Last Updated on August 10, 2026 by Themigonikitchen

20 Best Things to Do in New England in the Fall with Kids

Fall in New England is pure magic—whether you’re embarking on a full leaf-peeping road trip or live locally and want fun family weekend outings. We visited for a long weekend a couple years ago with our then 2.5 year old, and we learned that the best things to do in New England in the fall with kids focused on low-stress, toddler-paced fun. We planned lots of short walks, farm animal encounters, train and gondola rides, and, of course, plenty of special treats.

This guide is perfect for families wanting a curated menu of activities, scenic stops, and local day trips across Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. I’ve organized my 20 best things to do in New England in the fall with kids into 4 different categories. 

1. Farms and animal encounters
2. Fall treats and sweet shops
3. Hikes and nature
4. Scenic rides

Planning a longer trip or looking for places to stay?

• Check out our full New England Fall Foliage Itinerary with a Toddler for our day-by-day routing.

• See our top family-friendly hotels in Where to Stay in New England in the Fall with Kids.

Top Things to Do in New England in the Fall with Kids by Category

1. Farms and Animal Encounters: Apple picking, dairy farms and more

1. Cider Hill Farms (Amesbury, MA)

   

   

   

   Apple picking

   
   

   • Apple picking, pumpkin patch, tractor rides, farm animals, and hot cider donuts right off the press. This was an all in one stop and probably our favorite on the trip.

   • Apple picking usually runs from late August to mid October, but they have updates on picking on their website so be sure to check on it before heading over.
     • Tip: You will usually need to buy entrance 24-72 hours before, especially on busy weekend days. The entrance usually covers some amount of pick-your-own and they have different packages depending on how much you plan to pick.
   • If you don’t make it in the fall, they have blueberry, cherry, strawberry, and peach picking in the summer months!

2. Billings Farm & Museum (Woodstock, VT)

   

   

   
   

   • Historic working dairy farm with Jersey cows, sheep, horses, and interactive children’s programs.

   • I do recommend pre-booking your tickets online. Kids 3 and under are free!

   • They have a little snack shop open from Memorial Day through Halloween. They serve an assortment of dairy items like housemade cheese, yogurts, and ice cream. They also have some basic snack items too. We ended up ordering an assortment and having a little picnic there for lunch

More Great Farms & Orchards to Consider: 

There were MANY other farms and orchards I had researched extensively for the trip as alternative/back-up options depending on where our road trip took us. While we did not end up visiting these, they are still likely to be great options with little kids!

1. Smolak Farms (North Andover, MA): Famous for themed weekend hayrides, farm animals, and incredible apple picking (great companion stop near Amesbury). They also have a cute playground for the kids to play on as a bonus!

2. Sugarbush Farm (Woodstock, VT): Nestled on a quiet scenic road offering free samples of local Vermont cheeses and pure maple syrup. No reservations needed. Tours/samples are free. 

3. Burtt’s Apple Orchard (Cabot, VT): Family-friendly apple picking with fun orchard games, apple cannons, and fresh cider. I read they are newly featuring maple cotton candy this year, yum!

4. Gould Hill Farm (Contoocook, NH): Historic New Hampshire orchard with over 80 varieties of apples, stunning mountain views, and an on-site bakery. They will actually pay to ship your apples home if you want to buy a nice stock to take back!

5. Percy Farm Corn Maze (Stowe, VT): A classic autumn corn maze right off the Stowe Recreation Path (takes about 30–45 minutes—fun for energetic older toddlers and kids).

6. Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm (Fayston, VT): Unique farm setting where kids can see iconic, friendly Icelandic horses in the scenic Mad River Valley. It seems they most specialize in booking full day rides on the horses and riders must be over 10 years old with riding experience. Could be great for older kids who are already riding horses!

2. Fall Treats & Sweet Stops Worth the Drive

No vacation or weekend getaway is complete without some special sweet treats and snacks. Luckily, there are PLENTY of options in New England to choose from that will please even the pickiest of toddlers.

1. Maple & Pumpkin Swirl Creemee at Woodstock Scoops (Woodstock, VT and Hanover, NH)

   • Authentic Vermont soft-serve (“creemee”); swirling maple and pumpkin is the ultimate autumn bite!

