WaterFire: Tips for Taking the Kids to an Amazing Outdoor Art Experience in Providence

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WaterFire just might be the greatest thing that’s ever happened to Providence, Rhode Island. In the 20 years since the first bonfires were lit on the rivers in Providence, the brilliant and moving art installation has helped to transform the city into a vibrant, family-friendly destination.

Part community festival and part art exhibition – complete with bonfires juxtaposed with water, music, arts and crafts vendors, boat rides, and live performances – WaterFire is an event not to be missed. But just like other wonderful, very popular events such as First Night Boston, having the inside scoop on WaterFire can mean the difference between having a magical night with the family and a total bust. Here are 25 things to look for and to know before you go – with wisdom learned (sometimes the hard way) from my family’s WaterFire adventures and from the very knowledgeable team at WaterFire. 

This Week: Countdown to Halloween, Puerto Rico Fantasy Vacation, Ice-Skating Season Starts this Weekend

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You scream, I scream, we all scream for Halloween! In a week, our little ghosts, goblins and ghouls will be parading around in their costumes and trick-or-treating all over NYC. Since Halloween falls on a Friday this year, there are a slew of celebrations this weekend and next, as well as the days in between.

It's no shocker that Halloween-themed posts dominated all of our sites this week, from a must-see jack-o-lantern installation on Long Island to Westchester cemetery tours to haunted houses in Philly. If you're suffering from Halloweenitis, don't be scared: Come next week you'll be able to console yourself with your kids' candy.

Speaking of all that high-calorie loot, there are lots of charities that accept donations of Halloween candy if your kids get too much (and you know they will). And while you're in a generous mood, please also consider giving to Mommy Poppins' virtual food drive through Feeding America. Our goal is $1,500 and if we reach it, we'll double the amount.

With the temperatures dropping, we all seem to be fantasizing about warmer climes. Our Travel site's new series of posts about visiting the Condado Plaza Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico and hanging at the isle's largest family resort, El Conquistador are sure to inspire beautiful daydreams.

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

Control Robotic Fish & Try Other STEM-Themed Activities at the Brooklyn Children's Museum's New Interactive Installation

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With all the emphasis on STEM subjects in school these days, it's no wonder NYC's children's museums have been mounting interactive installations that try to teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics concepts in a fun and engaging way. But up until now, these STEM-themed exhibits have mostly been at places with those words in their name, like the New York Hall of Science, the Museum of Mathematics and the Sony Wonder Technology Lab—not the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Much as my family loves BCM (as borough residents it's one of our go-to cold weather play spots), I've always felt its installations skewed younger and tended to be about natural science or pretend play. That's why its new exhibit, More Than Meets the "I", is such a game changer.

Comprised of 18 interactive stations, More Than Meets the "I" invites kids to learn about innovations (the "I" in the title) in biology, health, robotics and technology. Although designed to be fun for all ages—as you can see from the photos, my toddler had a blast trying out everything—it's definitely aimed at older kids. My young elementary schooler got a lot more out of it than my younger son, and grown-ups will, too. I certainly learned a lot of new stuff!

Long Island Kids' Activities October 25 & 26: Haunted Castle, Ghostly Gala, Spooky Fest, Trunk or Treats, Halloween Parties & More

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As we roll into the last weekend in October, the family-friendly fall festivities continues across Long Island. While there's more than plenty for humans to choose from this weekend, it's also a weekend that's gone to the dogs. Choose from the  Suffolk Barkfest, Paws for a Cause Halloween Charity Dog Walk & Contest, Spooktacular Howl’oween Pet Parade or Fall Dog Festival to let your pooch in on the pumpkin fun.And be sure to check out our Halloween Guide for more seasonal fun on Long Island.

