Baby Registry Must-Haves: Your Guide to the Best Tried and Tested Products

Submitted by Meghan Rose on

If you only put one chew toy on your registry, it should be Sophie the Giraffe. Photo courtesy of the Vulli Store on Amazon

Putting together a baby registry? We pooled a whole lot of parenting expertise to put together the ultimate baby registry list!

This baby registry must-have list includes everything, from car seats and strollers to mobiles and snot-suckers. We've got recommendations for a range of items that all the moms and dads at Mommy Poppins have really put to the test—and we’ve included a range of price points. We also point out which products you’ll use multiple times a day and which are fun extras. And finally, we’ve got some unique and surprising ideas that you don’t even know you need!

Read on to get the scoop on just which products belong on your baby registry. For more baby recommendations and expert advice, from where to babymoon to all about baby developmental milestones, check out our Baby and Maternity Guide.

Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend Things To Do in Connecticut: Pumpkin Trains, Scarecrows, and More!

Submitted by Ally Noel on

Head to the fair for family fun this Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend in Connecticut! Photo courtesy of the Riverton Fair

Looking for the best things to do this Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend in Connecticut? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

Whether your town celebrates Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day, there's fun to be had! Connecticut is brimming with autumn activities and Halloween things to do this weekend. This season's last county fair and a walk through the scarecrows for great family activities. There are also chances to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day in Mystic and South Windsor.

Don’t miss our full list of fall festivals and fairs in Connecticut. Find the best Halloween events, or visit a drive-thru with pumpkins, lights, and spooky activities. 

Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend 2023, Things To Do in Boston: Pumpkin People, Berkshire Harvest Festival, and HONK!

Submitted by N Ferreira on

The fall is getting festive with family fun this Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend 2023 in Boston! Photo courtesy of the Berkshire Harvest Festival

Looking for the best things to do in Boston this Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities in the area to add to your list for this weekend.

It's Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend in Boston! There are fun family activities for everyone in and around the city. (You may find the holiday is still called Columbus Day in some communities.) Celebrate indigenous culture with a visit to the MFA or the Reflection Room at the Discovery Museums. Your STEM-loving kids will enjoy Harvard's dinosaur exhibit on National Fossil Day in Cambridge. Young artists will flock to Concord's Art Ramble, while little musicians can explore the HONK! festival in Somerville. 

Columbus Day Weekend in Westchester and the Hudson Valley: Best Things To Do

Submitted by Katherine Dhurandhar on

The Pine Island Pumpkinfest is a Columbus Day tradition. Photo courtesy of Pine Island Chamber of Commerce

Looking for the best things to do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley over the long Columbus Day weekend? We've got tons of family-friendly events to add to your list.

Whether you call the holiday Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day, we're celebrating the day off on Monday, October 9, with tons of fun things to do. The long weekend makes a great jumping-off point for Halloween celebrations, beginning with the G-rated Headless Horseman Haunted Children's Day on Saturday.

Families can enjoy the festivities all weekend, including Monday, at Bear Mountain's Oktoberfest, Wappingers' Carni"fall", and the Eastchester Columbus Day Carnival and Parade. In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, learn about some of the original inhabitants of the Westchester area at a Lenape Indigenous Peoples Day presentation at the historic St. Paul's Church.  

We've got tons more seasonal picks on our list of the best Halloween events in Westchester and the Hudson Valley, and you can find more things to do any day on our Family Activity Calendar.

Free in October: 60 Things To Do in NYC with Kids

Drew Kristofik's picture Submitted by Drew Kristofik on

Brooklyn Bridge Park's Harvest Festival returns for another seasonal celebration. Photo courtesy of the event

October is bubbling over with bushels of free things to do in NYC. In addition to our huge, spooky pile of free Halloween activities, we've found tons of cost-free fun happening in NYC this month, from St. John the Divine's heavenly Blessing of the Animals to Indigneous People Day celebrations, Diwali's big Do in Times Square, Open House New York, and the return of Bryant Park's Winter Village. And then Canstruction starts building anticipation for Thanksgiving!

Read on for 60 free things to do in New York City this October, including events in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx. Find more top events on our best-of-October list. Of course, our Guide to Fall Activities and New York City Halloween Guide have all the seasonal must-do's.

Halloween Scavenger Hunt Ideas for Kids, Plus Free Printables!

Submitted by Shari Simpson on

A Halloween scavenger hunt is the perfect kids' activity for fall. Photo by Monserta Production via Pexels

Looking for some fun Halloween games for kids? Try a Halloween scavenger hunt!

A Halloween scavenger hunt allows kids to use their sugared-up brains to solve clues, read maps, decipher riddles, and build team friendships. Whether you’re looking for super-duper simple or next-level complex, we’ve got Halloween scavenger hunt ideas that will engage all ages, from kids who aren’t even reading yet to those “everything is so boring” teenagers.

And scavenger hunts aren’t just for this spooky time of year. Check out our list of indoor and outdoor scavenger hunt ideas for kids, which has more tips on planning, clue-creating, and setting rules.

Find even more Halloween games for kids in our Halloween Activities Guide for Families, which includes our list of fun at-home Halloween party games.

Free in October: 63 Things To Do in New Jersey with Kids

Submitted by Laurie Rein on

The Ridgefield Park Downtown Street Fair has lots to see and do, including music, food, games, and rides. Photo courtesy of JC Promotions

No tricks here, just treats: We've rounded up dozens of FREE events for NJ kids and families in October. Save your money for candy and costumes, and load up on dozens of no-cost events every day of the month. Food, crafts, and fall fun are on tap at harvest festivals, including the Dunellen HarvestFest and Hoboken Harvest Festival, plus community fairs like Maplewood and Seton Hall Weekend.

October comes to a close with the main event of the season: Halloween. Throw on those costumes and head over to FREE celebrations, including trunk-or-treats in Wildwood and Dover and annual favorites like Cape May's Boo at the Zoo.

Read on for this month's gratis picks! For more FREE and low-cost fun, check out Free Halloween Events in New Jersey our Family Activity Calendar, as well as our Fall Fun Guide for New Jersey Kids and Halloween Events and Guide for NJ Kids.

Guide to Pumpkin Nights, the Bronx Zoo's Halloween Jack-O'-Lantern Trail

Jody Mercier's picture Submitted by Jody Mercier on

From aardvarks to bush babies, gorillas, and more, the Bronx Zoo's Pumpkin Nights lets you see wildlife in a whole new light.

The spooky season has officially arrived in NYC, bringing with it Pumpkin Nights, an all-new, walk-thru, Halloween jack-o'-lantern trail at the Bronx Zoo.

More sweet than spooky, here's the scoop on the 1/2-mile Halloween attraction, which landed on our list of the best Halloween events in NYC for kids. You'll find more seasonal tricks and treats in our New York City Kids' Guide to Halloween.

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