If you haven’t heard, something called ‘Paint ’n Sip’ is sweeping the country.  From Miami to Cedar Rapids, mamas are tucking their wee ones into bed and sneaking off with their gal pals … to art studios.  You may know precisely where they are, as many offer Art Classes for Kids by day. By starry night, however, parents channel their inner Picasso or Matisse … with the help of a patient instructor and a bottle of red or white.  Getting the nerve to paint in public, and freely at that, takes a little coaxing for some!  These studios promise zero experience or talent required … merely a willing spirit.  They take you brush stroke-by-brush stroke through a novice-friendly work, and you come out with something all your own — you might even be proud of it.  Mommy friends of mine that have tried it, say it’s a good time (and trust me, they aren’t talented, haha — at least in this way)!  The studios run the gamut from art school to franchise to full-on restaurant, so you have your choice of ambiance.  And lest you think the franchises, are, well, franchise-ish, know they seem to take giving back pretty seriously, with a range of ‘paint it forward’ sorts of non-profit efforts.  Seriously, friends, it’s fun you can feel good about.  

The fall harvest is in full swing and while you can celebrate the season right here in NYC, the upcoming Columbus Day holiday weekend is an ideal time to get out of town for one last nature-themed excursion before the cold of winter sets in. Even though apple picking is already pretty much over (many orchards say their trees have been picked bare), farms throughout the northeast are still offering lots of seasonal fun like pumpkin patches, giant corn mazes, petting zoos and other agritainment.

We've rounded up half a dozen attraction-filled destinations for Columbus Day weekend. Most are within two hours of the city and make great day trips but a few require an overnight stay. For even more vacation inspiration, check out our NYC Family Getaways Guide and our Travel site, which has a great list of fall travel deals.

A preschool tour is the best opportunity for parents to get a feel for a school before tackling the admissions process. Hopefully, you see the school in action, or at least check out what the classrooms look like. Keep your eyes open for important details. What type of student work is on display? Do the kids seem happy and engaged? How do the teachers interact with them?

When you're on the tour, don't be shy about asking questions. This is your chance! "Parents should ask as many questions as they want to help understand and grasp our program's philosophy," says Lisa Pacheco, center director at Children’s Creative Learning Center. Jennifer Jones of Battery Park Montessori and the Pine Street School adds, "I encourage parents to ask questions based on their personal priorities for their children. For example, if the child is physically active and the parents are concerned about it, they should ask how the school will satisfy the child's need for physical expression." Open-ended questions are best, as they tend to reveal more about the school. For example, "How do you support literacy?" is better than, "When do you teach the alphabet?"

Here are the top 10 topics to ask about when you're visiting preschools.

Boys, girls, ghosts, goblins and ghouls alike can take part in these Halloween-themed parties across Long Island. From creepy crafts to desserts to die for, these spooktacular fiestas are serving up fun with a side of food. Kids can also take part in trick-or-treating around an aquarium and a museum.

And for more holiday fun, check out our Long Island Halloween Guide and our Events Calendar.

While the people of Scotland were recently thwarted in their bid for independence, they still have plenty of national pride -which is on display in Ventura this later this week at the Seaside Highland Games. Gather the clans and pin your wee lads and lassies into their plaid kilts. Be sure to prepare with a hearty snack if haggis isn’t your thing. The Games offer a great opportunity to appreciate the sport of large men throwing things. And remember, this is the first week of October so be on the lookout for free admissions at local museums. Another thing to be on the lookout for? A full lunar eclipse. 

I've had David Bowie's "Changes" playing on a loop inside my head all week. No, my kid's not an angsty teen (not quite yet, anyway). It's because we upgraded the server for our sites, which caused some things to be a bit wonky. Everything seems stable now but if you see something weird, let us know by leaving a comment on our site or Facebook page. We'd really appreciate that.

Of course the changeover didn't stop us from kicking off Halloween month with posts about kid-friendly haunted houses and the top 10 Halloween happenings for NYC families. We also published October Go Lists highlighting the absolute best things to do throughout the month in NYC, New Jersey, on Long Island and beyond. With the long Columbus Day weekend coming up, some of these special out-of-town events may inspire a day trip, or you could always go pumpkin picking. (You can try for apples, too, though we hear most of the orchards are out already.)

Over on our Travel site, we've got a roundup of fall travel deals. Plus our founder, Anna, launched a series of posts chronicling her weekend getaway to the Bay Area, including the best things to do in San Francisco with kids and family-friendly wineries in Napa Valley.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week: