Halloween activities for kids in NYC

Pumpkin picking in and near New York City is at its peak, finally, and so it is time to pack up your family and head out on the road to get your gourds. Not only are these farms great places to find your perfect carving pumpkin, they offer plenty of other fall activities such as corn mazes, tractor rides and more!

The New York Public Library is offering loads of Halloween-themed activities for kids of all ages, from matinee horror movies and Halloween book clubs to crafting sessions featuring mask-making, spooky lanterns, tube monsters and paper plate spiders.

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze in Hudson Valley, New York is one of the best things to do in the fall and certainly one of the best things to do for Halloween. You'll witness an army of more than 7,000 glowing, intricately carved pumpkins shining along the riverside near Van Cortlandt Manor. This is the tristate area’s most spirited Halloween happenings.

Revel in the Halloween fun amongst the animals at the Bronx Zoo with magic shows, pumpkin carving demonstrations, mind reading and trips through a spooky extinct animal graveyard. Each day, animal-themed costumed stilt walkers and Halloween animal puppets will put on a "MASKerade" while the Wildlife Theater will pull out all the stops with performances in Astor Court. Advanced tickets are required before attending and reentry is not permitted.

The Village Halloween Parade—NYC’s creative and spooky procession—is one of the best Halloween events in Greenwich Village and you won't want to miss it! Each year, more than 50,000 zombies, ghouls, witches, monsters, robots, Jedis, giant puppets and more things that go bump in the night take to the streets for a night of costumed revelry.

In Ulster Park, New York, the Headless Horseman Haunted Hayrides and Haunted Houses is once again offering a Children's Day event, which will take place Oct 8 and 22 from 11:30am–4pm. The "Tiny Taste of Terror" will feature a Magic Moon Maze, haunted house, haunted gardens, a dino zone, music and more.

If you’ve ever wanted to step inside Disney’s 1998 movie Halloweentown, which is set in a magical town filled with friendly pumpkin people, ghosts, ghouls and witches and thousands of glowing pumpkins, you’ll finally have your chance this fall. From September 30 to October 31, Los Angeles’ beloved Haunt O’ Ween will pop up on the East Coast in Holmdel, New Jersey—an hour’s drive from NYC.

Take your kids to Park Slope's Fifth Avenue for the annual Halloween Parade. There will be trick-or-treating from 3-6pm before the parade which starts and 6:30 and ends at the Old Stone House.

The East Midtown Partnership is once again hosting "Trick-or-Treat with East Midtown" where businesses in the district will welcome trick-or-treaters and their families on Monday, October 31, between 3-7pm. Trick-or-treaters can visit any participating business on the map to collect their first treat and a trick-or-treat bag. It's free!