The government may be shut down but we here at Mommy Poppins are still hard at work, especially with Halloween on the horizon. (Ah, if only we ran the world.) All of our sites published October Go Lists this week, so you can get a jump on the very best things to do throughout the month in NYC, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, Connecitcut and beyond. Most of our sites have jam-packed Halloween Guides, too, which we're in the process of updating. Just this week, we published posts about kid-friendly haunted houses in NYC and Westchester, haunted walks on Long Island, easy-to-make Halloween crafts and where to find costume swaps around the country. And we've got a frightening number of additional Halloween posts on the way.

Of course the biggest news around here is the official launch of our FREE Mommy Poppins App, which is available for download in the iTunes store. Now you can find the best places for kids to learn, create, shop, eat and play indoors and out while on the go in NYC. Don't have an iPhone? Don't worry: We plan to release a version for Android soon, plus we're also working on servicing the other regions our sites cover. So stay tuned.

Finally, this week's giveaway is sure to please young soccer buffs: five family four-packs to see a New York Cosmos home game plus Cosmos backpacks. The giveaway ends soon so enter now.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Once upon a time, charming bed and breakfasts, antique-filled inns and romantic boutique hotels held lots of vacation appeal. That was before you had kids. When you’re traveling with children, your needs change and choosing the right hotel is an important part of a successful family vacation. Parents want bigger rooms, convenient amenities, and a clear idea of what they can expect when they check-in, regardless of what city, town or country they are in.  The following hotel chains are all family-friendly, each with a specific strength that distinguishes them from the pack.  Here are our picks for the best hotel chains for family travelers.

The fall festival “season” is in full swing this weekend, and families can choose from the Topsfield Fair to the north to the Cranberry Festival to the south, plus the Franklin Park Fall Festival, the Boston Local Food Festival, and many others in between. Read on for details of these and other fun and free things to do this weekend, and be sure to visit our Events Calendar for even more happenings.

Also on Mommy Poppins Boston this week:

• Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere! Time to plan a day trip to one of our favorite New England pumpkin festivals
• A whole house-ful of super helpful tips from Carolyn Dalgliesh for getting your child – with or without sensory issues – organized at home
• Skip the Halloween superstore; try a costume swap instead
• Celeste has the scoop on International Baby Wearing Week - it’s almost here

Enjoy!

This weekend is filled with pumpkins, apples, and street art. Get a head start on all things Halloween by checking out the Pumpkin Fest in Yaphank. It's still apple picking season and there's a festival that celebrates the crisp red fruit in Amityville. Participate in a community art making celebration at the Westbury Street Fair. In the mood to learn about all things baby? Check out the Expecting Parents & Baby Expo at the Hilton Long Island. Also on tap: Portraits & Poetry: NCMA Celebrates Families at the Nassau County Museum of Art, and the Fall Festival at Sagtikos Manor. As always, check our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family.

There are many old and charming small towns in the great state of New Jersey. With memorable summer destinations, college towns and sleepy suburbs, the garden state represents small town USA from Sussex County down to Salem County. Here is our second installment in the ongoing series on Mommy Poppins New Jersey, Great Small Towns in NJ. Check out our first installment on Chester, NJ and let's hear it for wonderful small towns!

Hey, it's October. Are you ready for Halloween?  Yeah, me too.  Totes ready, with, um, all the pumpkins I need, like, I must have a dozen pumpkins already, and costumes, too. In fact, I have two dozen costumes. Admittedly, they're all in sizes way too small since my daughter grows like a weed.  But it oughta count for something, right?  I don't suppose you know anywhere I could trade a newborn banana costume for an adult  5T Sofia the First?

Of course, it's not all Halloween yet, not in a big cosmopolitan city like LA. There's plenty else going on. Like, we were thinking of hitting Knott's Berry Farm this weekend, where we can ride the rides and wear our costumes for the Camp Spooky Halloween celebration... Okay, there's that, but how about a really cool folk music festival... at a giant pumpkin patch. Well, surely the new exhibit opening at the Discovery Science Center is all sciency and academic and creepy crawly spidery...I give up. Trick or Treat.

Keep reading for some of our spookiest picks for the weekend…

October brings with it the start of the Halloween season and all month long there are parties, festivals, parades, and haunted houses all around Westchester. My family has already started figuring out our costumes but if you haven’t gotten that far, head out to Katonah on Saturday for a Costume Swap where you give a costume and get a costume. If you don’t have one to swap you can purchase one for only $5.

The Rivertowns are exploding with events that start this weekend like The Great Jack O Lantern Blaze and The Legend Behind the 'Legend'. Dobbs Ferry is shutting down its streets on Saturday for the Dobbs Ferry Festa and Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills is throwing a Harvest Fest.

The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival and the Great Chappaqua Bake Sale are teaming up for a day full of entertainment for the entire family. The author of the Pinkalicious series will be doing a reading at the bake sale and my kids are really hoping she is accompanied by some pink cupcakes!

For the older kids (unless you want your little ones sleeping with you for the next month), there are plenty of haunted happenings including Horseman’s Hollow and Scared by the Sound.

Read on for our top weekend picks. If you see something interesting, click through to the event listing to view full details. Looking for more options?  Be sure to check our Event Calendar for more fun happening this weekend and beyond.

Who's ready to spook down the house? If your family loves Halloween, it's time to show the neighbors - all over your lawn, balcony, front steps, or whatever bits of outdoor space you command. We've got a few ideas for Halloween decorations that don't involve a shopping spree at a Halloween store; in fact most of the ideas below are made entirely out of things you're likely to have at home already (and may even be looking to recycle). The best part is a spooky decorating frenzy makes for quality family time - turning a happy home into a haunted one. (Looking for even more ideas? Our Boston site has some way-cool DIY Halloween decorations, too!)