It's the final weekend to attend Oh What Fun! Lake Nona Holiday Festival and prove to Santa you've been nice! Photo courtesy of the event
Kennedy Under the Stars, Holiday Celebrations, and More Festive Things to Do in Orlando This Weekend With Kids
GUIDE
Christmas Activities and Holiday Guide for Orlando Kids
The whole family can dig in at Rosen Plaza on Christmas. Photo courtesy Rosen Plaza (Orlando)
Best Family-Friendly Restaurants Open on Christmas Day in Orlando: Christmas Meals at Orlando Theme Parks
The Florida Mall offers endless things to do for kids, including enjoying a meal at the American Girl store. Photo by author
A Guide to The Florida Mall for Orlando Kids
Disney's Jollywood Nights makes the perfect holiday event for kids and adults alike! Photo by author
Is Disney Jollywood Nights Good for Kids? Here’s What to Know!
Experience the illuminating Asian Lantern Festival at the Central Florida Zoo. Photo by the author
30 Best Things To Do in Orlando with Kids December 2025, According to Mommy Poppins Editors
The Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens transforms into the Asian Lantern Festival: Into the Wild at night! Photo courtesy of the zoo
Best Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus and Christmas Light Shows in Orlando
Head to Icon Park and visit Madame Tussauds to see your favorite celebrities in a whole new way. Photo by Charlotte Blanton
Things to Do in Orlando That Everyone Will Love—From Toddlers to Teens (and Parents Too!)
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is a massively popular holiday event, so get tickets now! Photo courtesy WDW
10 Orlando Must-Do Christmas Events to Book Now Before They Sell Out
Challenge yourself on the walking beams at Hidden Waters Preserve.
25 Kid-Friendly Hikes Near Orlando and Central Florida
Visitors can actually ride the exhibits at the Florida Railroad Museum, which hosts a variety of experiences throughout the year. Photo courtesy of the museum
18 Scenic Train Rides Through Florida for Families
Middle schoolers can be so much fun to hang out with! Photo by the author
10 Tips For Making Middle School Amazing: Middle School Kids are the Best
Wild Florida airboat rides allow passengers close-up experiences with Florida's native wildlife and vegetation. Photo courtesy Wild Florida
Swamp Boat Rides and Airboat Ride Adventures Near Orlando
Cowboy Adventure Park at Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo treats visitors to fun attractions, including the mechanical bull! Photo by author
Dude Ranches and More Places for Kids to Play Cowboy in Florida
With seating for five, families can take a swan boat ride together on Lake Eola. Photo courtesy of Visit Florida
Explore Orlando's Lake Eola with Kids
Enjoy a relaxing getaway in Celebration, Florida with tree-lined streets, unique restaurants, and fun spots like Celebration Farmers Market and Lake Rianhard.
Celebration, FL with Kids: 23 Things to Do in Disney’s Dream Town
The Festival of the Lion King is an entertaining (and dry) place to wait out a rainy afternoon at Disney World. Photo by Ryan Wendler/Disney World
10 Ways to Survive Orlando Theme Parks When It Rains
With calm waters and soft sand, there are many beaches near Orlando ideal for toddlers to play safely. Photo courtesy Visit St. Pete/Clearwater
Best Beaches for Toddlers Near Orlando
The cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness are cozy, spacious, and sleep up to six guests.
Go Inside Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort for Woodsy Wonder
Nab a Gaylord Palms Resort Guess Pass and spend the day enjoying the water park, dining options, and other amenities. Photo courtesy of Marriott Gaylord Palms
Kissimmee with Kids: 22 Things to Do in Kissimmee, Florida
Embark on a heartwarming, up-close encounter with playful dolphins at Discovery Cove. Photo courtesy of Discovery Cove
14 Best Hidden Gems in Orlando: Exploring Past the Big Theme Parks
GUIDE
Free Things To Do in Orlando with Kids Guide
SEA LIFE Florida officially opened this summer, treating families to major aquatic fun. Photo courtesy SEA LIFE
SEA LIFE Florida Aquarium Opens at Legoland Florida Resort
Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland makes the the perfect outdoor day trip.
100 Free Things to Do in Orlando with Kids
See the world's largest Crayola crayon at Crayola Experience Orlando.
  VIDEO
Crayola Experience Orlando: The Amusement Park for Crafty Kids
The playground at Tucker Ranch Preserve sports a treehouse-feel, surrounded by nature.
22 Best Playgrounds in Orlando for Family Fun
Enjoy a refreshing stroll with the kids along the scenic boardwalk at Sweetwater Park.
Best Boardwalk Trails in Orlando and Central Florida for Families
Tour the Florida Everglades aboard the coolest mode of transportation--airboat! Kids will LOVE getting close to nature on a Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures tour. Photo courtesy Visit Orlando
18 Cool Ways to Tour Orlando with Kids
Stay cool and dry this summer while battling dinosaurs at an Orlando arcade! Photo by author
Best Arcades in Orlando for Kids & Teens
Toddlers and young kids can let loose with their prehistoric friends at Dinosaur World's cute playground. Photo by Charlotte Blanton
30 Fun Things to Do with Orlando Toddlers and Preschoolers in Summer
Teens and tweens love the wet and wild fun at Walt Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon. Photo by author
Best Things to Do at Walt Disney World with Teens and Tweens
Swim at the freshwater Juniper Springs in Silver Springs, Florida. US Forest Service photo by Susan Blake
Top 10 Natural Springs in Florida Near Orlando
Celebrate your child's birthday party at Gatorland. Photo courtesy of Gatorland
21 Top Orlando Birthday Party Venues for Kids to Celebrate
Create magical moments at Hollywood Studios, including those with Florida's only snowman, Olaf!
Secret Tips for Visiting Walt Disney World With Babies and Toddlers
SeaWorld Orlando theme park, zoo and aquarium offers exciting rides and roller coasters, up-close animal encounters. Photo by the author
100 Best Things To Do in Orlando with Kids Before They Grow Up (Other than Theme Parks)
The Yardery is a fun Orlando restaurant for both kids and adults...and even dogs!
Best Orlando Restaurants with Play Spaces for Kids
Splash around in the water feature at Bok Tower's Hammock Hollow Children's Garden. Photo courtesy of Bok Tower Gardens
25 Secret Orlando Spots Kids Will Love
Check out our list of the best Orlando parks to host birthday parties!
Top Orlando Parks for Kids' Birthday Parties
Spend a few hours exploring Orlando with Winter Park Scenic Boat Tours. Photo courtesy of the company
3 Days in Orlando with Kids (Minus the Theme Parks): Itinerary From a Local Mom

