There's a new train chuffing into Whippany Station this Christmas season: Holiday revelers who want to ride the rails can hop aboard The Polar Express. This train ride will replace the Santa Claus Special, which has been run by the Whippany Railway Museum for the last 24 years. The Polar Express will be operated by the Morristown Erie Railway. 

And don't worry – if you're not quite ready to think about Christmas just yet, there's still plenty of fall fun to be had throughout New Jersey. 

Halloween haunts are a major part of autumn for some SoCal kids, and Knott's Scary Farm is the theme park haunt that launched them all 40-odd years ago. Touted as the largest Halloween event in the country, the Scary Farm's reputation for terror precedes it. But is it that scary—or Knott? The daytime Halloween attraction, Camp Spooky, is good, clean holiday fun with nothing to ruin a toddler's day; but long before dusk falls everyone cute and cuddly is shuffled to the exit, allowing an entirely different crowd to fill the park as the Berry turns Scary. Should your tweens be among that crowd? And what exactly goes on?

We love everything farms have to offer families in the fall. From apple and pumpkin picking to corn mazes, there’s something for every age group. This includes one of our fall favorites: hayrides! It’s truly an activity for everyone, even the littlest family members, so we’re bringing you a list of 13 local farms that offer hay rides throughout the season to make your fall even more special.

One of Astoria’s favorite kids' drop-in play spots just got a serious makeover—and we're smitten. Once known as Kids Playhouse, the new romping spot is now Let's Play Playhouse. While you'll still find that iconic double slide and two-story jungle gym, there are several welcome changes, including the addition of classes for babies and toddlers, new flooring, and rotating educational themes that hew to the motto: Learning through play.

After several visits, my 4-year-old and I quickly declared it our new rainy day hangout. 

Queens has always boasted a number of great indoor play spaces for kids, but it seems it's trying to give Brooklyn kiddie gyms some competition lately as there's been a flurry of new openings, including Good Day Play Cafe in Bayside, Sunnyside Plays, Shastye Art and Play Space in Astoria, and a new sensory gym for children with disabilities. Read on for our review of Let's Play.

Need a new place to play? There's a whole lot of green space to explore north of Downtown and east of Los Feliz. If your days involve entertaining a toddler or preschooler in the Northeast Los Angeles region, specifically Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Mt. Washington, or even reaching up toward Glendale and Pasadena, you'll want to check out our list of the best local parks and playgrounds. Because moms cannot live by Griffith Park alone...

Autumn is in full swing as we settle into October, and there are tons of ways to enjoy the marginally cooler weather, from fall festivals, pumpkin patches, and other family-friendly seasonal activities. I saw multiple billboards around Houston for Apple Fest debuting this month, and I decided my son and I would attend its opening day after realizing one of the festival's locations is a short drive from our home in Katy.

Summer vacation gets all the attention, but in New England, fall can be an even better time to get away. Leaves are changing colors and the air is cool and crisp, making outdoor activities a must. To help with your fall getaway planning, we’ve compiled a list of 15 family-friendly destinations in New England that we love. They’re all kid-tested and parent-approved, so you’re sure to have fun and make memories that will last a lifetime.

When my husband and I finally settled into our new neighborhood in Maplewood, one of the first questions we asked the locals was: “Are there any playgrounds nearby?” Luckily for us – and for our toddler – there are a myriad of playground options all within a 15-minute-or-less drive from most points in South Orange or Maplewood (known among locals as SOMA). There really is something for everyone. We’ve even got some tips on which playgrounds to hit at different times of the week – and which to try depending on the weather forecast. Read on!