24 Best Things To Do with Preschoolers in Westchester and the Hudson Valley

Rye Playland offers plenty of thrills for preschoolers. Photo courtesy of Rye Playland

Looking for fun things to do with your preschooler? We've found the best things to do with kids in Westchester and the Hudson Valley before they head off to kindergarten. 

As a stay-at-home mom, I'm always on the lookout for fun things to do with my little one, especially during the week when the older kids are in school. Thankfully, Westchester and the Hudson Valley offer tons of activities geared toward preschoolers that are fun and enriching, from children's museums to the great outdoors.  

Find even more ideas in our Guide for Preschoolers in Westchester and the Hudson Valley.

Safe, Organized, and Indoor Trick-or-Treat Options for LA Kids on Halloween Night

Photo courtesy of Downtown Center BID

We may have grown up cruising the streets unchaperoned eating loosely wrapped candy on Halloween night, but we’d no sooner let our own children do that than bounce around the back of a station wagon without a car seat. And while some of us are fortunate enough to have friendly, festive neighborhoods to walk our Avengers and Elsas through, many parents prefer the safety and self-contained nature of a mall, museum, or other organized trick-or-treat event.

Keep an eye on our events calendar and Halloween Fun Guide for complete listings; some venues hold their Halloween celebrations on the weekend, to maximize the holiday. October 31, of course, is the night for ringing doorbells, but for those who prefer to collect their candy in a confined space, we have more than 25 local options below.

New Play Space in Westchester Offers Fun for Little Ones and Caregivers

Tig & Peach is a thoughtfully designed indoor play space for young children, parents, and caregivers.

Looking for an indoor play space for young children in lower Westchester? You're in luck—a new destination for classes, free play, retail, and parties for the 6-and-under set has just arrived in Pelham: Tig & Peach. We paid a visit and were dazzled by the use of the space.

Read on for the lowdown on Tig & Peach, which opened in September. And be sure to subscribe to our newsletters and follow us on Facebook to stay in the know about other news for Westchester and Hudson Valley families!

Things To Do in Clinton, NJ: Small-Town Charm, History, and Culture

The Red Mill Museum Village boasts more than 200 years of history, featuring 12 buildings located on 10 acres, with exhibits and special events. Photo courtesy of the Red Mill

For many locals, one of the most picturesque spots in Hunterdon County is Clinton. This New Jersey town boasts lovely views of the Raritan River running through the historic downtown area, and a majestic red mill that's one of the most-photographed buildings in NJ. Clinton is just 1.5 square miles, but what it loses in size it makes up for in atmosphere—there are great nature spots for hiking, picnicking, and swimming, as well as museums and historic sites, holiday-themed festivals and parades, and family-friendly restaurants.

This charming small town makes for a picture-perfect family day trip all year round. Read on for the highlights.

Macy’s Unveils Santaland Details for 2019 Christmas Season

After a magical journey through Santaland you will finally meet the man himself! Photo by Sara Marnetette

Santa is sprucing up his sleigh and getting ready to fly into New York City’s very own North Pole, Macy’s Santaland, where for the third year in a row, visits with Santa will be by (FREE) reservation only.

Santaland will open for the holiday season Friday, November 29, 2019, the day after the Thanksgiving Day parade, and will welcome visitors through Tuesday, December 24, 2019, Macy’s revealed in a statement.

The 34th Street retailer will reinstate the reservations-only policy it implemented in 2017 as a way to cut down on the lines. (Around 170,000 people visit the NYC Macy's Santaland each Christmas season.) This year also sees the return of the popular Express Lane option. Read on for everything you need to know about visiting Santa at Macy's this year.

Universal Horror Nights with Kids: for Families Who Love Halloween So Much It's Scary

Sooner or later, the Halloween is coming when your kids will hang up the Disney costumes and ask about tickets to Universal Studios' Horror Nights. Braving Universal's big Halloween event is part of growing up Angeleno. The question is will you experience it as a family, or send your kids on a mass teen rite of passage? The passage is happening younger every year; these days the teen packs screaming the night away at Universal start at 13 or so. So... will you drop your middle schooler at Halloween Horror Nights? Or, if yours is a family that likes to scream through scary movies together, will you go together? Knowing what the scene is like can help you decide, and we've got the info to make either plan a screaming success.

Things To Do in Connecticut this Weekend: Spooktacular Science, Autumn Festival, Fall Hikes

Photo courtesy of Connecticut Science Center

We have reached mid-October, and the fall weather has turned crisp as a Braeburn apple. The rustle and crunch of fallen leaves makes the perfect background noise for all the fall fun Connecticut has to offer. The Ansonia Nature Center is hosting its annual Autumn Festival, featuring horse-drawn wagon rides and a chance to meet spiders, bats, and other creepy crawlies. In Mystic, get active with a self-guided spooky nature hike. And for sweets and science combined, stop by the Connecticut Science Center for its Spooktacular Science Weekend.

If the spooky spirit hasn't quite struck you yet, there is the annual Tower Toot festival and foliage hike in Simsbury. But if your kids can get enough of Halloween, you're sure to find some activities involving pumpkins, costumes, candy, and more in our Connecticut Halloween Guide.

Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Fall Fests, Halloween Train Show, Hastings Spooktacular

Head to the Heritage of West Nyack Fall Festival on Sunday for living-history demos, a magic show, pumpkins, and much more. Photo courtesy of the festival

Halloween fun is on the rise in Westchester and the Hudson Valley this weekend with the addition of the Hastings Spooktacular Weekend, plus the continuation of all the other big Halloween events throughout the month. Adding to the holiday hullaballoo is the return of the annual Lasdon Park Halloween Train Show, featuring added Halloween attractions including a pumpkin maze.

Numerous alternatives to the Halloween craze are also on tap. Among the fall festivals taking place this weekend, the standout is the two-day New York Sheep and Wool Festival, which features exciting workshops and live entertainment specifically for kids, as well as such eccentricities as llama acts. Or experience the cultural arts with a performance by the Krasnoyarsk National Dance Company of Siberia. A couple of STEM programs take place on Sunday, including Westchester Children's Museum's Chem-Palooza.

Read on for our top weekend picks, but know that there are many more options to choose from on our Event Calendar (it was hard to pick only a handful to showcase!). Our October GoList is another great resource to plan the rest of the month.

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