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Not-So-Scary Halloween Events in NYC for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Start your trick-or-treating off right at BAM's free Halloween party, BAMboo! Photo courtesy of BAM
Start your trick-or-treating off right at BAM's free Halloween party, BAMboo! Photo courtesy of BAM
10/6/23 - By Drew Kristofik

Halloween can be magical, with over-the-top decorations and plenty of family-friendly Halloween events in NYC, but little revelers are often overwhelmed by its trappings. With that in mind, we've tracked down a bunch of Halloween activities that are perfect for preschoolers and deliver just the right amount of "treats" for the pint-sized crowd, including our very own FREE Mommy Poppins Halloween bash.

Enjoy these gentle Halloween events for the under 5 set while you can—your kids will be celebrating at the Village Halloween Parade before you know it. You can find more festive happenings for all age groups in our New York City Kids Halloween Guide, and our Family Activity Calendar, which is continually updated with new, fun events as we learn about them.

As always, if an event piques your interest, click through to our listing for all the details, including addresses and times. And keep in mind: Really cool things to do with kids often book up quickly, so register or buy your tickets ASAP.

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OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Celebrate the autumn season with workshops, performances, food vendors, and the epic launch of the pumpkins at the Halloween Harvest Festival at Socrates Sculpture Park. Photo by Bob Krasner
Celebrate the autumn season with workshops, performances, food vendors, and the epic launch of the pumpkins at the Halloween Harvest Festival at Socrates Sculpture Park. Photo by Bob Krasner

Best Halloween Activities in NYC for Preschoolers and Toddlers

Court Street Pumpkin Fest

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 7
Choose your own pumpkin to decorate and take home, and enjoy entertainment, street food, games, and more. READ MORE

Carl Schurz Park's Annual Harvest Festival

Upper East Side–FREE
Sunday, October 15
Carl Schurz Park's annual harvest fest packs a punch with plenty of festive fall activities for the whole family. Visit the pumpkin patch on the Mayor's Lawn at East End Avenue and East 88th Street to pick your own pumpkin and decorate it. ​ READ MORE

St. Mary's Monster Mash

Bayside, Queens–FREE
Sunday, October 15
Get ready for a spooktacular time at St. Mary's Hospital for Children's Monster Mash. This family-friendly event promises a day filled with fun activities for all ages. Event highlights include music, food, games, an inflatable corn maze, trunk-or-treat, pumpkin painting, raffles, and so much more. READ MORE

Children's Halloween Festival at Bleecker Playground

West Village–FREE
Sunday, October 22
This annual celebration begins with a toddler-friendly costume parade around the nabe to the Bleecker Street Playground, and includes face painting, craft tables, and trick-or-treating. READ MORE

Treats in the Streets

Meatpacking District–FREE
Sunday, October 22
Head downtown for a day of unique and traditional Halloween happenings in the Meatpacking District. Families can trick-or-treat at Diane Von Furstenberg and Serafina Meatpacking.  READ MORE

Stomp, Clap, and Sing with Esther

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn–FREE
Tuesday, October 24
Award-winning NYC kindie-musician Esther, her family, and her hand-made puppets— including Greta the Ghost—put on a special spooky show at the Brooklyn Public Library's Central Branch.  READ MORE

Jack-o'-Lantern Jubilee

Inwood–FREE
Wednesday, October 25
Stop by the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum for a fun night of pumpkin carving, apple cider, and cookies. Pumpkins and tea lights are provided to all who attend, while supplies last. READ MORE

Pumpkin Sing-Along in Sakura Park

Upper West Side–FREE
Thursday, October 26
Every Voice Choirs hosts a pumpkin sing-along community concert in Sakura Park. READ MORE

39th Annual Bronx Halloween Parade

Longwood, the Bronx–FREE
Saturday, October 28
Celebrating its 39th year, this beloved community-based event continues to serve as a safe space for children and adults alike to enjoy the spirit of Halloween. This year’s theme is "Zombie Apocalypse," so get ready for a frightfully fun time!   READ MORE

Bklyn Boo! at Albee Square

Downtown Brooklyn–FREE
Saturday, October 28
Downtown Brooklyn hosts a Halloween fete at Albee Square with slime-making, a costume dance-off, and puppet shows. READ MORE

26th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest in Fort Greene Park

Fort Greene, Brooklyn–FREE
Saturday, October 28
It's time to get your costume—and more importantly, your pup's—ready for Fort Greene Park's annual Halloween Festival and dog costume contest. READ MORE

Seaport Kids: Halloween Block Party

South Street Seaport–FREE
Saturday, October 28
Front and Fulton Streets transform into a massive Halloween-themed block party for kids 2-10 with live music, bubble shows, face painting, costume contests, pumpkin decorating and more.  READ MORE

Creepy Crawly Halloween at the Audubon Center

Prospect Park, Brooklyn–FREE
Sunday, October 29
The Prospect Park Alliance hosts a special Halloween celebration where kids can take a look at some creepy creatures. Interactive activities and experiments may just let kids learn these critters aren't so creepy after all.  READ MORE

Monster Puppet Workshop with Monkey Boys Productions

Chelsea–FREE
Saturday, October 28
Children’s Museum of the Arts and Monkey Boys Productions host a free all-ages workshop to create the float that kicks off the The Village Halloween Parade. READ MORE

Halloween Harvest Festival

Long Island City, Queens–FREE
Saturday, October 28
Socrates Sculpture Park's high-flying Halloween Harvest Festival returns with its third-annual “Flight of the Gourds” pumpkin carving contest and compost launch. Celebrate the autumn season with pumpkin art workshops, creative costume making, face painting, and the epic launch of the pumpkin catapult! READ MORE

