Outdoor Activities

Halloween is going commercial. It seems like every place I go and everyone I know is offering a Halloween version of what they do. The museums, the parks, the playspaces: everyone is doing Halloween events right now. With more options than ever before, I set out to find some of the coolest and most unique Halloween activities on Long Island that would be worth a trip from the city or beyond. Some of these sell out so order your tickets soon:

This city is literally packed with FREE Halloween activities. In fact there are so many great things to do on October 31st you may need a magic eight ball to decide where to go. Luckily your kids will be so hopped up on candy they will have the energy to take in several events in one day.

We've rounded up just the cream of the candy corn: 25 free Halloween events for kids in New York City that we're thrilled about. Keep reading to find out where and when you can see stilt-walkers, hop on hay rides, visit haunted houses, dance your way through the post trick-or-treat sugar comma and get the whole family dressed up, even the dog.

There is a perfect pick your own pumpkin farm for everyone in New Jersey! If you are looking for a full day of pumpkin picking adventures for preschoolers, a pick your own pumpkin patch that won't bore your 10 year old, or just a quiet old fashioned farm without all the gimmicks, you can find it all in Northern NJ.

Last week we let you in on the best museum memberships for families, and now we're exploring more of New York City's great institutions--gardens and zoos. Learn about membership options, what perks and extras are offered, and everything else you need to know to figure out if it's worth it for you and your family. 

Halloween is around the corner. Time to hop in the Zipcar and head out for some pumpkin picking, farm fun, Fall festivals and corn mazes. Here’s a list of some of the best pumpkin picking farms on Long Island, each with their own special reasons that they're worth the trip.

All Aboard!  Your train loving kid will flip over these trains--eight miles of miniature railway track, old fashioned train trips, a ride through the Allaire State Park and kid sized trains in parks.  Put away the that Thomas video and check out the real deal--bring your child (and your inner child) to the trains of New Jersey.

Many people want to know where you can pick your own organic apples near NYC. I've asked the farmers about this and they say that in our climate it's very hard to farm apples organically and nobody really does it. Instead what you'll find is farms that use low-spray or sustainable farming practices.

While apples are one of the foods that are recommended that we eat organic because of the high amounts of pesticides and fungicides generally used, if you can't get organic local apples, at least know that picking your own apples or buying local apples is much better for the environment than buying organic apples shipped in from distant climes and supports small local farmers.

Here are a couple of places where you can pick your own not-quite-organic apples in New York:

Labor Day Weekend is the official start of apple picking season. Starting this weekend and lasting through October, pack up the family and head to the apple orchards for an afternoon of grabbing apples straight from the source. And when you get home with those twenty pounds of apples (what was I thinking???), check out allaboutapples.com/cooking for recipes from apple leather to pork-and-apple pie with horseradish sauce. Just be sure to put an apple aside for the teacher!

I love summer streets. I wish every day was a summer street day. In fact I think they should permanently ban cars from one central avenue and the Financial District every day of the year. Seriously, even if you're making a gazillion dollars, you can walk three blocks to get into your limo to be driven home. I'm doing you a favor.

Off the soap box, back to the fun. Even though Summer Streets are only for a couple of days a year (today being the last one for this year), they are a great way to get kids out biking, scootering, or skating with no traffic to worry about. Finding a safe place for kids to bike can be a challenge in New York City where even the bike paths can be so crowded it gets a little hairy.

Although I've written about my favorite place to bike ride with kids in NYC before, summer streets is definitely a convenient and easy way to go if you catch one of the few dates. But luckily in addition to Summer Streets, there's also "weekend Walks" a program in all five boros closing streets off from cars to allow recreational activities. Hopefully this movement will continue to grow.

In the meantime here are a couple of tips to making Summer Streets safer and more fun with kids:

They don't call it The Garden State for nothing. New Jersey is a great place to go to pick your own summer fruit and veggies. Whether it is strawberries, peaches, or peas, you can find plenty of u-pick farms in New Jersey.  Picking your own produce is great thing to do, especially with kids. Not only does it help you eat locally with farm fresh produce, but it's important for kids to learn about where their food comes from and make that connection with the farm. Plus it's lots of fun.

The NJ picking season starts end of May for strawberries with other berries and peaches coming in season end of June through end of July and apples, pumpkins and other vegetables available through the Fall.  Here are some of our favorite farms close to New York City for picking your own fruits and vegetables. Click through to each u-pick farm to find out what they have ripe for u-pick now, plus hours and directions, but also call ahead before you go to make sure they aren't picked out.