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Top 20 Things To Do With Thrill-Seeking NJ Kids

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My six year old son is a thrill seeker. I cringe at the playground watching him climb to the tippy top of the jungle gym. When we go hiking he is always the first to suggest trying the more difficult trail. While I admire his adventurous spirit, as a mom it's hard to not imagine the worst case scenario. That's why I'm so happy that I found some safe local activities that will satisfy both his need for thrills and my need to protect him. Check out our list below for some great activities for your adventurous child. If you have little ones, be sure to read our post 25 Things To Do With Preschoolers Before They Turn 5, and for October fun for the whole family make sure you check out our New Jersey Halloween Guide.

Mostly Free & Fun Things to Do this Weekend with Westchester Kids: Halloween Happenings, Magic Garden, Picturing Stories & More, Oct. 25 & 26

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Eek! It’s the final weekend before Halloween! Westchester cranks up the fun, so read on for some of our faves.

A don’t-miss event is the annual Tarrytown Annual Halloween Parade, whether you march in it or spectate. It draws a large crowd and culminates in a street party, with oodles of festivity in the air. Preschoolers will enjoy the abundant offerings at Harvest Moon Festival; FREE fun abounds at HarvestFest and Pumpkin-Carving Demo; a live Halloween-themed performance awaits at Grisly Kids: An All Hallows' Dance Review; a fun fall festival can be found at the Scarecrows and Pumpkins Parade; and for a Mexican twist on All Hallow’s Eve, take in Day of the Dead in Pelham. To turn the creepiness up a notch, check out our guide to Cemetery Tours.

Though it’s hard to pass up all the Halloween fun, there are a couple especially compelling events this weekend that don’t involve pumpkins or costumes: Picturing Stories and The Magic Garden.

Some of the recurring October events continue through next weekend, but Lasdon Park Halloween Haunted House & Train Show and Bear Mountain Oktoberfest wrap up this week. Last call!

With so much happening, we can’t fit it all in this roundup, so be sure to visit our Event Calendar for all the Halloween happenings and more through the end of the month!

Fun & Free Things to Do with LA Kids this (Almost Halloween) Weekend: Pumpkins, Fall, More Pumpkins Oct 25 - 26

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This is the weekend of Halloween in all but the name. True, Halloween is next Friday, which really makes it part of next weekend if you want to get all official about it, but its Halloween part is only at the beginning. The pre-weekend day, really, and 10/31 is going to be all about the trick-or-treating anyway. Then come Saturday and Sunday, and at that point you might as well launch your pumpkins into the sky, because it'll be November and Dia de Los Muertos and Halloween will be little more than a sweet, cavity-inducing memory.

See, all the real Halloween action is this weekend. The festivals. The pumpkin patches. The chills and the thrills. Halloween at the aquarium, the zoo, the garden, the museum, another aquarium, another zoo, a scary train ride. Halloween with fairies, books, puppets, another garden, comic book Halloween, surfing Halloween, science Halloween. Dancing Halloween, racing Halloween, eco Halloween, Haute Dog Halloween, another aquarium.  Chances are you're going to be so busy Halloweening in this "not Halloween" weekend that come next weekend you'll be all "Halloween? That was so last weekend."

Well, that is until next week when we tell you all the spookilicious fright-tivities that lay in wait for you. But in the mean time:

Keep reading for our most Halloweeny picks for this weekend...

4 Freaky & Fun Zombie Experiences for NYC Tweens & Teens

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We spend a lot of time writing about Halloween fun for little kids like costume parades and tame seasonal fetes. But what happens when your tween outgrows those kinds of all-ages celebrations? A lot of eye-rolling, that's what. As the mom of a nine-year-old desperate to grow up, I know that firsthand. But I also know he's not quite ready for full-on adult Halloween events like those super-freaky haunted houses.

Take for instance the monster of the moment: zombies. He's very into the walking dead but I won't let him watch The Walking Dead. (Especially not this season—yikes!) However, we have been able to enjoy a few freaky but not mega-frightening zombie experiences as a family. These interactive events like zombie laser tag and a zombie escape are way too intense for tots but thrilling for tweens and teens, not to mention adults. So if you're tired of hearing the "this is for babies!" complaint, take your angsty adolescent to one of these zombie-themed events.

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