Kids Fall Spooktacular at Wyckoff House Museum

Flatbush, Brooklyn–FREE
Saturday, October 28
Enjoy all things fall on the Wyckoff House Museum at an outdoor Halloween celebration. READ MORE

Candy and Collage: Halloween Family Day

Greenwich Village
Saturday, October 28
Get dressed up and celebrate Halloween at the Whitney! Complete a scavenger hunt through the galleries for a chance to win prizes, join Whitney Educators to create a shadow puppet and put on a little show in one of the shadow-and-light theaters, and stop by the Hearst Artspace to make a delicious candy collage. Don’t forget to wear your costume and strike a pose in the special Halloween photo booth. READ MORE

Brooklyn Heights Halloween Parade

Brooklyn Heights–FREE
Saturday, October 28
Little revelers can get their grown-ups out the door early for this beloved neighborhood Halloween parade. Kids show off their costumes along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.  READ MORE

Halloween Trick-or-Treat

Snug Harbor, Staten Island
Saturday, October 28-Sunday, October 29
The Staten Island Children's Museum welcomes young robots, superheroes, princesses, animals, ghosts, mummies, witches, and more to stop by for a little early trick-or-treating. READ MORE

Halloween Pier Party

Chelsea–FREE
Sunday, October 29
The Children’s Museum of the Arts invites ghouls and goblins of all ages to participate in a variety of art activities, such as shadow puppet murals inspired by Kara Walker, monster masks inspired by Leonora Carrington, trick-or-treat Baggu totes, haunted house dioramas, Dia de los Muertos candles, plus music by Baby DJ School and everyone’s favorite Costume Catwalk. READ MORE

Mozart for Munchkins Spooktacular

Midtown West/Chelsea–FREE
Sunday, October 29
Spooktacular Sounds is an interactive concert that brings the Halloween spirit to life through music! Enjoy a thrilling variety of tunes, from spooky classical pieces to fun and familiar Halloween favorites. READ MORE

Halloween on the Farm

Floral Park, Queens
Sunday, October 29
Halloween at the Queens County Farm Museum brings a monster mash to life. Costumed kids and their grown-ups are invited for fall-themed farm fun with hayrides, kids crafts, a run through the Amazing Maize Maze, a spooky farmhouse to explore, and best of all: trick-or-treating with furry farm friends. READ MORE

Creepy Crawly Halloween at the Audubon Center

Prospect Park, Brooklyn–FREE
Sunday, October 29
The Prospect Park Alliance hosts a special Halloween celebration where kids can take a look at some creepy creatures. Interactive activities and experiments may just let kids learn these critters aren't so creepy after all.  READ MORE

Washington Market Park's Annual Halloween Costume Parade and Party

Tribeca–FREE
Sunday, October 29
Washington Market Park gathers the neighborhood ghouls and goblins together for a Halloween party and costume parade, led by the Queer Big Apple Corps Marching Band. Follow the band down Greenwich Street in your Halloween finest. READ MORE

Jackson Heights Halloween Parade

Jackson Heights, Queens–FREE
Tuesday, October 31
The Jackson Heights Halloween Parade—NYC’s largest children’s Halloween parade—lines up once again at 89th Street and 37th Avenue and marches down 37th Avenue to PS 69. READ MORE

Dumboween: Halloween March to the Arch

Dumbo, Brooklyn–FREE
Tuesday, October 31
Put on your most creative costume, and head to Dumbo for a Halloween March to the Arch. Beginning at Washington Street, between Front and Water Streets, costumed participants parade to the Dumbo Archway, led by live music and puppets. READ MORE

BAMboo!

Fort Greene, Brooklyn–FREE
Tuesday, October 31
BAM’s annual free community Halloween celebration happily haunts the neighborhood with family-friendly music, carnival games, arts and crafts, candy giveaways, trick-or-treat popcorn, and family-friendly Halloween short films in the BAM Rose Cinemas. Costumes are encouraged. READ MORE

Bryant Park Tricks and Treats

Midtown West–FREE
Tuesday, October 31
Bryant Park hosts a Halloween celebration with magic tricks, face painting, pumpkin decorating, arts and crafts, and a costume parade! READ MORE

Halloween with Boo!KCM

Park Slope–FREE
Tuesday, October 31
The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music hosts an outdoor Halloween Party. Talented musical spirits give a spine-chilling performance in a haunted musical garden, and the candy is frightfully delicious. READ MORE

Hippo Playground Halloween Parade

Upper West Side–FREE
Tuesday, October 31
The annual Hippo Playground Halloween Parade invites costumed kids to gather at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at 89th Street and Riverside Drive and parade to Hippo Playground. READ MORE

McGhoulrick Halloween

Greenpoint, Brooklyn–FREE
Tuesday, October 31
Friends of McGolrick and McGolrick Dog Run host McGhoulrick Halloween 2023 with a 4pm Children's parade and a 6pm Dog parade. READ MORE

Inwood Pumpkin Pageant in Isham Park

Inwood–FREE
Wednesday, November 1
The Inwood Pumpkin Pageant returns to Isham Park for another spooky display of Halloween artistry. Local residents bring their carved jack-o'-lanterns to the park the evening after Halloween for a grand community event. READ MORE

Halloween House at Oculus

Financial District
Daily through Wednesday, November 1
Halloween House NYC is a completely immersive, one-of-a-kind Halloween experience where you are transported to an all-Halloween world—a not-too-scary, yet pleasantly spooky place, where even little kids can have a good time! READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Brooklyn Central Library Plaza
Socrates Sculpture Park
Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Staten Island Children's Museum
BAM Peter Jay Sharp Lobby and Lepercq Space

About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
Recent Articles By Drew Kristofik:
Read more articles by Drew Kristofik.