Susan Miele

Latest posts by Susan

60+ Free Places To Play with Westchester & Hudson Valley Kids

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sun, 01/05/2020 - 9:33am

We spend a lot of money on kids—not just clothes and other necessities, but also camps, pool memberships, enrichment classes, and extracurricular activities. Tack on the annual birthday bash, and poof—there goes the paycheck!

To help ease the financial pile-on (especially during the pricey holiday season), we’ve identified a long list of ways to keep kids entertained and stimulated without spending a dime. Read on for more than 60 free places to play with Westchester kids.

Looking for more free fun? Keep tabs on our Event Calendar, which is always loaded with free (and low-cost) activities for all ages!

January GoList: Best Things to Do in Westchester With Kids

Submitted by Susan Miele on Fri, 12/27/2019 - 8:00am

With the holidays over and the cold weather setting in, January may seem like a good time to hibernate—but not so for Westchester and Hudson Valley families! Our January GoList provides plenty of reasons for getting out and taking advantage of the compelling programs in our area. And, after the high cost of the holidays, you'll be glad to know that many of our picks are FREE!

The Best of the New York International Children's Film Festival returns for an encore screening, with a dozen short flicks hailing from around the world, and the circus comes to town when the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus brings its feats and daring to the local arena. For outdoor fun that embraces the season, bundle up for the Hudson Valley Rail Trail WinterFest, and if your kids are practically obsessed with poop, try Scat! Lest we forget the key holiday of the month, teach your kids about civic duty by finding a cause to lend a hand to on the annual MLK Day of Service.

These are just a sample of the highlights we’ve identified for you—there are also shows, nature excursions, and more—so read on for more and consult our ever-growing Event Calendar for daily picks. Don’t worry: There’ll still be plenty of time to sit home by the fire in your jammies!

Westchester Mompreneurs Open D.I.Y. Slime Shop in Larchmont

Submitted by Susan Miele on Fri, 12/06/2019 - 11:57am

Do your kids love to make slime? Do you not love having your kids make slime in your house? Enter D.I.Y. Slime, the newly opened Westchester storefront whose purpose is to provide slime-making fun that doesn’t ruin your table.

Say no more, right? But there is more. D.I.Y. Slime, located on East Avenue in Larchmont, takes slime-making to a higher level: This is high-end, fancy-pants slime! We paid a visit and got the lowdown on offerings, hours, mix-ins, and more.

Love being in the know about new businesses, party venues, local classes, camps, and events for your family? Make sure you’re subscribed to the Mommy Poppins newsletter!

December GoList: Best Things To Do in Westchester for the Holidays

Submitted by Susan Miele on Fri, 11/29/2019 - 9:00am

With Thanksgiving so late this year, holiday events that usually take place in late November have gotten bumped into December, leaving less time to do so many great things! The abundance of festivities in Westchester and the Hudson Valley can be overwhelming, so we’ve compiled our top picks to help you navigate the month.

So far, we've told you where to go for holiday tree- and menorah-lighting celebrations, where to catch a live holiday performance, and where to have breakfast (and brunch) and other encounters with Santa. Beyond these, our Event Calendar is positively bursting with activities for kids every day of the week. And when a break from holiday mayhem is needed, we’ve got you covered there, too. Feeling the pinch? Leverage our list of FREE holiday activities throughout the month.

Read on for our top picks for December. For even more great options, be sure to peruse our Holiday Fun Guide, full of yet more ideas to help you get the most out of the holidays with kids. Also, sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on all kinds of fun—holiday and otherwise!

November GoList: Best Things To Do with Westchester Kids this Month

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sun, 10/27/2019 - 10:00am

November is a month of transition, as celebrations of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the December holidays merge—and Westchester and the Hudson Valley are rich with seasonal family activities. There's still time to squeeze in visit to local Halloween haunts like the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, which runs through the end of November; then, before you can say gobble-gobble, it’s time for the Thanksgiving Day Parade and Skydiving Santa.

In between are numerous performances, STEAM-related programs, and other assorted fun. Below are our picks for the best things to do in November, but remember that our Event Calendar has many more fun and enriching activities of all kinds. Savor the season and enjoy it all!

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

Submitted by Susan Miele on Thu, 10/17/2019 - 12:22pm

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!

October GoList: The Best Things To Do with Westchester Kids

Submitted by Susan Miele on Sun, 09/29/2019 - 8:00am

October is loaded with Halloween and fall fun, and there's no shortage of either in Westchester and the Hudson Valley! We've mentioned the best places to go apple and pumpkin picking, and we've rounded up fantastic fall festivals to check out, but there's even more fun to be had. Historic Hudson Valley shines this month with Halloween events including the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze and other seasonal attractions happening all month long. Many of these are super-hot tickets, so book yours soon to avoid missing out.

There’s also the popular Eastchester Columbus Day Carnival and Parade, family performances like Moon Mouse, and festivals that don’t fall under the “autumn” category, like the Chappaqua Children's Book Festival.

With so many tremendous events this time of year, we barely scratch the surface here, so be sure to check our Event Calendar for many more options. You can find many more Halloween highlights in our Ultimate Halloween Guide for Westchester Kids. And don't miss our roundup of best fall events for toddlers and preschoolers, many of which take place this month. Now grab your calendar and read on for the best events happening this month in Westchester and the Hudson Valley!

New Halloween Show "The Sleepy Hollow Experience" Rides Into the Rivertowns

Submitted by Susan Miele on Fri, 09/13/2019 - 12:15pm

Sleepy Hollow is the place to be during Halloween season, with a slew of large-scale holiday attractions throughout the surrounding area. From walk-through fright fests to cemetery tours and more, the village made famous by Washington Irving’s Headless Horseman piles on the spook. This year, a new attraction is coming to town: The Sleepy Hollow Experience, an immersive theatrical production presented by the producers of the renowned Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze.

Shows are selling out quickly, with limited tickets available. Read on for the skinny on The Sleepy Hollow Experience, and be sure to sign up for our FREE newsletters and follow us on Facebook to stay in the know about Halloween and other happenings throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley!

Susan Miele

Susan Miele

Latest posts by Susan

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