We usher in autumn with the start of school and the uncorking of champagne (just us?), but it's also a time to take part in such annual traditions as apple picking, pumpkin picking, and Halloween celebrations. It also gives Westchester families one last opportunity to visit certain outdoor spots before they close up shop for the winter.

We’ve gathered up our favorite things to do with preschoolers this fall in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. For more options, check out  our Event Calendar—and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletters and follow us on Facebook.

If you have little kids (or even big ones), you've undoubtedly been hit with the unicorn trend. Whether it's selfiies with rainbow sprinkles or a different sort of birthday treat, kids' appetite for rainbow-colored, glitter-filled edibles shows no sign of fading. Here are 10 places in LA where you can enjoy some unexpected silly, sparkly, edible treats in every color of the rainbow. 

Come September, New England’s most beloved season marks the start of those autumnal traditions we all live for here in Connecticut. Apple picking is a family favorite fall activity for so many and lucky for us, Connecticut has dozens of wonderful apple picking orchards and farms and some are more toddler friendly than others. In Fairfield County, you have only a small selection to choose from, which may be why all of the orchards get busy on the weekends. We suggest heading out first thing in the morning to beat the crowds on the weekends. We've included a few of our favorites for younger children, including a few in case you're up for venturing outside of Fairfield County. And. for even more orchards, be sure to check out our Apple and Pumpkin Picking Guide. 

Fall is an amazing time to be in Connecticut, with wonderful fairs and festivals nearly every weekend, celebrating the many aspects of Nutmeg life, from apples to pumpkins and beyond. Most of these have free admission, but charge small fees for specific rides or activities so you'll want to confirm that before heading out. Check out our complete Fall Fun Guide too for more ideas on how to enjoy the season!

Big news for tweens (and their parents!): IDNYC, the municipal identification card, which comes with a ton of family-friendly benefits, has lowered its minimum age for eligibility to 10 years old. This means middle schoolers are now eligible for the FREE ID.

When the IDNYC program was Initially launched in 2015, the minimum eligible age was 14. Read on for more details on the application process, and the reasons why you should book your tween's appointment now.

There’s no better way to usher in the harvest season than with a fall festival. With tons of events happening in the Houston area over the next few months, the opportunities for enjoying cooler temperatures (okay, that may be a bit ambitious for October) and good, old-fashioned family fun are endless. Here’s our roundup of fairs and festivals taking place this autumn. 

Storytimes are great FREE—or super low-cost—kid activities that can often provide the incentive families need to get out of the house on those rainy, cold, or snowy days when cabin fever is likely to set in. Hosted throughout NYC at libraries, bookstores, museums, and other fun places, most of these baby and kid reading sessions don't require reservations, making it easy to just drop in. Plus, many of these storytimes incorporate arts and crafts projects, so story hour can easily turn into a full morning or afternoon of fun.

Read on for our most up-to-date list of storytimes for fall and winter 2018 in Manhattan. Also, be sure to check our list of NYC's best independent bookstores for kids for more reading inspiration, and if you're in the boroughs, we've also written about storytimes in Brooklyn and in Queens.