Neighborhood story hours for preschoolers and babies abound in Brooklyn, providing a fun, no-fuss outing, especially on cold or rainy days. Most storytimes are free (or cheap), and many venues offer additional kid activities before or after the reading, including plenty of book-browsing, so the fun can continue even when storytime ends.

Read on for our top picks for read-along sessions in Brooklyn at libraries, bookstores, and other tot spots, and find more story hours at these Manhattan spots.

When it comes to your kids' birthdays, we here at Mommy Poppins have you covered.

Whether it's your child's first birthday or 10th, the steps are always the same: Find a theme, a venue, guest list, and of course, a cake. No party is complete without the perfect dessert ending, and extravagant themed cakes are becoming more popular than ever. We've scoured the Island to find the best custom cake bakeries.

Bon apetit. 

What does it take to be named one of the most innovative schools in the entire world? Just ask the founders of New York City's Blue School, who actually co-created the performance art phenomenon Blue Man Group more than a decade before deciding to build an educational program that embodies that same boundless energy and rule-breaking creativity. Since it first entered the scene back in 2006, the independent school for two-year-olds through eighth grade has been named one of the thirteen most innovative global schools by Business Insider and one of just six selected by Wired magazine.

Located in lower Manhattan, the oh-so-modern Blue School campus is filled with unexpected spaces including a "Wonder Room," an Upcycling Center, and a double-height Materials Library. Meanwhile, thoughtfully designed classrooms; designated lab spaces for studio art, STEAM, science, music, and drama; a gymnasium and performing arts space; and the outdoor roof and terrace are all equally reflective of the school's mission to provide students with endless opportunities for collaboration, exploration, and self-expression. (You can see for yourself at an upcoming open house or admissions tour.) Across the campus, you'll find two-year-olds exploring materials by digging their toes into mounds of clay; third graders writing non-fiction pieces about Westward Expansion through the eyes of animals who bared witness; and fifth graders studying social justice through independent research into the unknown stories of known activists.

Halloween and hayrides go hand in hand, but if you really want to up your game this year, take a trip on a Halloween train! If you have a junior conductor in your family, don't miss out on one of these four seasonal NJ railway adventures—plus one across the Delaware in Pennsylvania.

From spooky to scenic, these rides offer a unique bit of fall fun for the whole family: passengers can take a seat in a vintage caboose, travel through gorgeous fall foliage, visit a pumpkin patch, and even trick-or-treat onboard. After the ride, round out the day with autumn activities like corn mazes, crafts, and a costume party.

Check out our NJ Fall Fun Guide for even more seasonal family fun around the state.

The Quogue Wildlife Refuge is one of our favorite hidden Long Island gems. Set back from a curved road, the 300-acre nature preserve on the East End boasts FREE family fun via wildlife, water, and wonderment.

Continue to foster a love of learning outside with our favorite outdoor classrooms and nature centers. Looking for more ways to experience nature? How about a visit to one of our favorite places to interact with birds and butterflies on Long Island? Or consider our favorite family-friendly hiking trails and bikes trails for Long Island families. Of course, you can keep exploring with our guide to more day trips on and near Long Island.  

We usher in autumn with the start of school and the uncorking of champagne (just us?), but it's also a time to take part in such annual traditions as apple picking, pumpkin picking, and Halloween celebrations. It also gives Westchester families one last opportunity to visit certain outdoor spots before they close up shop for the winter.

We’ve gathered up our favorite things to do with preschoolers this fall in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. For more options, check out  our Event Calendar—and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletters and follow us on Facebook.

If you have little kids (or even big ones), you've undoubtedly been hit with the unicorn trend. Whether it's selfiies with rainbow sprinkles or a different sort of birthday treat, kids' appetite for rainbow-colored, glitter-filled edibles shows no sign of fading. Here are 10 places in LA where you can enjoy some unexpected silly, sparkly, edible treats in every color of the rainbow. 

Come September, New England’s most beloved season marks the start of those autumnal traditions we all live for here in Connecticut. Apple picking is a family favorite fall activity for so many and lucky for us, Connecticut has dozens of wonderful apple picking orchards and farms and some are more toddler friendly than others. In Fairfield County, you have only a small selection to choose from, which may be why all of the orchards get busy on the weekends. We suggest heading out first thing in the morning to beat the crowds on the weekends. We've included a few of our favorites for younger children, including a few in case you're up for venturing outside of Fairfield County. And. for even more orchards, be sure to check out our Apple and Pumpkin Picking Guide.