DFWChild

Candy, minus the crosswalks. 🍬🚸

Trunk-or-treats offer all the Halloween candy and community without the dark sidewalks, street crossings or unfamiliar routes. In one easy-to-navigate spot, families can more safely stroll among parked cars with their trunks or hatches popped open and decorated for the holiday.

Swipe for these DFW-area events happening October 17 to 29, many of them with extra activities like bounce houses or carnival rides. Save the date and be sure to check each organizer’s details before you go—especially for sensory hours, costume contests and RSVP requests that help organizers plan for enough candy.

What if this were your view next weekend? 🔥🍂

At these family-friendly overnights within a three-hour drive of DFW, visitors can experience all sorts of outdoor recreation—hiking, biking, swimming in a blue lake—and find even more Texas attractions nearby—dinosaur tracks, caves to explore, exotic animals to feed.

Tap the link in the comments to start planning a fall weekend roadtrip with evenings that end around the fire.

Photo courtesy Country Woods Inn

How scary is too scary for your crew? 👻

Some families want a few goosebumps. Others are ready for jump scares, dark mazes and a full night of horror.

We sorted DFW’s 2026 Halloween haunts by fright level—from kid-friendlier experiences and story-driven scares to intense attractions better suited to teens and adults.

Save this list for October planning, and find more on what to expect at each spot at the link below.

Photo courtesy Dark Hour Haunted House

Purées or finger foods? The first few bites don’t have to begin with a perfect plan. What matters most is that your baby is developmentally ready, food is served safely and there’s room to explore. Looking, smelling, squishing and even rejecting a new food are all part of the learning process.

Speech-language pathologist and lactation consultant Paige Vidrine shares practical guidance on readiness signs, introducing variety and allergens, understanding gagging versus choking, and knowing when it may be time to ask for feeding support.

Tap the link in the comments to read more.

Fall is officially here in DFW, even if the temperatures don’t quite agree. 🍂 For families, the start of the season means the return of some favorite traditions, including these below. Plan your weekend now with this shortlist of local happenings:

🎡 State Fair of Texas
📍 Fair Park, Dallas
📅 Sept. 25–Oct. 18

🦆 Fort Worth Opera Family Series: The Ugly Duckling
📍 Fort Worth Zoo
📅 Saturday, Sept. 26

🌕 Otsukimi Japanese Moon Viewing Festival
📍 Haggard Park, Plano
📅 Saturday, Sept. 26

🏁 Monster Truck Wars
📍 North Texas Fairgrounds, Denton
📅 Sept. 26–27

Get the details on these and more events at the link in the comments. ⬇️

Photos courtesy State Fair of Texas, Fort Worth Opera, The Time Group & Japan American Society of Dallas/Fort Worth, and Monster Truck Wars

For your kid who never skips a Bluey episode, here’s your chance to see the Heeler family life-size. Bluey, Bingo, Bandit and Chilli come to life as puppets in Bluey’s Big Play in Fort Worth this weekend. It’s a short show—under an hour—and families can stick around afterward for a giant game of Keepy Uppy.

For your older kids and everyone else, bring them along to experience hot air balloon rides (don’t worry, they’re kept low to the ground), a nighttime trail glowing with thousands of pumpkins, and more fall festivals around DFW:

🍇 GrapeFest: Sept. 17–20
🎈 Plano Balloon Festival: Sept. 17–20
🎃 Pumpkin Nights, Arlington: Sept. 17–Oct. 31
🐶 Bluey’s Big Play, Fort Worth: Sept. 19–20
🎨 C3 Grand Reopening at Dallas Museum of Art: Sept. 19–20
🪵 Saturday at the Homestead, Lewisville: Sept. 19

Find all the details at the link below.

Photo courtesy Mark Senior

Best Things to Do This Weekend in DFW: September 17–20 DFWChild calendar editor's recommendations for the best kid-friendly events to enjoy with your family each weekend in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Texas’ school-day cell phone ban is still in effect, some North Texas districts offer real-time bus tracking, and your school’s front office—not your child’s teacher—is generally the place to start if you need to reach your child during the day.

Brush up on these 5 things Texas to know for the 2026–27 school year at the link in the comments. 🎒 Consider it a short refresher course on cell phone rules, school safety and emergency procedures, transportation, parent portals, attendance policies and planning ahead for older kids.