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Hope the first chilly mornings went okay and at least one jacket from last year still fits somebody. Hang in there, parent! 🍂

This week's scoop has three fire stations opening their doors on Saturday, a free dinosaur fossil workshop, and a guided walk to watch the hawks migrate. Plus apple picking in Stouffville and a night walk through thousands of carved pumpkins.

Note: This is your YORK Edition. Reply HALTON to switch. Or BOTH to get both editions.

PS: See all events on our event page.

Newly found or rare events

📍 Scarborough Bridlewood Mall, 2900 Warden Ave · SAT Sep 26 · 12 to 2 PM · 💰 Free

A hands-on fossil workshop run by BioTroopers, the kids' biology program. All ages. → Details

📍 Vaughan Kortright Centre, 9550 Pine Valley Dr · SAT Sep 26 · 9 to 11 AM · 💰 $25 plus HST

A guided walk to watch hawks on their fall migration, all ages. → Register

📍 Markham Swan Lake Park, by the playground · SAT Sep 26 · 10 AM to 3 PM · 💰 Free

Nature stations around the lake: a bird walk, pollinators, and what lives in the park. → Details

Fri Sep 25 to Sun Sep 27

📍 Stouffville 12416 McCowan Rd · SAT and SUN 9 AM to 5 PM, also Wed to Fri 10 AM to 5 PM · 💰 $13 per person, under 3 free, apples $20 or $35 a bag

Honeycrisp, Empire, Cortland and Gala on the trees now. Admission includes a pumpkin or squash from the field, plus wagon rides, a corn maze, the farm animals and a play area. → Details

📍 Vaughan Pierre Berton Resource Library, 4921 Rutherford Rd · SUN Sep 27 · 11 AM to 12 PM · 💰 Free, drop-in

A drop-in hour in a sensory-friendly room, all ages, for meeting other families at your own pace. → Details

📍 East Gwillimbury Sharon Museum and the Health and Active Living Plaza · SAT Sep 26 · 11 AM to 8 PM · 💰 Free

An all-ages Culture Days arts day around the heritage gardens. → Details

📍 Richmond Hill David Dunlap Observatory, 123 Hillsview Dr · SAT Sep 26 and SUN Sep 27 · 1 to 5 PM · 💰 Free

Walk into the dome and see the big telescope up close. Drop-in afternoons. → Details

Mon Sep 28 to Sun Oct 4

📍 Markham Markham Fairgrounds, 10801 McCowan Rd · THU Oct 1 to SUN Oct 4 · 💰 $25

Running since 1844. Livestock barns, the exhibit halls and a midway. Note: the midway is the loud end, the barns are the quiet one. → Details

📍 Markham Markham Museum, 9350 Markham Rd · opens FRI Oct 2, then nightly to Oct 31 · 💰 timed entry, see site for prices

A night walk through thousands of hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns on the museum grounds. Time-slotted tickets cap how many people are on the path at once, and weeknights are the quiet ones. → Tickets

📍 Stouffville The Nature Centre at Bruce's Mill, 3291 Stouffville Rd · SAT Oct 3 · 9:30 to 11:30 AM · 💰 $12 child, $5 adult plus fees

Make your own nature journal, then a guided walk with stops to draw and notice. Supplies included, ages 6 and up. → Register

📍 Richmond Hill Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge St · SUN Oct 4 · 2 to 4 PM · 💰 Free, no registration

A bird migration documentary followed by trivia, all ages. → Details

On the horizon: the free Home Depot Kids Workshop on SAT Oct 10 builds a witch candy box. Register ahead.

Three stations open their doors this Saturday, all free. Some open houses run live demos with sirens or smoke, so if that is a lot for your kid, ask at the gate when the demo is and plan around it.

📍 Richmond Hill Station 8-1, 191 Major Mackenzie Dr W · SAT Sep 26 · 9 AM to 4 PM · 💰 Free

Fire trucks, Sparky and kids' games at the station. → Details

📍 Queensville Station 2-8 · SAT Sep 26 · 9 AM to 3 PM · 💰 Free

An outdoor fire safety day with kids' activities and the trucks out front. → Details

📍 Sutton Sutton Fire Station, 37 Snooks Rd · SAT Sep 26 · 10 AM to 2 PM · 💰 Free

Interactive safety stations, a firefighter relay challenge and a free BBQ. All ages. → Details

These come round regularly across York Region and Toronto, see the full list on our sensory hours page.

🌊 Sensory Sunday at Ripley's Aquarium: select Sundays, 9 AM to 12 PM, before the general opening. Raised lighting, no music, a quiet room and sensory kits. Next one is SUN Oct 4. Included with admission.

🏙️ CN Tower Low Sensory Morning: the first 90 minutes after opening on select Sundays. Next one is SUN Oct 4. Included with regular admission.

Thank you for being here and read this far! This list only exists because you keep telling me what your family actually needs.

Hit reply and tell me one thing you are hoping goes smoothly this week. I read every single one.

See you next week!

Stella

Sensory Scoop · sensoryscoop.ca