Family Fright: Haunted Happenings in NYC

Get into the Halloween spirit with a visit to one of these spooky city sites. From the ghosts of New York’s past to creepy critters, each of these venues–ordered by fear factor–has something that will chill and thrill both kids and parents.

Spooky Nighttime Adventures at the New York Botanical Garden

Spooky-Nights-4 — Go on a Spooky Nighttime Adventure at the New York Botanical Garden. via nybg.org

Grab a flashlight and explore the Trick-or-Treat trail during this eerie nighttime adventure. Let the illuminations from the Jack-o-Lanters guide you on your journey. If you listen carefully, you might hear some of the creatures of the night! Fear factor: Low. October 24, 25, & 31. Ages 4-12. $20 non-member, $15 member. 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx.

Spooky Barn at Prospect Park Zoo

Come to Prospect Park’s annual Boo at the Zoo event, where children can explore the spooky barn full of creepy creatures and characters! Fear Factor: Low. October 25-26. Free with admission. 450 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn.

Halloween Haunted House at the Queens County Farm Museum

Visit the Queens County Farm Museum’s spooky haunted barn for hayrides, mulled cider, and of course, spooky surprises! Fear factor: Low. October 24-26. Ages 6-12, $4.00. 73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park.

Merchant’s House Museum Children’s Candlelight Ghost Tours

Young investigators are invited to one of Manhattan’s most haunted buildings to hear accounts of strange occurrences, see inexplicable photographs, and decide for yourself what’s really behind the mischief. Fear factor: Moderate. October 24-25. Ages 8-12, from $40.00 for 1 adult & 1 child. 29 East 4th Street.

Ghouls, Goblins & Ghost Trains: A Ride to Woodlawn Cemetery

Ride on WWI-era train cars to explore the legendary Woodlawn Cemetery. Pack a picnic, enjoy the fall foliage, and take a twilight tour of the graveyard, where you’ll hear the stories behind some of its infamous residents’ untimely deaths. Fear factor: Moderate. October 25. $50.00 adult, $25.00 child. New York Transit Museum, Boerum Place, Brooklyn.

Gravesend Inn Haunted Hotel

This high-tech haunt, produced by Theatreworks, City Tech’s resident theatrical troupe, is a theme-park quality Halloween attraction sure to frighten and delight children and adults alike. Fear factor: Moderate October 23, 24, 25, 30, & November 1. $5.00 for students, $8.00 general. Vorhees Theater, 186 Jay Street, Brooklyn.

Times Scare

Encounter the ghosts of Time Square’s seedy past at what legend has is one of the most haunted buildings in the country! Fear Factor: High. Note: Recommended for ages 10 and up. Daily through October 31, $27.00 for adults; $22.00 for children 12 and under. At 8th Avenue & 42nd Street.

Blood Manor

Visit one of NYC’s scariest haunted houses–if you dare–and explore 5,000 square feet of themed rooms and twisting passages. Fear factor: High. Note: Not recommended for children under 14 years old. Wed. Oct 22, & Thursdays-Sundays until November 8. 163 Varick Street.

Brooklyn Robot Foundry - Virtual Classes

Brooklyn Robot Foundry offers super fun online robot-building classes for children 2-13 years old!&nbsp;&nbsp;Each week, students are introduced to new engineering concepts and components while building that day&rsquo;s robot in their own &ldquo;workshop&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;All classes maintain a very low student-to-teacher ratio, allowing for plenty of individualized instruction and socializing. The supplies are shipped in advance and classes are led by amazing instructors, taking all the pressure off parents.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Foundry&rsquo;s main focus however, is that kids have fun, get creative, and enjoy being part of this STEAM-loving community!&nbsp;

Cucu's PlayHouse

<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">Interactive, live-streaming music and movement class in Spanish for babies, toddlers and preschoolers! Join us every day from Monday through Saturday at 1:30 pm EST to sing, dance and play together while learning Spanish from your home.</div> <div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">&nbsp;</div> <div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;">This class is part of a Spanish Immersion Program where your child will be introduced to basic concepts like the animals, colors, numbers and letters. All of these through the universal language of Music. Each session is fun, interactive and engaging. A selection of Children Songs in Spanish guides the class from start to finish. Activities are related to the lyrics, in order to familiarize the children with the words and their meanings. Some of the songs encourage the children to dance. Nilda uses puppets, musical instruments, and props to teach children basic vocabulary through action and interaction, rather than through translation.</div> <div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; background-color: #ffffff;"> The classes are streamed on Zoom's webinar platform. Participants (children, parents, nannies) are able to join the video from their homes and interact with us in real-time, it is a fun and engaging experience.</div>

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.