Mommy Poppins

3-Day Itinerary in Hot Springs, VA: The Perfect Winter Getaway with Kids at the Omni Homestead Resort

Stephanie Shipman — 02/13/2026

Hot Springs, Virginia is less than a four-hour drive west of DC proper, but it feels like a world away. Home to what it is named for—a natural warm spring that even families can enjoy—it's a great place to escape to in the winter.

In Hot Springs, families can explore nature preserves and overlooks, take in a concert at the local music center, and enjoy plenty of snow sports like skiing, tubing, and snowboarding. Spring and summer are also popular times to visit, but there is something for everyone to enjoy in the town in the winter.

Read ahead for the perfect winter weekend itinerary in Hot Springs, VA. Then check out our DC Winter Day Trips Guide for more winter family fun.

Hot Springs, Virginia is less than a four-hour drive west of DC proper, but it feels like a world away. Home to what it is named for—a natural Warm Spring that even families can enjoy—it's a great place to escape to in the winter.

Read ahead for the perfect winter weekend itinerary in Hot Springs, VA. Then check out our DC Winter Day Trips Guide for more winter family fun.

32 Free and Fun Things To Do in NYC November 2026 with Kids

Drew Kristofik — 10/29/2026

We've found 32 free things to do in NYC this November with kids, sparing everyone a bit of that spend-and-splurge trap that comes with the holiday season.

We've found 32 free things to do in NYC this November with kids, sparing everyone a bit of that spend-and-splurge trap that comes with the holiday season. Our list of free things to do in November includes annual favorites, like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Canstruction display at Brookfield Place.

The Veterans Day Parade marches up Fifth Avenue, holiday trees start sparkling in Park Slope and elsewhere, too, and Santa returns to NYC and his home-away-from-home, Macy's Santaland!

Read on for all our top free event picks in November 2026, and don't forget to hop over to our best of November list, which includes our top picks all month long.

Free Things To Do in November with Kids, At-a-Glance:

Top Pick for Tots: Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal
Top Pick for Teens: Broadway Under the Stars at the Shops at Columbus Circle
Best Bet for All-Ages Fun: Día de los Muertos Celebration in Green-Wood Cemetery
Worth Waking Up Early For: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Harbinger of the Holiday Season: Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Arrival

November Holidays for Kids: A Kid-Friendly Celebration for Every Day

Meghan Rose — 10/29/2026

In addition to Thanksgiving, November has Pumpkin Destruction Day, Love Your Freckles Day, Pickles Day, and more.

November means Thanksgiving! But that’s just one day, there are 29 more days to fill with fall activities, indoor play, turkey-basting November fun.

In addition to Thanksgiving, you can also celebrate Pumpkin Destruction Day, Love Your Freckles Day, Evolution Day, Pickles Day, and more – all this month.

Check this list, and you’ll find the perfect thing to do with your kids each and every day. For more ideas for Thanksgiving activities (like 25 Funny Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids, Fun and Festive Thanksgiving Coloring Pages for Kids, Best Thanksgiving Movies for Kids and the Whole Family, and more!) check out our Thanksgiving Activities Guide for Families.

Halloween Weekend 2026 in Boston: Trick-or-Treat and More Things To Do

N Ferreira — 10/28/2026

Treat yourself to sweet and spooky activities for Halloween 2026!

Looking for the best things to do this Halloween Weekend 2026 in Boston? Here are some family-friendly events and activities in the area to add to your list for this weekend, like trick-or-treat and more Halloween fun!

Well, here we are. Halloween weekend! After weeks of costume planning, pumpkin picking, and asking my kids to please stop eating the candy before Halloween, the big weekend has finally arrived. I don't know about your house, but the excitement is at an all-time high over here. We're putting the finishing touches on costumes, making sure everyone has a candy bucket, and squeezing in a few final spooky adventures. And while I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the kids all dressed up, there's something a little bittersweet about October coming to an end. I'm not quite ready to trade the pumpkins for Christmas trees just yet!

Whether your little monsters are ready for all the Halloween excitement or prefer something a little more low-key, there are some great ways to celebrate around Boston this weekend.

