Didn’t school just start?

While it’s not a holiday that’s recognized nationwide, many schools in Westchester and the Lower Hudson Valley will indeed be closed for Columbus Day on Monday, October 8, 2018. Lucky for you, we’ve gathered up some of the best things to do in our area on that day, including some of our favorite fall activities. Many of the farms that are traditionally open only on weekends are up and running on Columbus Day. 

Use our list to plan a fun family day, and be sure to sign up for our newsletters to have these ideas delivered straight to your inbox.

If you're scratching your head to come up with some fun ways to spend Columbus Day with kids who are home from school, look no further. We've pulled together a list of more than two dozen fun family outings that NJ kids are bound to love, from picking pumpkins to visiting sea turtles. You can find many more options in our Fall Fun Guide—and if the weather's looking iffy, check out our Indoor Playspace Guide for a backup plan!

Calling all Mouseketeers! A Disney Junior Play Zone—the first and only one in the Northeast—had its grand opening at Menlo Park Mall this past weekend. Located on the upper level near Nordstrom, the brand-new, FREE indoor play space features all your kids’ favorite Disney Junior characters—Mickey Mouse and Friends, Puppy Dog Pals, Muppet Babies, and more—in interactive displays, climbable play sets, and a variety of games and activities. 

New Jersey families are no stranger to the hustling and bustling Menlo Park Mall. Located near several major highways, the shopping mecca is the perfect place for our region's inaugural Disney Junior Play Zone (the other three locations are in Texas malls). Already home to other family-friendly favorites including Rainforest Cafe, Color Me Mine, and Build-A-Bear, this 1.26-million-square-foot shopping destination now offers parents of young kids yet another reason to visit.

Read on, and get ready to play ‘til you drop!

Kids in Queens have no shortage of storytime opportunities, with popular library branches, bookstores, and playspaces all offering great choices. We've rounded up the best spots where babies, toddlers and preschoolers can enjoy listening to their favorite books in Jackson Heights, Astoria, Sunnyside, and other family-friendly Queens neighborhoods.

A number of these read-along sessions include crafts, music, puppetry, or even yoga, so it's a great way to pass the morning for parent and babe or caregiver and tot. After the stories are put away, peruse the bookshelves or nearby toys. Most are drop-in events, but we've noted if registration is required. Expect all sessions to be FREE or inexpensive. Read on for our insider's take on Queens storytimes with kids.

At 2,800 acres, Staten Island’s Greenbelt is one of the largest public parks in New York City. Like Central Park in Manhattan, Brooklyn's Prospect Park, the Bronx's Pelham Bay Park, and Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, the Greenbelt is considered one of NYC's flagship green spaces. However, it's actually several parks linked together in Staten Island’s interior, including the popular Willowbrook Park, home to the Carousel for All Children, the wild High Rock Park, and Bloodroot Valley named for its large population of signature flowers.

The Greenbelt makes for a great staycation destination for NYC families. It's jam-packed with attractions, including 30 miles of groomed hiking trails, a nature center, a recreation center, a public golf course, a merry-go-round, barbecue grills, a lake for fishing, a living history museum, and playgrounds. It's also filled with a wide variety of plants, flowers, and wildlife, such as Great Blue Herons, muskrats, hawks, owls, woodpeckers, frogs and turtles. It's possible to see most of the Greenbelt's big attractions on foot in one day, but it's more relaxing to choose one area to explore at your leisure. Here are our top 14 things to do in the Greenbelt with kids.

The Topsfield Fair is one of our favorite fall traditions in Massachusetts, and since it's celebrating its 200th birthday this year, expect it to be bigger and better than ever. Running from September 28th through October 8th, this agricultural fair—which bills itself as America's oldest—has hundreds of vendors, rides, animals, shows, and special entertainment to see. But don’t worry: We share our tips for hitting all the highlights—and saving some bucks on tickets, too.

When you are the parent of a toddler, you know there is only so much time you can spend in the house making crafts and enjoying at-home play. A little socialization and a change of environment can do wonders for a cranky preschooler (and mom or dad)!

Hitting your local library for storytimes, guest performances and craft days is always recommended. However, sometimes toddlers just need to run around like, well, kids, and not worry about using their inside voices. If it's too cold or rainy to head to the playground, our list of indoor drop-in play spaces in Delaware County is here to save the day.

Be sure to also check out our roundups of indoor play spots for little ones in Bucks County, Chester County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia.

Think you can handle the Creepy Morgue at Playland or survive the Haunt at Rocky Ledge? Whether you’re local or a daytripper, Westchester is a hot spot of exciting and fun (and terrifying!) Halloween happenings for children. We've collected some of the best frights, as well as a couple of ideas better suited for the younger ghouls.  

Keep in mind that the listed age minimums are suggested by the event producers. You know your kid best—what’s no big deal to one grade-schooler could cause nightmares for weeks to another.

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