It’s back to school time and already fall – our favorite season! So many fun activities are near NYC and are just a bus, train, or car ride away.
During these fall activities, we advise parents to help their kids comment on what they’re seeing (“I see a spooky scarecrow!”) and encourage their children to ask lots of questions (“What is that?”) If they are older, you can have them look at a map of the place and direct you to where they want to go.
We also encourage families to take lots of pictures during their outings. One reason is to, of course, save your memories, but from a speech and language perspective we love using pictures to work on recalling past events after the activities has taken place. You can use the visuals to help your child answer questions such as, “What did you do this weekend?” The possibilities are endless!
Here are some of our top fall choices in or near NYC:
Apple Picking & Pumpkin Picking
Two of our favorite places to get these fun fall items are in New Jersey. Terhune Orchards is in Princeton, NJ and Von Thun Farms is in Monmouth Junction, NJ. These places also have fuzzy farm animals, spooky corn mazes, and bumpy hayrides! And don’t forget the yummy cider and pies. Terhune Orchards even has pony rides and apple donuts!
The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze
This is the tri-state area’s most amazing event full of lights! Located in Hudson Valley, a total of 5,000 individually hand-carved pumpkins create this an unforgettable experience. Even the ceiling of the bridge is covered with pumpkins… Be careful of the Headless Horseman!
From costume parades, musical theater, to magic shows the Bronx Zoo is the place to be! It’s also a great opportunity to see unique animals such as bats and vultures. And the best way to complete the day is to ride on the dinosaur safari!
At the Prospect Park Zoo, there are some really fun events scheduled such as “Pumpkins for the Baboons”, “Wildlife Witch Shows”, and “Spooky Barn”!
Haunted Houses for Children
Boo! We love getting scared during the Halloween season. The Queens Farm does just that! Plus, enjoy some treats such as cider and yummy Halloween candy.
And in Brooklyn at the Gravesend Inn, prepare to be totally spooked! It’s a high-tech haunted hotel that is unlike no other.
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Debbie Shiwbalak, M.A., CCC-SLP, has a Baccalaureate of Arts in Speech Pathology and is a graduate of Long Island University-CW Post Campus, where she received a Master of Arts in Speech Pathology in 2001. She holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed by the state of New York to practice speech-language pathology. Debbie has 13 years experience as a speech pathologist in the New York City area. She co-authored a chapter of “Cutting Edge Therapies for Autism” and presents at parent and professional workshops all over New York City.
Alpin Rezvani, M.A., CCC-SLP, graduated from New York University with a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association (ASHA) and has New York licensure in Speech-Language Pathology. She has 7 years of experience as a speech pathologist in the New York City area and was an adjunct instructor at New York University. She co-authored three chapters of “Cutting Edge Therapies for Autism” and presents at parent and professional workshops all over New York City.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog contributor’s. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Writers may have conflicts of interest, and their opinions are their own.
