Where to Find the Kid-Friendliest Frights This Halloween

Halloween is almost here, and that means it’s time to plan the perfect ways to have some holiday fun with the kiddos. There seems to be no shortage of adrenaline-filled options for teens, but while the kiddos are still young and not quite ready for heart-stopping scares, you want to make sure they have all the fun they deserve, with just the right amount of silly spookiness that makes the holiday such a memorable one.

Philadelphia and Southern California are two destinations offering year-round fun for little ones at Sesame Place. But as the spooky season comes round each year, the parks gear up for some kid-sized theme park fun with the Halloween treatment. The parks, which are completely based on Sesame Street and the characters that have been loved by generations of kids, get into the Halloween fun with the annual The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular event. Running from Sept. 13 through Nov. 2 on select dates, Halloween fun is always silly, never scary, and full of fun activities around the park. Kids are encouraged to dress up in their favorite costumes for a costume contest and do some trick-or-treating. There are Halloween-themed scavenger hunts and kids get to take photos with their favorite characters who, of course, will be dressed up in costumes of their own.

If you’re planning to be in Southern California to visit the San Diego location of Sesame Place, you’ll want to head a few hours north to Buena Park for Knott’s Spooky Farm. By night, the park is transformed into a Halloween scare fair for teens and adults, but during the day, the park rolls out the red carpet for kids. Snoopy and Charlie Brown and all their friends come out to play from Sept. 25 through Oct. 31. Characters dress up in holiday costumes to take photos and play with the little ones, who can go trick-or-treating in the shops of the Western-themed park during their visit.

For families visiting Sesame Place’s Philadelphia location, you won’t have to head far for more Halloween-themed fun in a place that goes hand-in-hand with the holiday and all the sweet treats that go with it. Hersheypark, the chocolate-themed theme park in Hershey, celebrates candy and kid-friendly fun all year long, but as Halloween rolls around, the costumes come out and the spooky fun begins for all ages. Of course, there are plenty of scares for teens and adults, but from Sept. 12 through Nov. 2, little ones will love dressing up in their costumes and hitting the Trick-or-Treat trail, which features 14 spots starting at Hershey’s Chocolate World and ending at the Shore at the Boardwalk at Hersheypark. It’s designed specifically for kids 12 and under, and is a great way to see the park while the kids grab their candy. There is also a fun interactive live show designed just for the season at the Music Box Theater.