Santa may be known for his sleigh, but when he's here in Connecticut, the big guy is all about trains. Starting in November, he can be found on several Polar Express and other Christmas-themed trains in Connecticut, including the ever-popular North Pole Express and Santa Special Train Ride in Essex.  In between munching on cookies, sipping on cocoa, and chatting with Santa, there is nothing like watching the steam roll and waft in front of the train's headlights—it's a magical holiday experience for kids and parents alike!  

But act fast: Tickets for some of these trains become available in the early fall and sell out even before Halloween. But even if a certain train is sold out, there's likely an available one around the bend, so read on—it's a special holiday experience worth waiting for!

If you're looking to expand your barnyard repertoire beyond cows, horses, and pot-bellied pigs, the Garden State is home to plenty of family-friendly alpaca farms that offer a chance to feed, touch, and spend time with these soft and gentle creatures. 

Native to the Andean regions of Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, alpacas found their way to North American back in 1984, when a small group of importers brought a carefully chosen herd to the United States and Canada. As of the end of 2018, that group had steadily grown to 20,000, spread among zoos and private farms, including more than a dozen farms in New Jersey.

Read on for five of our favorites.

Get ready for brick-tastic fun in the Hudson Valley next summer: Legoland New York Resort will open on July 4, 2020. Situated about 60 miles outside New York City in Goshen, the 150-acre park will be the biggest Legoland yet. 

The amusement park, geared toward ages 2-12, will be the third Legoland to open in the U.S., joining the parks in California and Florida. Visitors to the Hudson Valley park will be able to explore seven themed "lands" featuring more than 50 rides, attractions, and shows—including a brand-new ride exclusive to the New York location. 

This fall, Philly families can pick the perfect pumpkin, get lost in a corn maze, enjoy some scary (or not-so-scary) Halloween fun, and get an artful fright at the Race Street Pier’s latest art installation. Ghost Ship, which opens to the public on Friday, October 4, 2019, celebrates the Delaware River’s long history with ships and shipbuilding. 

For the past 24 years, the award-winning New Victory Theater in the heart of Times Square has been the premier destination to catch entertaining and affordable productions for all ages. But the beloved New Victory is much more than just a place to catch a show in NYC. Through hands-on workshops, interactive pre- and post-show activities, and performances adjusted for children with special needs, the nonprofit organization is raising the bar for what theater for young audiences can be. I know this firsthand: I've been bringing my daughter to the New Victory Theater for well over a decade, and her formative experiences there inspired her love of live entertainment. I'm pleased to share a preview of the New Victory's 2019-2020 season, including the best plays for kids of different ages (even big kids, like mine), and ways to save on tickets.

Wondering what a cheeky little tank engine can teach our kids about science? With STEM learning stations and opportunities for developing social skills, the Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails temporary exhibit at Boston's Museum of Science is a sneakily educational outing that children will experience as just plain fun. In a city filled with fun museums for kids, I recently chose to bring a preschooler and a toddler to this new exhibit at MOS, and I was so glad I did. The kids came away from the visit with new knowledge about train engineering and history, and an even deeper love for Thomas.