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The Bronx Zoo celebrates Boo at the Zoo with family activities all October long. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher
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Try your hand at corn husking and more analog entertainment during the Corn Fest at the Queens County Farm Museum. Photo courtesy of the Queens County Farm Museum
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Hit The High Line in costume to celebrate all things creepy and crawly on Saturday, October 25. Photo by Liz Ligon/courtesy of The High Line
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See the skyline from a whole new vantage point on the Roosevelt Island Tram. Photo courtesy of NYCGo
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Tom's Restaurant is situated on a fairly sleepy corner in Morningside Heights despite its high-profile turn in Seinfeld. Photo by Jody Mercier
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The Ausable Chasm has been described as the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks and it's one of our top 100 things to do in New York State with kids. Photo by Anna Fader
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Diving into the sprinkle pool at the Museum of Ice Cream is a great way to cure rainy day blues. Photo by Jody Mercier
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Halloween and More Things To Do in NYC with Kids October 2025, from Mommy Poppins Editors

The Little Red Lighthouse welcomes fall with an all-ages, waterfront festival on Saturday, October 4. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks
The Little Red Lighthouse welcomes fall with an all-ages, waterfront festival on Saturday, October 4. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks
9/28/25 - By Drew Kristofik

In October, New York City is crawling with pumpkin patches, haunted houses, fall festivals, and, of course, trick-or-treating—so many opportunities to wear Halloween costumes! But Halloween isn't the only game in town.

We're super psyched for all the other glorious shenanigans October has in store, including the 50th annual Atlantic Antic (we'll be there, too!), snooping behind the scenes at Open House NY, and the new Calder's Circus exhibit at the Whitney. Plus, the American Museum of Natural History is bringing back its Night at the Museum sleepovers this month.

Of course, Halloween lurks at month's end, and, never fear, we have you covered when it comes to FREE Halloween fun. Find all our top picks for the spooky season in our New York City Kids' Guide to Halloween.

As always, if an event piques your interest, click through to our listing for all the details, including addresses and times. And keep in mind: Really cool things to do with kids often book quickly, so register or buy your tickets ASAP.

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Best Things To Do in NYC this October with Kids

Interventions: Firebird on Governors Island

Governors Island
Friday, October 3-Saturday, October4, 2025
Ams­ter­dam-based artist col­lec­tive Tou­ki Delphine’s Fire­bird fea­tures an orches­tra of light made from more than 600 recy­cled car tail­lights that illu­mi­nate the dance of the fire­bird, creating a sym­pho­ny of light re-envi­sion­ing Igor Stravinsky’s 1919 Fire­bird Suite as an homage.  READ MORE

Little Red Lighthouse Festival

Hudson Heights – FREE
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Celebrate Manhattan’s only remaining lighthouse with Urban Park Ranger presentations, readings of The Little Red Lighthouse and The Great Gray Bridge children’s book, live music, and activities for all ages. READ MORE

Mid-Autumn Family Moon Festival at MOCA

Chinatown
Saturday, October 4, 2025
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) with mooncakes, magic, and the Jade Rabbit on the moon! Stop by for an afternoon of storytelling, drop-in arts and crafts, mooncake making, and more. READ MORE

Maker Faire on Coney Island

Coney Island, Brooklyn
Saturday, October 4-Sunday, October 5, 2025
Head to Coney Island for hands-on exhibits, demonstrations, and workshops in fields such as robotics, crafts, engineering, art, music, 3D-printing, and future technologies, designed by students, teachers, and independent folks who build interesting things. READ MORE

Blessing of the Animals at St. John the Divine

Morningside Heights – FREE
Sunday, October 5, 2025
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine welcomes families for a day of music, prayer, joy, blessings, and fun in honor of Saint Francis, the patron saint of animals and the environment. READ MORE

50th Annual Atlantic Antic: Playtopia

Brooklyn
Sunday, October 5, 2025
NYC's largest street fest, the Atlantic Antic, fills Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue with food and craft vendors, family fun, and amazing performances. A highlight for families is Mommy Poppins and Brooklyn Bridge Parents' Playtopia at Atlantic Antic, powered by Prospect Schools. This block-long family fun zone is stuffed to the brim with STEM activities, balloon twisting, freebies, arts and crafts, interactive games, circus activities, and more for kids of all ages. READ MORE