Things To Do on Long Island This Weekend With Kids: Drive-ins, Scarecrows, More

Come see the Animated Children's Story Featuring Otto the Ghost at the Fall Harvest at Hick's Nurseries. Photo courtesy of the nursery
Come see the Animated Children's Story Featuring Otto the Ghost at the Fall Harvest at Hick's Nurseries. Photo courtesy of the nursery
9/23/20 - By Kimberly Rae Miller

The air is crisp, the apples are fresh and the Event Calendar is full. It could mean only one thing: Fall is in full swing.

Welcome the new season by picking farm-fresh pumpkins, taking a hayride, or watching the falling leaves on a family hike. If you're not quite ready to trade your iced coffee in for a PSL, don't worry, a little bit of summer is here to stay: Long Island beaches are open through the end of the week.

Our Event Calendar is loaded with fun, live, in-person events for Long Island kids, plus some great virtual event picks, too. If you're looking for extracurriculars, be sure to tune into our Back-to-School Fair. Catch the last few FREE demo classes this week, including sessions from Atlantic Acting and Coucou French. Our Classes Guide for Long Island Kids has tons more virtual and in-person options, too.

As with all aspects of our new normal, before heading out, be sure to check with venues about their reservation and social distancing requirements.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Get lost in the Amazing Maize Maze at the Queens County Farm Museum.
Get lost in the Amazing Maize Maze at the Queens County Farm Museum.

Things To Do in Long Island This Week

The Amazing Maize Maze at Queens County Farm

Queens
Friday, September 25-Friday, October 30
NYC's only corn maze begins with a "Stalk Talk" to prepare you for the 3-acre challenge of finding clues on your way to Victory Bridge where the maze's stunning vista is revealed. READ MORE

Nightmare at the Movies: Hocus Pocus

Farmingdale
Friday, September 25
Enjoy dinner and a movie at Adventureland's drive-in movie-going experience, Nightmare at the Movies. Dine-In Package includes a chicken dinner, Adventureland Arcade Player Cards, trivia with prizes (select nights), popcorn, and a movie! READ MORE

Fall Festival at Hicks Nurseries

Westbury
Weekends through Sunday, November 1
At Hicks Nurseries' Fall Festival, fill your shopping cart with fall decor favorites while kids enjoy fun festival activities. Plus, Otto the Ghost stars in a free walk-through adventure, Otto’s Animated Halloween Story, all month long. READ MORE

Batman Double Feature

Lake Grove
Saturday, September 26
Grab your popcorn and Batmobile because there's a Batman-themed double feature  drive-in movie experience at the Smithaven Mall. Enjoy one, or both, Batman classics from the comfort of your own car while watching the giant 52-foot screen. READ MORE

Advanced Paleontology for Kids

Rockville Centre
Saturday, September 26
This exciting, hands-on program from CSTL is for older kids, ages 8+, who love dinosaurs! Kids will use fossil bones, bone beds, and trackways to investigate how dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals lived! READ MORE