My Top 5 Picks This Weekend, At a Glance

Best Halloween Fun for Curious Kids: Wicked Plants: A Botanical Halloween
Top Trick-or-Treating with a Twist: Holbrook Trunk or Treat with Classic Cars
Best Community Halloween Celebration: Quincy's Safe Trick-or-Treat
Top Halloween Party for Little Bookworms: Halloween Party and Parade at the BPL
Best Inclusive Halloween Experience: Sensory-Friendly Halloween

Read on for all my weekend picks below

—Nastassja & the whole Mommy Poppins Boston Team

Halloween Weekend 2026 in Connecticut: Trick-or-Treat and More Things To Do with Kids

Jennifer Coe — 10/28/2026

Enjoy sweet and spooky activities this Halloween Weekend 2026 in CT!

Looking for the best things to do this Halloween Weekend 2026 in Connecticut? Here are some family-friendly events and activities in the area to add to your list for this weekend, like trick-or-treat and more Halloween fun!

Halloween weekend is FINALLY here, bringing with it magic, mischief, and thrills! Let's celebrate Halloween from Friday to Sunday! On Friday night, attend the longest walking trail dedicated to Halloween spookiness at Scarrybrooke Trail in New Milford or take a stroll through the headstones at Hallowed History Lantern Tour at Cedar Hill Cemetery. On Saturday, wake up with the dead and visit the Spooky Seas at Mystic Aquarium or spend the afternoon roller skating (in costume of course) at Halloween All Ages Skate at Ron a Roll. Then go trick or treating!

On Sunday, spread out all the candy loot you got and trade your least faves with friends or find out Where to Donate Halloween Candy: 5 Sweet Options for Families.

Halloween Weekend 2026 in Dallas Fort worth: Trick-or-Treat, Halloween Parades, and More Things To Do

Gabby Cullen — 10/28/2026

Looking for the best things to do this 2026 Halloween Weekend in Dallas-Fort Worth? Here are the top family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend, like trick-or-treating and more Halloween fun!

Halloween Weekend 2026 in DC: Trick-or-Treat, Halloween Festivals, and More Things To Do

Jennifer Swope — 10/28/2026

Looking for the best things to do in DC this Halloween weekend? Here are some awesome events and activities for kids to add to your list for Halloween 2026.

It's Halloween weekend! Halloween falling on a Saturday is so cool, because it means you can have a full weekend of spooky fun! For example, you can start the festivities with Hilloween on Friday, enjoy the Great Falls Halloween Spooktacular and trick-or-treating on Saturday, and close out the weekend with Día de los Muertos at the Wharf on Sunday.

Looking for a more unique way to celebrate Day of the Dead? Try the Lucha Libra Dia de los Muertos Showdown! And if you're wondering what to do with those carved pumpkins when Halloween is over, let 'em rip at Pumpkin Chunkin' at Great Country Farms!

My Top 5 Picks this Weekend, At a Glance

Best Pick for Toddlers: Halloween Masquerade with Rocknoceros
Most Unique Trick-or-Treat Event: Trick-or-Treat with Horses in Rock Creek Park
Scariest Halloween Event: Cornstalker's Trail of Terror
Best Not-So-Scary Halloween Event: Alexandria's Fall-O-Ween at John Carlyle Square
Best Last-Chance Theater: Beatrice Likes the Dark at Adventure Theatre

Looking for the best things to do in DC this Halloween weekend? Here are some awesome events and activities for kids to add to your list for Halloween 2026.

My Top 5 Picks this Weekend, At a Glance

Best Pick for Toddlers: Halloween Masquerade with Rocknoceros
Most Unique Trick-or-Treat Event: Trick-or-Treat with Horses in Rock Creek Park
Scariest Halloween Event: Cornstalker's Trail of Terror
Best Not-So-Scary Halloween Event: Alexandria's Fall-O-Ween at John Carlyle Square
Best Last-Chance Theater: Beatrice Likes the Dark at Adventure Theatre

Halloween Weekend 2026 in Chicago: Trick-or-Treat, Halloween Parades, and More Things To Do

Siobhan Adcock — 10/28/2026

The spookiest weekend of the year is finally here!

Looking for the best things to do in Chicago this Halloween weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for Halloween 2026.

