Jefferson; 631-473-3300; portjeffbowl.com; league base price: $15 per person includes 3 games and shoes. Contact Holly Zink, youth league coordinator to join.

SPA AND NAIL ART

At the Spa at Red Hots (Roslyn, Garden City), there are suites with two treatment chairs placed side by side. Moms and their teens often go together for facials, massages, to relax in the sauna, or try other spa treatments. As owner Josephine Noto describes it, “Adolescents like to do our clean teen facial, while the moms have a variety of choices.” Massages are also popular.

Noto adds, “Moms and daughters can do two treatments at once. For a mud wrap, we’ll apply the mud with brushes, then wrap them up in blankets like burritos. They can get a facial at the same time.”

Noto mentioned the suite is especially nice for a teen who is trying a facial or massage for the first time. It’s encouraging to know her mom is right beside her.

Tracey Madonia, 55, of West Islip, uses the suite when she’s there with her daughters. She says it’s a nice bonding experience, they’ll call it a spa day, and go out for lunch after.

The Nail Bar Lounge in Hauppauge is another hot spot for teens and moms to bond in an unusual way. Victoria Zegarelli, owner and lead artist, has been creating original nail art designs for more than 30 years. She describes the whole process with a smile: “Every two weeks, mom and teen daughter clients come in. I always create new nail art for them, but a teen daughter rarely wants her nails to look like her mom’s. So, the mom and daughter both get full nail art designs that are different from one another … It makes me happy to see I had something to do with creating those memories.”

INFO: The Spa at Red Hots: 1500 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn; 516-484-8267; or 45 7th St., Garden City; 516-663-7600; redhotsspa.com; base price massage: $105, base price facial: $115

Nail Bar Lounge: 586 Veterans Memorial Hwy., Hauppauge; victoriazegarelli.com; make appointment online, prices begin at $35