F & W Schmitt's Family Farm Fall Festival

Melville
Weekends through Saturday, October 31
Hit the Fall Festival at F & W Schmitt's Family Farm in Melville, where activities include a playground, wagon tractor rides, a 7-acre corn maze, u-pick farms and more. READ MORE

The Great Bird Blind Debate

Oyster Bay
Saturday, September 26-Saturday, October 31
This exhibition, by artists Mark Dion and David Brooks, frames their dueling views on birdwatching or “birding” as an activity and birders as a distinct community, with reflection upon the character and vulnerability of the habitat the observer occupies. READ MORE

Drive-In Movie Series at The Gateway Performing Arts Center

Bellport
Multiple dates through Sunday, September 27
The largest outdoor screen on the Island welcomes movie fans to a summer drive-in series. READ MORE

Live Outdoor Performances at Planting Fields

Oyster Bay
Sunday, September 27
Music and dance add a new dimension to your experience at Planting Fields Arboretum with live performances on the lawn, in the gardens, and even from the balconies of Coe Hall. READ MORE

Drive-in Movie Night: Disney's Haunted Mansion(PG)

Smithtown
Monday, September 28
Head back to the drive-in movie theater to see Disney's Haunted Mansion! READ MORE

Kids Not-So-Scary Days at Bayville Scream Park

Bayville
Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, November 8
Also on Monday, September 28; Monday, October 12
Bayville Scream Park's Halloween-themed attractions are family-friendly on select not-so-scary days. Families enjoy a funhouse, mirror maze, Halloween express train ride, pumpkin bounce, mini-golf, rock climbing, bumper boat safari, spooky treetop adventure, and more.  READ MORE

Kids Zumba

Kings Park
Wednesday, September 30
Hosted by the Great Neck Park District, this 45-minute fitness class for kids 3+, is taught by seasoned dance and fitness instructor Michele Tabaroki. Zumba classes are taught outdoors and suitable for kids 3+. READ MORE

Secrets of Stony Brook Walking Tours

Stony Brook
Wednesday, September 30
Enjoy a stroll through beautiful Stony Brook Village while hearing the stories of the people and seeing the landmarks that made it a community. READ MORE
Enjoy fall with pumpkin picking, fall activities and, for the adults, locally brewed beer. Photo courtesy of the Garden of Eve
Enjoy fall with pumpkin picking, fall activities and, for the adults, locally brewed beer. Photo courtesy of the Garden of Eve

More Live Events on Long Island this Fall

Special Needs Morning at the Vanderbilt Museum

Centerport–FREE
Saturday, October 3
This free event at the Vanderbilt Museum is exclusively for children with special needs and their families. Enjoy a bottle rocket demonstration, a preserved specimen touch tube, and a take-home creative project.  READ MORE

The Early Bird Gets the Worm Bird Walk

Oyster Bay
Saturday, October 3
Head to Planting Fields for a morning bird walk led by Jennifer Wilson Pines, conservation chair and other experienced trip leaders of the North Shore Audubon Society. The bird walk meanders alongside the Carl F. Wedell Bird Sanctuary to observe the abundant sights and sounds of bird species. READ MORE

Princess Tea Party

Ronkonkoma
Saturday, October 3
Bring your favorite little prince or princess to see their favorite princesses perform with Ballet Long Island. The audience enjoys an alfresco performance followed by high tea, along with lemonade, cupcakes, and cookies. Photo ops with the dancing princesses follow. READ MORE

Tiny Tots at Center for Science Teaching and Learning

Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays through Tuesday, October 27
CSTL educators lead drop in Tiny Tots workshops three times per week, inviting toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years to explore a new theme each week. Stories, arts, crafts, and more fun are included.  READ MORE

Owl Prowl

Oyster Bay
Saturday, October 10
Head to Planting Fields for an evening owl prowl led by Jennifer Wilson-Pines and Peggy Maslow, bird educators from the North Shore Audubon Society. Families enjoy a guided walk along the grounds in search of the Great Horned Owl and the Screech Owl that inhabit Planting Fields. READ MORE

Oktoberfest at Garden of Eve

Riverhead
Saturday, October 17-Sunday, October 18
Enjoy Long Island craft beer, pumpkin picking, roasted corn, lemonade, hot dogs, farm tours, vendors, hayrides, pony rides, live music, kiddie activities, and more during this weekendlong, outdoor celebration. READ MORE

Downtown Riverhead's Halloween Fest and Parade

Riverhead
Friday, October 23-Sunday, October 25
Halloween Fest in downtown Riverhead transforms Main Street into a spooky and enchanting land, promising thrills for all ages with games, live performances, a new Pumpkin Derby. READ MORE

