The alpacas and llamas are getting dressed up in bonnets for the opening weekend of Pleasant Valley's Lilymoore Farm. Photo courtesy of the farm
Best Things to do this Weekend in Westchester and the Hudson Valley with Kids
Legoland New York reopens for the 2025 season in Goshen this month. Photo by Legoland
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The Sheep and Wool Festival in Chestnut Ridge features crafts, a petting zoo, pony rides, and more. Photo courtesy of the event
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Summer camps are a great way to make new friends and develop new skills
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Celebrate spring with an Easter Egg Hunt at Benim Academy. Photo courtesy of Benim Academy
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Legoland's new Lego Duplo Peppa Pig Playground opens this spring. Photo courtesy of Legoland
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Hop the ferry to Governors Island to explore all the island has to offer. Photo by Diana Kim
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Enjoy water sports at Westchester Summer Day in Mamaroneck. Photo courtesy of the camp
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Palisade Center's Climbzone features themed rock walls as high as 40 feet. Photo courtesy of Climbzone.
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The Play Place in Elmsford is one of Westchester's top indoor play spaces.
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The Ausable Chasm has been described as the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks and it's one of our top 100 things to do in New York State with kids. Photo by Anna Fader
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Poughkeepsie's Gravity Vault is an indoor rock-climbing gym with classes for kids as young as 5. Photo by Kaylynn Ebner
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Mount Kisco's Grand Prix New York, a go-kart hot spot, offers birthday parties with racing, arcade play, and virtual reality.
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Kids explore the great outdoors Hudson Highlands Nature Center. Photo courtesy of the center
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Roam the the cedar walk and gardens at Caramoor for a free, fun outing. Photo by Gabe Palacio
41 Free Things To Do in Westchester with Kids
At Moe's Southwestern Grill, kids eat free on Tuesdays with the purchase of an adult entree. Photo courtesy of the restaurant
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Westchester kids will love a visit during FREE hours at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum. Photo by KD
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Kids can peek into the marine life in the aquariums at the Marine Education Center in Mamaroneck. Photo by Susan Miele
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Castle Fun Center in Chester has a giant inflatable park, a rock wall, laser tag, and more. Photo by Katherine Dhurandhar
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Grab a colorful treat at Harley's Sweet Shop in Woodstock. Photo courtesy of the shop
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The Play Place in Elmsford is one of Westchester's top indoor play spaces.
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Kids can climb the walls at the Cliffs in Valhalla. Photo courtesy of the Cliffs
32 Things To Do on a Rainy Day Indoors in Westchester and the Hudson Valley
Touch the soft rabbits at the Greenburgh Nature Center's petting zoo in Scarsdale. Photo courtesy of the center
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Peekskill, NY, is a lovely riverfront community that acts an the unofficial gateway to the Hudson Valley.
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Explore what makes things fly with the Westchester Children's Museum's Wind Tunnel Design Challenge. Photo courtesy of the museum
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Romp through the woods in the beautiful Catskills. Photo by Deborah Dadlani
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Tig & Peach offers drop-in, no reservations required, open play 7 days a week.
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Friends young and old enjoy the attractions and Legoland New York, the first major theme park in the Northeast in 40 years.
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Frost Valley YMCA offers a variety of day and overnight camps for kids ages 5-14. Photo courtesy Frost Valley YMCA
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Tour the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, an annual rite of fall. Courtesy Historic Hudson Valley
100 Things To Do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley Before Kids Grow Up
These boredom-busting activities turn a stuck-at-home day into a lasting memory.
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Kids love a birthday party filled with games and pizza at Chuck E. Cheese. Photo courtesy of Chuck E. Cheese
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Head to the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum from 5-8 pm on the third Saturday of the month to explore the museum for free, Photo by the author
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Kids can run, swing, slide, and even make music at Sally’s Dream Playground in Montgomery. Photo by Katherine Dhurandhar
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Creating a baking soda volcano is a classic science experiment for kids. Photo by Sara Marentette Nighswander
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Kids can while away hours of a day with a set of watercolors and a stack of new paper for painting. Photo by Sara Marentette
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Help Us Choose Our BESTIES: Vote for Your Favorite Spots and Win!

1/13/17 - By Mary Beth Lawlor

How do we love Connecticut? Help us count the ways! We know that Connecticut is one of the best places to raise kids, but even the best has its best. So we're counting on you, our Mommy Poppins readers and the most savvy parents we know, to help us pick Connecticut's BESTIES. The best play spaces? Connecticut's got 'em. Family restaurants? We've got those, too. Swim classes, dance classes, and baby 'n' me, along with the coolest theaters, museums, camps—heck, even our dentists are the best. But only you can tell us which is the best of the best, so we're asking you to help us show our best local businesses the love and vote for your favorites in all of these categories and more.

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Vote Now for Your Favorite Connecticut Businesses.

Of course, we know you're busy parents, so we're sharing the love with you too. Give us 5 minutes and your expert opinions and you'll be entered to win one of these fabulous prizes—it's a win-win for everyone! For sharing your expertise you can win: two nights in a family suite for two adults and two children at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos, or a family four-pack of admission tickets to Quassy Amusement Park and Waterpark sound? (Like music to your ears, right?) Look for our Connecticut Besties Guide coming in March and in the meantime start voting for your favorite CT businesses.

 

Voting in The Connecticut Bestie Contest is now closed.  Check back soon to find out who the winners are.

About the Author

Mary Beth Lawlor

Mary Beth Lawlor

After fulfilling a childhood dream of one day living in a high-rise building in a big city (eight years in LA and 10 in Manhattan), Mary Beth is now partially fulfilling another childhood dream. As a kid, she envisioned her four gorgeous children running through the idyllic countryside while she created pottery in her studio. Well, fast forward 30 years and there is no pottery studio and only two kids but she has the idyllic countryside part down. After studying business and art, and then working in corporate marketing, graphic design as well as event planning and development, Mary Beth is now happily blogging.

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