Parks and Playgrounds

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.

Many New Yorkers associate City Island with summertime (that is, if they even know about it).  Afterall, the main cuisine offered is seafood, there are panoramic water views, and sailboats galore.  However, we find the best time to visit City Island is a) anytime but a Friday or Saturday night (lunchtime is fine) and b) off-season!  Therefore we're recommending it as a perfect Columbus Day weekend daytrip. 

A beach probably isn't the first thing that pops into most people's heads when they think of the Boogiedown Bronx... but Orchard Beach, which is part of Pelham Bay Park and weighs in at 115 acres, provides an invigorating beach getaway each weekend for thousands of NYC residents.

This Sunday is Father's Day and so it's time to celebrate dads.  All year long Dads take the kids to kid-centric weekend activities. For Father's Day Weekend let there be no kiddie music or bouncie castles. This weekend treat dad to some fun family activities that he will enjoy as much as the kids will. There's a sports carnival, family field day, hip hop family festival, baseball games, great music and much more. And most of it is completely free!

Top events for Father Day Weekend in New York City

Every single event in this post is free (not even one pay-as-you wish!). Not that there aren't cool events worth paying for this weekend, but there's just so much goodness going on for absolutely free, why pay: Giant BBQs, monster art festivals, science fairs (and not the 5th grade kind) and tons of free music, food, shows and so much more. Isn't summer in the city great?

Experience random acts of fun at the Come Out and Play Festival, a free New York City street game festival running from June 12-14. This event turns the city into a giant playground, with everything from a photo hunt to a jump roping contest. It's not about winning, but about rediscovering the city through play and play through the city. Although Come Out and Play isn't just for kids, there's lots of fun family friendly games that kids will enjoy as much as you will.

Here are some games from the Come Out and Play Festival that are fun for kids: 

There are no gimmicks and the only attractions are the plants, but that doesn't mean a day at a garden is a snore for kids. We took the kids to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and had a day packed with excitement, discovery, beauty and fun. So if you are sick of the same old kid-centric attractions, skip the toddler crowds and try something a little different.

Yes, a garden can be a great destination for a visit with kids. The trick is knowing how to approach it. Here are highlights of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden that will make visiting the gardens with kids more fun:

With the panic of Swine Flu receding, we can go back to our regularly scheduled anxieties, like whether the quality of life for families in New York City is going to suck as the economy declines. With overcrowded schools, family-friendly businesses closing left and right, and the costs of everything from metrocards to taxes going up while salaries and savings disappear, is the recent age of New York's family-friendliness going to disappear also? On the plus side, news about some new playgrounds, and a new law that will hopefully help reduce air pollution. And on the side-lines, furor over a Consumer Reports finding that some parents saw as an attack on attachment parenting.

It’s true that the Staten Island Zoo isn’t the most extravagant and is the Bronx Zoo’s smaller cousin, but its still has a whole lot to offer and is a great place for kids to really hang out with animals.

In 2007, a newly renovated Reptile Wing opened with an extensive collection of reptiles and amphibians, and a “Fear Zone” that teaches visitors the truth, and talks about the myths behind venomous creatures. It really is a lot of fun and teaches kids respect for these animals, instead of fear.

Staten Island, though perhaps infamously known for the dump (which is currently being turned into a mega-playground), is actually the “borough of parks.” Since Central Park is a bit of trek for locals, they can be found riding bikes, feeding the ducks and rowing boats in one of many of the island’s green playgrounds. Here’s a look at some that are definitely worth the free ferry ride over.