Haunted Hatchery at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery

Cold Spring Harbor
Saturday, October 24
Calling all ghosts and goblins, spiders, and bones: Families are welcome to join in this not-so-scary haunted hatchery visit.  READ MORE

Sag Harbor Pumpkin Trail

Sag Harbor
Sunday, October 25
Kids, adults, and even pets can show off their costumes during this parade down Main Street in Sag Harbor on Halloween. READ MORE

Canceled: Pumpkin Train Trick-or-Treating

Sag Harbor
Saturday, October 31
Join the Pumpkin Trail! Look for the pumpkin faces in the windows of the participating businesses on Main Street and throughout Sag Harbor Village business district. READ MORE

First Fridays on Love Lane

Mattituck
Friday, October 2
Mattituck's Love Lane closes to traffic for three hours on first Friday evenings from spring through early autumn, allowing pedestrians to explore and sample the area. READ MORE

The Forgotten Road at Southaven Park: Haunted Drive-Thru

Yaphank
Fridays and Saturdays through October 31
Put your crime-solving skills to the test when you traverse The Forgotten Road in Southaven Park. Visitors to this haunted drive-thru experience are immersed in the chilling details of a 40-year-old "cold case." See if you can you solve it before you reach the exit. READ MORE

The Great Jack-o'-Lantern Blaze: Long Island

Old Bethpage
Friday, October 2-Sunday, November 1
Editor's note: The Blaze will not return to Long Island in 2025. Visit the original installation in the Hudson Valley. Walk the immersive pumpkin trail on the grounds of a 19th-century village where thousands of hand-carved jack o'lanterns light up the night, complete with an all-original soundtrack, synchronized lighting, and special effects you have to see to believe. The Great Jack o' Lantern Blaze lights up Long Island through November 3. READ MORE

Top Virtual Events This Week

Dino Fest at Home

Tuesday, September 22-Friday, September 25
The Natural History Museum brings home the dinosaurs, with a virtual version of its annual festival celebrating dinosaurs, their prehistoric past, and the science that brings their world back to life.  READ MORE

Virtual FUNtastic Family Night

FREE
Friday, September 25
The City of  Lakewood presents another virtual FUNtastic Family Night live with Kids Imagine Nation. Kids can sing, dance, and interact with the Kids Imagine Nation crew on their fun-filled adventures. Participants can interact and ask questions. READ MORE

International Observe the Moon Night

FREE
Saturday, September 26
NASA Planetary Missions Program celebrates International Observe the Moon Night with a live planetarium show with interviews with Planetary Scientists. READ MORE

Virtual Chat About Swimming with Sharks

FREE
Sunday, September 27
Want to know what it is like to swim with 50 sharks?! Dr. Rachel Graham, a conservation scientist and keen diver, tells kids why she loves sharks and how she helps protect them. READ MORE

Virtual Book Tour: Chelsea Clinton

Wednesday, September 30 Thursday, October 1
Chelsea Clinton presents her latest book She Persisted in Sports: American Olympians Who Changed the Game.  READ MORE
Harbes Family Farm on the North Fork offers multiple mazes for autumn entertainment. Photo courtesy of the farm
Harbes Family Farm on the North Fork offers multiple mazes for autumn entertainment. Photo courtesy of the farm

More Things To Do in Long Island This Fall

Apple Picking on Long Island: Best Apple Farms and Apple Festivals for Kids in 2025

Celebrate fall at these LI farms and orchards. READ MORE

35 Best Fall Day Trips to Take from Long Island with Kids in 2025

These seasonal fall day trips from LI are ideal for families. READ MORE

Best Corn Mazes on Long Island for Families

Get lost in the fun at these autumn destinations on LI. READ MORE

Outdoor Art Day Trips Near NYC

Spend a day enjoying spectacular sculptures at these outdoor art spots. READ MORE

Best Pumpkin Patches on Long Island for Kids in 2025

Great pumpkins and other fall fun activities await at these LI farms. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Steppingstone Park
Center For Science Teaching And Learning CSTL
Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium
Southaven County Park
F&W Schmitt’s Family Farm

About the Author

Kimberly Rae Miller
Kimberly Rae Miller is the best-selling author of the memoirs Coming Clean and Beautiful Bodies. Before making little humans, she made her mark as an award-winning health and fitness writer, with credits in AARP, SELF, Women’s Health, Dr. Oz the Good Life, and Eat This! Not That!, among others. With her two tots in tow, she’s ventured into more mom related musings, with a regular column in Cal Grocer Magazine as the Mommy Blogger, Scary Mommy, and of course Mommy Poppins. She can be reached at kim@mommypoppins.com.
Recent Articles By Kimberly Rae Miller:
Read more articles by Kimberly Rae Miller.