I don't know about your home, but ours is already filled with candy thanks to all of the pre-Halloween parties we've been attending. (I figure I can give some of our loot away on October 31.) This weekend is jam-packed with ways to celebrate All Hallows' Eve in NYC, New Jersey, Connecticut and on Long Island. Our Travel site even has a roundup of Halloween weekend getaways and deals in case you want to treat your family to an out-of-town celebration.

If you're thinking about throwing a Halloween shindig at home, we also have some cool holiday crafts and tasty recipes for you to try.

Believe it or not, Halloween isn't the only thing on our minds. This week also marks the opening of many outdoor ice skating rinks in NYC and we're looking ahead to Election Day with a roundup of one-day holiday camps for kids since public schools are closed that day. Here's what else we covered on our NYC this week:

Don’t. Panic.

It’s a week before Halloween and you don’t know what your kid is going to wear to go trick-or-treating. You’re going to be okay. Mommy Poppins is here to guide you towards some easy, crowd-pleasing costumes.

We're mostly talking about younger kids here, babies on up through kindergarten (and we've even got some special ideas for young girls). Much older than that and they either insisted you get their costumes ready weeks ago or took matters (along with your car keys) into their own hands.

It's the final weekend before Halloween, and Boston families can enjoy a variety of Halloween weekend activities that run the gamut from the scary to the not-so-spooky. Check out our roundup of Halloween fun, including more than 20 mostly free Halloween events for kids and families. And read on for some great non-Halloween events happening this weekend, including the Boston Book Festival, Play Date at the ICA, and the annual Classic Cartoon Festival. Plus, check our Events calendar for more activities.

Plus, there’s still time to enter one - or both - of our giveaways:

• We’re giving away copies of the new prequel to The Boxcar Children series, The Boxcar Children® Beginning: The Aldens of Fair Meadow Farm, signed by author Patricia MacLachlan
• We’re also giving away a family four-pack of tickets to the Boston Children’s Chorus (BCC) season-opening concert on November 4

The deadline for both giveaways is Friday, 10/26, so be sure to get your entries in soon!

Enjoy!

Due to the approaching hurricane, many activities on Sunday may end early or be canceled entirely. Make sure you visit the events' official websites before you head out to make sure they're still on.

It's the final weekend before Halloween and New York City is filled with spooky ways to celebrate. It's your last chance to get your ghoul on at the Bronx Zoo's Boo at the Zoo, Ascarium at the New York Aquarium and the New York Botanical Garden's Haunted Pumpkin Garden. There are also a slew of super-popular annual festivals like Ghouls and Gourds at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Children's Fall Festival (canceled due to the hurricane) at the Queens County Farm Museum and a bunch of FREE kids' costume parades.

If you want to wait until October 31 to get into the holiday spirit, there are actually some non-Halloween events this weekend like the Little Orchestra Society's Happy Family concert, Pickle Day on the Lower East Side (moved to Sunday, November 4 due to the hurricane), a few Day of the Dead celebrations and the opening weekend of Citi Pond at Bryant Park, NYC's only FREE outdoor ice-skating rink.

There's so much going on this Saturday and Sunday, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. (We admit, we had a couple of panic attacks while writing this post!) That's why we've done the work for you by highlighting the very best things to do with kids this jam-packed weekend, Halloween-themed and otherwise. Now all you need to do is go and enjoy!

As a kid, I remember pulling on my costume for the first time on Halloween each year.  Halloween was filled with dress up, candy and a huge carved jack-o-lantern on our front porch.  My kids have a very different experience with this holiday.  Usually by the time October 31st rolls around they've already worn their costumes half a dozen times at various events and parties.   Our front porch is adorned with an army of pumpkins and other decorations.  What was for me a one day event has for my children become a month-long extravaganza. 

As we enter the last weekend before Halloween we have tons of opportunities for your kids to dress up, collect candy, make crafts and have fun.  And best of all - many of them are FREE!

We wrap up our month-long focus on Greenpoint, Brooklyn with a roundup of our favorite kid-friendly places to eat in the area. As we noted in our list of things to do in Greenpoint, the neighborhood has a large Polish population, so we could probably do an entire post about all of the old-school restaurants offering goulash, stuffed cabbage, pierogies and other ethnic comfort food. But those aren't the only eateries in the nabe. As Greenpoint becomes a more diverse community, new spots are popping up serving everything from pizza to organic fare, artisanal ice cream to drool-worthy doughnuts. Here are our top 11 places to eat with kids in Greenpoint.

In the weekend before Halloween, there's no shortage of events to put your family in the trick-or-treating mood. Check out Liberty Science Center's costume contest, head to Morristown for Pumpkin Illumination, get your tickets for Stagefright - A Halloween Musical or see NJ Ballet's Ghost of the Ballet. If you've had your fill of spooky, check out the Popcorn Harvest or WBGO Kids Jazz Concert. Read on for our top picks and remember you can find a listing of all NJ activities in our Event Calendar.

Halloween is tailor-made for kids, but why not go the extra mile and try a weekend getaway that takes the goblin and ghost-laden festivities up a notch?  Several hotels have special events that serve up an extra dose of Halloween fun for a super fun weekend getaway.  

Beyond Halloween, there are great discounts at Disney Resort hotels.  Mohonk, the iconic Upstate New York resort, is offering a "Kids stay and eat free" deal in November.  The Caribbean island of Anguilla has a bargain getaway at the trendy Viceroy.  Sarasota, Florida is offering a chance to win a free trip to experience the sugar-soft sand and gentle waves that makes its beaches perfect for families.