This post is currently being updated for 2018.

Autumn is such a beautiful time of year to enjoy the outdoors in the Delaware Valley. The temperature is cooler, skies are clear and the changing leaves create a spectacular backdrop to any event. Fortunately, there are so many opportunities to celebrate the season - whether it is attending a harvest festival in your community, or taking a drive to a farm or orchard. We have rounded up a list of some of the numerous events taking place this fall, including hayrides, pumpkin patches, scarecrow-building, live entertainment, and cider donuts! Keep checking our event calendar as well as our Fall Activity Guide, as we are continuously adding new events for fall!

Summer may be coming to an end, but the crisp weather of fall is a great time to get out and explore your local park in New York City. Even better, check out a new playground—and with the recent influx of capital dollars, all five boroughs are boasting freshly renovated play spots begging to be explored during your next outdoor adventure.

We've rounded up six completely revamped playgrounds that reopened during the past six months, plus another handful to be revealed before we ring in the new year. So grab those sneakers and get ready to explore one of these shiny new play spots. You can always find more of our favorite playgrounds in our NYC guide.

Whether you're looking for an alternative to traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating, or you just want to have a little extra Halloween fun in the days leading up to the big event, the zoo just might be the place for you. Visiting with the animals is always an enjoyable way to spend a family day, but throw in some candy, costumes, and spooky activities, and you're bound to have a howling good time. 

In my house, we like to mark big occasions with a special little treat.  Last day of school? Let’s get a donut! First day of school? How about a milkshake? But, sometimes not just any old milkshake will do. Sometimes you need to go big. Sometimes it’s a REALLY big occasion that needs  you to go so big that your milkshake needs its own zip code. Connecticut has a rich variety of ice cream parlors (check out our favorites in New Haven, Fairfield, New London, and Hartford) and over-the-top food experiences from Insane Ice Cream to a Chocolate Trail.  The latest wave of Frankenfoods to sweep the Nutmeg State seems to be Freakshakes. 
 

It's ba-ack!

If your family is a die-hard Halloween-loving crew, you probably never miss the fabulous, kitsch-as-a-witch Griffith Park Ghost Train—except last year when you sorely missed it. We certainly pined for it last October, when the all-volunteer crew of train enthusiasts at Los Angeles Live Steamers took a year off from their annual, spooktastic labor of love. But whether you love the ride or had never heard of it, we can all share in the wonderful news that the Ghost Train rides again in 2017!

When you’re heading to an event at the Barclays Center with the kids, you have one of two options: Get in quickly and fill them up with sometimes-pricey, always dependable vendor food, or... plan ahead and leave time to hit one of the kid-friendly restaurants in the neighborhood after the show, concert, or game. Opened in 2012, it's home to the Brooklyn Nets, New York Islanders, and often hosts the circus, headliners like Katy Perry, and Disney on Ice.

Fort Greene has recently turned into a foodie destination, bringing in all sorts of specialty food shops (Doughnut Plant, anyone?), food halls, and myriad culinary hot spots, from southern barbecue to custom ramen. So take advantage of the trip and the area: Grab your kids and grab a table at our favorite places around the arena.

There's no doubt about, the Delaware Valley offers no shortage of great classes for Philly area kids. Whether you're looking for swimming, dance, acting, or something crafty, you can find just about anything around here. That's why we've decided to round up some of the more unique classes for kids around Philadelphia. Now is the perfect time to expose your kids to as much as possible so they can discover their own passions.

Not loving the idea of your kids whiling away the afterschool or weekend hours in front of a tablet or computer? But what if they were engaged in programs that help nudge them away from mindless click-and-tap games and toward some serious 21st century computer skills?

These cutting-edge area programs introduce children to coding and programming concepts through interactive games and challenges, and provide an alternative to these great online coding courses by enouraging collaboration in a social setting. My takeaway, after learning about these cool classes: Not all "screen time" is created equal!

You can also find free coding for kids websites and apps.