Is there a reason for why every Halloween movie is set in New England? YES! Because Halloween in New England is AWESOME!

With its creaky floorboards, leaning gravestones and dank forests, what better place to enjoy the absolute BEST holiday of the year? From the thrill of corn mazes to the terror of haunted houses, there is NO better place in the world than autumn right here! So I say: let's start celebrating starting RIGHT NOW with one of these over-the-top Halloween excursions that take the world's greatest holiday to the next level. For even MORE fun in the autumn sun, check out our complete Halloween and Fall Fun Guide.

Want to thrill your kid or wow an out-of-towner? The New England Aquarium, just maybe the crown jewel of our many awesome downtown attractions, seems to produce more oohs and aahs than just about any other tourist spot in town. That may be because its regular highlights are living creatures who age, change, and shift positions depending on the day; or perhaps because the scientists there are regularly adding new, interesting species into the mix. Case in point: the new, exceedingly rare yellow American Lobster, whose arrival makes for a seasonally appropriate cornucopia of crustaceans in the suddenly colorful Northern Waters Gallery on the Aquariums third floor.

As the air has started to cool, the humidity has lifted, leaves are changing colors, and we are surrounded everywhere by the flavors of pumpkin spice, fall is certainly in full swing. There's plenty for Philly preschoolers to do from fall festivals to apple picking, corn mazes, and Halloween fun. Pick your perfect pumpkin, take a scenic train ride, or enjoy some fall-themed treats. Whether your child enjoys ghosts and ghouls, gentle haunts, or a not-so-scary Halloween, you're sure to find something to please everyone in your family. We've rounded up some of our favorite fall-themed fun specifically for preschoolers.

Connecticut is many things to many people. For some, the amazing local food scene whets the appetite and keeps them coming back for more. Others like to get out in nature on one of our states many trails. But if you're someone who just loves to while away an afternoon taking in great works of art, and maybe you're thinking it's time to get the kids involved, too, have I got news for you. The Connecticut Art Trail not only houses some of the most spectacular treasures but with the new and improved Connecticut Art Trail Passport it is also right at your fingertips.

At the northern tip of Hartford County, you'll find a pastoral oasis: the towns of Granby, East Granby, West Granby and North Granby. Their rolling hills and dense woods make for some of the best hiking in the county, and an abundance of farms offer exciting and delicious experiences for children of all ages. Whenever my family craves a break from city noise and concrete buildings, we head to one of the Granby towns where tranquility and open vistas await, Spring, Summer, or Fall! Without further ado and in no particular order, here are our top 10 favorite stops in the area:

Come September, a kaleidoscope of colors begin to creep across the Connecticut hills, sweeping from the North down into valleys that shelter russet-red barns and milky white farmhouses, steepled churches and tidy village greens. Ah, Fall in New England. Give us all of the autumnal traditions from country fairs and harvest festivals to pumpkin carving contests to farm stands piled high with the season’s fresh bounty. This season, we are visiting some of our very favorite places to savor the brilliant hues, roadside farms and centuries-old cider mills, like B.F. Clyde’s in Mystic.

In Texas, our weather is anything but predictable. Rainy one day and scorching hot the next seems to be quite the trend for much of the year. And then, there are those random winter days where it's just too cold for many of us Southerners to venture outdoors unless we absolutely have to! When you have restless kids stuck in your house for too long and it's too hot, too cold, too rainy, or too anything else to play on one of the many playgrounds in the Houston area, indoor play places become the perfect refuge. With several brightly colored play scapes, kid-friendly music, and play areas zoned for specific age groups, Houston Party Playland in southeast Houston is one of our absolute favorite indoor play spaces. 

Call me a crazy New Englander, but this time of year is what I live for. I love slipping on a pair of boots, some fleece, perhaps a scarf if there's a nip in the air, and loading up the family into our SUV, with a destination in mind...a local fair. Fair season ranks up there with premieres of favorite new television shows, the first snow of the year, or that first, warmish spring day when you can begin to taste summer. It's a rite of seasonal passage, spending too much money on fried dough and games you'll never win, riding the ferris wheel and stopping at the top with an unencumbered view of the entire midway and beyond. It's delightful. Eastern Connecticut has a many opportunities to savor the Fall season, so take advantage of as many as you can!