The best hayrides on Long Island for kids feature more than just straw and wagon wheels. Characters, pumpkin-picking, and scrumptious treats like warm apple cider and warm cinnamon doughnuts delight senses as guests roll through colorful autumn wonderlands with toddlers to teens. We've even found some haunted hayrides on Long Island.

For more fall festival fun, check out our picks for the best fall fairs and festivals and our Guide to Fall Fun on Long Island for Kids. 

With its gorgeous lakes, trees, and beaches, you can’t get much more picturesque than Northern Michigan, which includes popular destinations like Traverse City and Interlochen, Michigan. And then there's the delicious food—fish boils, the National Cherry Festival, decadent chocolate fudge, and more to fit everyone’s taste buds.

In Interlochen, nestled between Duck Lake and Green Lake, you’ll find the world-class Interlochen Center for the Arts. I’m a proud alumna of both the Center's Interlochen Summer Arts Camp and its Interlochen Arts Academy. Nearly 20 years later, I returned to the campus—this time with a little one in tow— to experience the magic of Interlochen, Michigan as a family.

Whether you’re looking for a place for young musicians, artists, actors, and writers to hone their craft or a place to explore the scenic outdoors in the Great Lakes State, Interlochen and its surrounding areas are the perfect places to visit with kids. Here are 20 things to do in Interlochen, Traverse City, and Northern Michigan with kids. Check out our Family Travel Guide and Midwest Family Travel Guide for more fun family vacation ideas.

Even if you didn't get today's Wordle, there are plenty of chances for your kids to avenge your defeat with other games like Wordle for kids. While some word games may be too difficult for them, there are quite a few word games online for kids of all reading levels. These are brain-teasing, educational word games online that the whole family can conquer together; parents might even like these games more than the original. Playing with words and word games teaches a love of words, and kids who love words at a young age become lifelong readers and word nerds. The best kind of people!

Looking for more online fun? Check out 20 great online games for kids to play together and so much more in our Virtual and Online Guide for Family Fun.

Big news for Downtown families in Manhattan! Temple-Emanu-El has opened a new satellite location, bringing their highly esteemed family programming to Chelsea. Temple-Emanu-el operates one of the most coveted NYC preschools and religious programs at their historic Fifth Avenue location. Now families living in Chelsea, the West Village, Tribeca, Flatiron, and other downtown neighborhoods have the opportunity to benefit from educational programs, drop-in classes, special events, and holiday celebrations for babies, toddlers, and young children. 

Whether you are curious about Jewish culture, or looking to get your child involved in the Jewish community from a young age, register for the free kick-off Rosh Hashanah festival on September 18 to learn more about Emanu-El Downtown’s new satellite campus at 440 West 21st Street (between Ninth and Tenth Avenues) in Chelsea. 

Here’s a preview of some of the programming and information on how you can save 20% on classes!