2. Fresh Hot Cider & Donuts at Cold Hollow Cider Mill (Waterbury Center, VT)

   • No fall foliage trip to New England is complete without trying some of famous apple cider donuts!

   • Watch the historic cider press in action and grab hot cider donuts straight from the oven. These are famous for a reason.

3. Cabot Cheese & Dairy Stops (Waterbury Center, VT and Hardwick VT) 

   • Note for readers: While the main Cabot, VT facility no longer runs walk-through factory tours, you can visit the Cabot Creamery Store in Waterbury Center, VT or the Cabot Yellow Barn Store in Hardwick, VT for cheese samples and local products.

4. Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks (Montpelier, VT)
   • Features live maple syrup presentations, an outdoor farm life museum, and maple creemees.

5. Bragg Farm Sugarhouse & Gift Shop (East Montpelier, VT)

   

   

   
   
   • Authentic maple syrup tasting, farm animals, and an outdoor kids’ play area.
6. Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour (Waterbury, VT)
   • Guided factory tour with ice cream samples and a walk through the famous Flavor Graveyard
   • We so wanted to do this last time but didn’t get a chance on our short trip.

3. Easy Walks, Stroller Paths & Short Waterfall Hikes

We absolutely love hiking, but living in Dallas with little access to great hiking options, our kids are not very keen on hiking long distances. If you have a pro toddler hiker, props to you. While we do have a great shoulder carrier we have used in the past for longer hikes, we opted for shorter and easily accessible hiking options to optimize time and stress levels.

Stroller & Paved Paths

1. Stowe Recreation Path (Stowe, VT)

   

   

   
   

   • Flat, 5.3-mile paved trail winding past rivers, mountain foliage, and iconic covered bridges.

2. Barnes Camp Visitor Center Boardwalk (Smugglers’ Notch State Park, VT)

   

   

   
   

   • Short, stroller/wheelchair-accessible wooden boardwalk with spectacular mountain and wetland views.

Quick Waterfall & Nature Breaks

1. Sabbaday Falls (Kancamagus Highway, NH)

   • Easy, scenic 0.7-mile roundtrip walk along a brook to a cascading waterfall gorge.

2. The Lower Falls (Kancamagus Highway, NH)

   

   

   
   

   • Convenient roadside pull-off along the “Kanc”—great for quick photos and rock hopping.

3. The Basin at Franconia Notch State Park (NH)

• • Short, paved path leading to a giant 25,000-year-old natural glacial pothole and flowing stream.

4. Scenic Rides & Unique Family Transport

Excitement-filled activities that toddlers and young kids love

1. Free Over Easy Gondola Ride (Stowe Mountain Resort, VT)
   • A short, free inter-lodge gondola connecting Mt. Mansfield and Spruce Peak lodges—gives kids the mountain gondola thrill without paying for a full summit pass.
2. Boston Harbor Water Taxi to the North End (Boston, MA)

   

   

   
   
   • Scenic boat ride across Boston Harbor ending in the North End for a family Italian dinner (plus fresh cannolis from Mike’s or Modern Pastry for dessert!). Great activity when flying in/out of Logan Airport or staying at Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor like we were!
3. The Mount Washington Cog Railway (Mount Washington, NH)
   • Bucket list ride: The historic steep train climb up Mount Washington offers fantastic views of peak fall foliage
   • We didn’t get a chance to do this, since it is a longer ride (3 hours round trip) but it looks like a truly amazing experience
   • Kids under 4 ride free if they are sitting in your lap
4. Conway Scenic Railroad (North Conway, NH):
   • Vintage train excursion riding through the heart of the White Mountains.
   • Trips are usually about 1 hour long

Need help putting these activities into a day-by-day plan?

Read our Complete New England Fall Road Trip Itinerary!

New England is full of SO many fun options year round, but fall really offers such an amazing array of things to do for kids and adults alike. For us southerners, it’s also such a refreshing escape from the continued oppressive heat we are usually still getting through mid October. It’s so nice to actually experience real autumn while sipping a pumpkin spice latte rather than sipping one in 100 degree heat here in Dallas.

For those lucky local folks who live nearby, you can easily pick any one of these activities and make a fun day trip or weekend out of it. For those who are flying-in, you can easily plan an entire week (or more!) of things to do all around New England in the fall.

Which of these fall activities would your kids love most? Let us know in the comments below!