I opted for a parent-founded preschool co-op for my 2-year-old and couldn't be happier. Our preschool co-op meets for two hours on Fridays at a local church's nursery space. This type of preschool alternative can be a great option for families overwhelmed by the preschool admissions process. However, a few weeks into the experiment, our small group of parents has already learned from our early mistakes in planning the co-op, or rather over-planning it! 

I'm happy to share some of what’s working and what hasn’t in case it might help other like-minded parents succeed in building their own preschool co-op. 

It took a long time, but the renovation of Vanderbilt Street Playground in Windsor Terrace is finally complete! Before the renovation, this playground felt dark and dismal. Now it’s open, airy and full of fun structures for kids of all ages. Near Prospect Park Lake, it also offers pretty views, plus Uncle Louie G’s and a decent pizzeria are across the street.

Here’s what you’ll find once you get there:

NYC’s favorite holiday is already at a fever pitch.  In Staten Island watch or participate in a costume parade -- for the dogs. Visit huge Halloween festivals in Brooklyn and Queens or buy a pumpkin for painting at the South Street Seaport.  Head over to Central Park for an early evening encounter with the mammal of the hour: Bats!  Boo at the Zoo is in full swing at The Bronx Zoo and guaranteed to be a good time. Hope you have your costumes ready!

This post has the scoop on lots of other events for families and kids, like the not-to-miss Meet the Breeds, a huge dog and cat extravaganza, or The Drawn in Brooklyn Exhibit Family Day.  Plus, there are writing and art programs, school fairs, craft, harvest and pickle festivals, storytimes and a lot more. If you haven’t gotten your fill of apple or pumpkin picking yet check out our U Pick Guide and don’t miss our brand new Fall Fun Guide, chock full our best bets going on around town this autumn.

Read on to plan your weekend and have a great one.

Yes, it’s October and Halloween is always the star, but even if you’re not into fun frights, there’s still plenty to do in New Jersey this weekend. Six Flags is continuing their “Thrills by Day, Fright by Night” weekend parties and you can “Boo” at the Zoo with Scooby Doo, but you can also make your own scarecrow, get up close and personal with fire trucks and bulldozers, and see one of our absolute favorite kids’ groups, They Might Be Giants, in concert. Have fun!

The hit family movie of the Fall season is sure to be MEGAMIND from Dreamworks (coming to theaters in November), but if you like taking your kids to the movies there's no reason to limit yourself to what the big movie studios are pushing. In NYC there are several family film series that show everything from blockbuster feature films to cute little art house shorts and many of them are FREE.

Below are the highlights from the family movie series in New York City this Fall:

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On Monday, October 25 from 4-7pm at the blurb.com pop up shop at 60 Mercer St in SoHo we will be welcoming kids of all ages for a great Halloween party.

Here's what we have planned!

Hurry, Hurry! Step right up.  Get your popcorn, peanuts and cotton candy now because the Big Apple will soon be known as the Big Top.  The circus is coming to town, but in typical over-the-top NYC style, we don’t have just one circus troupe visiting but six circus troupes! From the enchanting Cirque de Soleil to the hijinks of the Squirm Burpee Circus, fall is going to be fun! Why not a break from all that apple picking and Halloween costume making to sit back and enjoy a day at the circus?

We've been posting lots of great Fall Fun and now we've made it easier for you to find. Our Fall Fun Guide includes highlights from the top venues for kids culture in New York City plus our lists of Fall Festivals, Day Trips, in New York City and the Tri-State area and other Fall Fun.

We also put all our Pick Your Own Posts on one page so now you can find all the Apple Picking, Pumpkin Picking and even Strawberry Picking for Summer and other Farm Fun handily in our Pick Your Own Guide.

News: We're adding to the Mommy Poppins family. If you'd like to contribute to the site, send two sample posts that you think would be a great addition to the site to Mommy AT Mommy Poppins DOT com with a short bio that includes where you live and how old your children are. We do pay our contributors and it's lots of fun too!