Get your costumes and candy bags ready! It's time for trick-or-treating! If you're looking for something to do before or after the big event, check out a cool Halloween event in your neighborhood or suburb, like Montrose Monster Mash in Ravenswood, Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade in Lakeview, or Blodgett House Boo Fest in Downers Grove. If you've had your fill of candy, try out some children's theater for a treat. Try a monarch themed play with ImagineU's Grace and the Butterfly Effect or a twist on Dracula at the Mudlark Theater.

We're turning the calendar over to November on Sunday, so you might want to think about holiday events. Book one of our favorite events that usually sell out. Polar Express and other holiday trains are also some of the first to get snapped up, so book yours today if you haven't already!

Top Things to do with Kids Halloween Weekend in Chicago, at a Glance

Top Free Halloween Event: Slightly Spooky Saturday: Family Halloween
Best Event for Little Kids: Little Boo Bash at Edgebrook Library
Best Bet for Teens and Tweens: Haunted Halsted Halloween Parade
Hidden Gem We Can't Wait to Try:Upside Down Halloween Parade
Top Day of the Dead Event: Día de los Muertos Celebration at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Halloween Weekend 2026 in Atlanta: Trick-or-Treat, Halloween Parades, and More Things To Do

Elsa Simcik — 10/28/2026

Enjoy family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this Halloween weekend! Families will enjoy tricks and lots of treats this Halloween weekend in Atlanta.

Looking for the best things to do in Atlanta this Halloween weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this Halloween weekend!

Kick off Halloween weekend in Atlanta on Friday with fun, family-friendly Halloween events all over town. With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, families can celebrate all day with events like The Great Pumpkin Fest in Canton, Trick-or-Treat on The Roof at Ponce City Market, and Spooky Day Out at The Works in West Midtown. New this year? Zoo Atlanta is offering their popular Boo at the Zoo one more time, on Halloween day! The fun doesn't stop when Halloween is over...on Sunday, celebrate Dia de los Muertos at Oakland Cemetery and the Michael C. Carlos Museum (both free)!

My Top 5 Picks for Halloween Weekend, At a Glance:

My Favorite FREE Halloween Event: The Great Pumpkin Fest
Best for Little Trick-or-Treaters: Munchkin Masquerade
Best Halloween Outing for Animal Lovers: Boo at the Zoo
Best Last-Chance Fall Adventure: Pumpkins at Callaway
Best Way to Celebrate Día de los Muertos: Oakland Cemetery’s Día de Muertos Festival

From all of us at Mommy Poppins, we wish you a fun, safe Halloween!

-Elsa and the Atlanta team!

Halloween Weekend 2026 in Miami & South Florida: Trick-or-Treat and More Things To Do with Kids

James Smith — 10/28/2026

Halloween weekend 2026 in Miami and South Florida is full of candy, fun, and costumes. Your beloved little monsters will love these Halloween events.

Looking for the best things to do in Miami and South Florida this Halloween weekend? Here are some Halloween events and activities to add to your list.

Halloween arrives on Saturday, October 31. The good news for Miami and South Florida families is that the fun begins early and extends into the weekend.

Halloween in Miami and South Florida means a host of trick-or-treating opportunities, including in Homestead, Hallandale Beach, South Miami, and elsewhere. Families can continue their Halloween experience Sunday at a Day of the Dead celebration in Doral or at one of the many frightfully fun events in the area.

Many area neighborhoods get into the spooky spirit, with elaborate Halloween decorations and candy for kids. See our rundown of the best Miami and South Florida Neighborhoods to Trick-or-Treat this Halloween, as well as awesome ideas in our Halloween Activities Guide for South Florida Families.

At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Miami Families This Halloween Weekend

Best for Toddlers and Younger Kids: Spookyville in Yesteryear Village
Best for OIder Kids: Fright Nights in West Palm Beach
Best Nature Experience: Hoot & Howl at Daggerwing Nature Center
Best Neighborhood Halloweeen Celebration: Lincoln Road Halloween Block Party
Best Non-Halloween Event in South Florida: Build a Better World Exhibit at MODS

As always, if you have an event you think we should check out, feel free to e-mail us. Don't forget to bookmark the page and share with a friend.