Saturday afternoon is Family Fun Day at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville. There will be games, gymnastics, face painting, story time, crafts and a children's concert by Darlene Graham at 2:15. It's all free.

Another free event that's definitely worth your time is the Thank Our Troops event at the Family Service League in Bay Shore. Children five and older are invited to come and create thank you cards that will be sent to soldiers on active duty around the world. The event runs from 11:00 a.m. to noon and registration is required. Call (631) 647-3100 ext. 452 for more information.

Best Bargain Books in Centereach is celebrating Dinosaur Week with daily showings of the Jurassic Park movies and prehistoric story time on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Juice and snacks will be served. They're located in the Wall-Mart parking lot on route 25.

Sunday afternoon brings the Collectible Toy Sale and Competition to the Patchogue Manor. The exhibition with toy and doll dealers will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the dolls that have been entered into competition will be on display from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission for adults is $5.00, children under 14 are free.

If trains are more popular than dolls in your house, there are lots of places to check out model trains this weekend. The Wrong Island Railroad in Ronkonkoma has its huge display of Lionel trains open to the public on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. Admission is $4.00 for adults and $3.00 for children under 12. The nearby Central Operating Lines, Ltd. Model Railroad Club features an o-gauge train layout that is open to the public from noon to 5:00 p.m. and admission there is free. Finally, the Great South Bay Model Railroad Club is presenting their Winter Model Train Show and Exhibition on Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the at the Freeport Recreation Center. Admission to the show is $5.00, children under 12 are free.

If you're ready to head outside and brave the cold weather, this is the right time of year to do some seal watching on Long Island's beaches and harbors. The Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center at Jones Beach is featuring weekly seal walks where kids can learn about seals before setting out onto the beach to view some in the wild. This is a very popular program so reservations are required. Call (516) 679-7254 for more information. The Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island leads seal walks every weekend at Cupsogue Beach County Park. Again, this is a very popular program that fills up quickly, so making advance reservations is essential. In fact, they're already booked for this weekend, so check their website for future date availability. On Sunday afternoon in Montauk, there is a beach walk where up to four species of seals may be seen. The guide leaves the concession at Montauk Point at noon, admission is $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. If you'd rather take a boat ride than a walk on the beach, the Captain Lou Fleet in Freeport has a seal viewing cruise that boards at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $24.00, $19.00 for children over three.

Seals aren't the only animals that make their winter home on Long Island, and at the Nissequogue River State Park there is a nature walk on Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to view how some of the wildlife in the park are adapting to the cold weather. The Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown is running a similar program on Sunday from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. that includes games and crafts. Finally, if reading about all these activities has you raring to go, you can head out to Robert Moses State Park first thing on Saturday morning (9:00 a.m.) for the Lightkeeper's Tour. Visitors can follow the lightkeeper as he makes his daily rounds. The cost is $15 per person and registration is required, (631) 661-4876.