Disney's Moana Live-To-Film Concert at Lehman Center

Kingsbridge Heights, Bronx
Sunday, October 5, 2025
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents a screening of Disney's Moana Live to Film Concert. Enjoy a full-length screening of the beloved movie paired with live performances starring Hollywood-style musicians, Polynesian rhythm masters, and vocalists. READ MORE

Wicked Day at the New York Botanical Garden

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Witches land at NYBG, with live performances by Wicked on Broadway cast members, face painting, hands-on games, Wicked trivia, giveaways, and more. READ MORE

Rockefeller Center Skating Rink Opening Week

Midtown West
Opens Saturday, October 11, 2025
The world's most famous ice rink opens for the season. Grab your ice skates and your reservations, and take a spin on this iconic ice skating rink.  READ MORE

Indigenous Peoples Day on Randall's Island

Randall's Island – FREE
Sunday, October 12-Monday, October 13, 2025
Head to Randall's Island for a celebration of NYC's indigenous people. This two-day fest includes performances of spoken word, live music, and guest speakers. Food and wares are available for purchase. READ MORE

Columbus Day Parade

Midtown West
Monday, October 13, 2025
The 81st annual Columbus Day Parade processes up Fifth Avenue from 44th Street to 72nd Street—with red carpet performances on Fifth Avenue between 67th and 69th Streets—including high school bands, professional musicians, folk dance troupes, floats, and more.  READ MORE

Open House New York

Citywide – FREE
Friday, October 17-Sunday, October 19, 2025
Open House New York is an annual festival that unlocks 300 destinations across the five boroughs for behind-the-scenes tours and special activities. Look at new buildings transforming the skyline, step inside infrastructure facilities keeping the city running, explore parks offering respite, discover state-of-the-art performance spaces, visit manufacturing workshops, browse private collections, and much more. READ MORE

Brooklyn Bridge Park's Harvest Festival

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, October 18, 2025
Celebrate the fall season at the 14th annual harvest festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park. A fun procession kicks off the event, which includes arts and crafts, storytelling, lawn games, and more—plus BBP's signature pumpkin patch. READ MORE

High Wire: Calder's Circus at 100 Opens at the Whitney

West Village
Opens Saturday, October 18, 2025
High Wire: Calder’s Circus at 100 celebrates the centennial of one of Alexander Calder’s most iconic works and one of the most beloved works in the Whitney’s collection, Calder’s Circus (1926–31). This exhibition brings together more than 100 objects from this installation, along with more than 20 related works, including drawings, archival material, and film.  READ MORE

A Night at the Museum of Natural History

Upper West Side
Friday, October 24, 2025
Discover the museum after dark before drifting off to sleep underneath the blue whale or surrounded by other beloved museum exhibits. From flashlight tours to hands-on activities, scavenger hunts, group games, and more, this unique and unforgettable program is designed to spark wonder.  READ MORE

Circus Kikasse: Sante! at Lincoln Center

Upper West Side – FREE
Saturday, October 25-Sunday, October 26, 2025
Cirque Kikasse, a one-of-a-kind, extraordinary mobile circus, where daring acrobatics are performed on top of and around a food truck, wows with juggling, tumbling, music, spectacular surprises...and tasty food and drinks! READ MORE

Alice in Wonderland at 92Y

Upper East Side
Opens Saturday, October 25, 2025
Featuring a brand-new score, delightful dance, and whacky hilarity, this production of Alice in Wonderland at the 92nd Street Y is a zany adventure just right for little theater fans. READ MORE

Grand Opening of Winter Village at Bryant Park

Midtown West
Opens Saturday, October 25, 2025
Bryant Park braces for winter with the official launch of its 25th annual winter village. That means one of NYC's favorite, free ice skating rinks is ready to make its season debut, too. Enjoy a twirl on the ice and enjoy a snack at the Lodge Deck.  READ MORE

Court Street Spectacular Street Fest

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Sunday, October 26, 2025
Brooklyn's last big street festival of the year features shopping, food, and lots of kid-friendly amusement rides. READ MORE

Ballet of Lights: Cinderella at the Kaye Playhouse

Upper East Side
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Ballet of Lights presents the classic fairy tale, reimagined in a ballet show where dancers shine in glow-in-the-dark costumes. READ MORE

Best Halloween Events in NYC 2025 for Kids and Families

Citywide
Multiple Dates
The spooky season is upon us and these are the must-do's in NYC this Halloween. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Little Red Lighthouse (in Fort Washington Park)
Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
Citywide and online

About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
Recent Articles By Drew Kristofik:
Read more articles by Drew Kristofik.