Hit one of the amazing beaches in NYC, by train, ferry, bike, or car. Photo by Sara Marentette

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Task-tackling service Taskrabbit is able to take on tons of back-to-school projects you may not have even considered outsourcing.

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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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Enjoy the Summer of Spongebob, courtesy of Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Punta Cana - and Mommy Poppins!

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Make a splash at Coney Island when you need to beat the heat in NYC. Photo by author

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Enjoy the popular Movies With a View series at Brooklyn Bridge Park in July and August. Photo by Etienne Frossard

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Noshing on a funnel cake on the Coney Island boardwalk is a sweet ending to an epic day of summer fun.

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Coney Island's shores are easy to get to, and action packed from the rides to the waves. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks

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See Isabella's flower-filled wonderland in real-life at the new Disney Encanto x CAMP experience at the Flatiron location.

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NYC school kids head back to school on Thursday, September 7, 2023, according to the newly released NYC public school calendar. Photo by Al De Ingeniis

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Climb on platforms dangling from ropes at Hester Street Playground. Photo by Jody Mercier

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Enjoy a wild visit to the Philadelphia Zoo during a weekend getaway to the City of Brotherly Love. Photo courtesy of the zoo

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Summer camps help kids develop social skills and have fun

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Lola and Tots offers is a drop-in play as well as membership-based childcare with co-working benefits.

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The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk has 75 animal exhibits and is home to more than 7,000 animals. Photo courtesy of the aquarium

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Eat on the rooftop at Fornino on Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6. Photo by Lisa Seibold-Winder

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Registration is now open for the reasonably priced summer camps at YMCA locations in NYC.

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Get a Broadway-caliber serenade during a birthday dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner.

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The Brooklyn Children's Museum offers three floors of rotating and permanent interactive exhibits perfect for warding off the rainy day blues. Photo courtesy of BCM

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Feed a crowd with extra large, classic, New York-style pizza slices without breaking the bank. Photo by Jody Mercier

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Free activities for Kids in NYC include the Children's Museum of the Arts, which has pay-what-you-wish Thursdays from 4-6pm. Photo courtesy of the museum

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Free Things To Do in NYC with Kids

These boredom-busting activities turn a stuck-at-home day into a lasting memory.

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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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& Juliet turns Shakespeare's classic tale on its head with plenty of girl power. Photo courtesy of Matthew Murphy

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The Peninsula New York rolls out the red carpet for kids—and their grown ups!

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Hunting down pop-up public art displays is one of our favorite free things to do in NYC. Zaq Landsberg's Reclining Liberty is on display in Morningside Park through April 2022.

100 Free Things To Do in NYC With Kids

The Met offers pay-what-you wish admission at all times to New Yorkers and kids always attend for free. Photo by Jody Mercier

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No visit to NYC is complete without an up-close encounter with the Statue of Liberty. Photo by Jess Laird

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Kids can while away hours of a day with a set of watercolors and a stack of new paper for painting.

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Hester Street Playground. Photo by Jody Mercier

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Creating a baking soda volcano is a classic science experiment for kids. Photo by Sara Marentette Nighswander

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Find the NYC neighborhood that fits your family.

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The Great Pumpkin Train and More Halloween Train Rides in New Jersey

Join in the Halloween fun at the Whippany Railway Museum onboard "The Pumpkin Patch Train". Photo courtesy of the Whippany Railway Museum

9/9/22 - By Michelle Vames

Halloween and hayrides go hand in hand, but if you really want to up your game this year, choo-choo-choose a trip on a Halloween train. From spooky to scenic, these fall train 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 classic autumn activities like corn mazes, crafts, and a trick-or-treat.

Book your tickets now to ensure you don't miss out on one of these seasonal NJ railway adventures. We've even found one across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania.

Check out our NJ Fall Fun Guide for even more seasonal family fun around the state, and sign up for our FREE newsletters to get the latest Halloween coverage and more delivered right to your inbox.