# Central PA Littles: things to do with little kids in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey, PA this weekend

> Hersheypark Halloween runs its final weekend Friday through Sunday, with trick-or-treating for kids before the haunts open at 6. Closer to Lancaster, the Manheim Township library has Dramatic Play Friday and a Saturday morning Crafterday. Our list has 5 outings this weekend, and 4 of them are free. Of those, 4 are indoors.

- Week: Oct 26 – Nov 1, 2026
- Last checked: 2026-10-30
- 5 outings at 4 places; 4 free; 4 indoor. For kids ages 0–6.
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/index.md
- City guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/guide/index.md
- Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/visiting/index.md
- Events data (JSON): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events.json
- RSS feed: https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/feed.xml

## Top picks this week

- **Hersheypark Halloween** (Fri, Oct 30; Sat, Oct 31; Sun, Nov 1 · Fri 5–10pm, Sat noon–10pm, Sun noon–9pm) at Hersheypark, 100 W. Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA 17033. Cost: Park ticket required. Ages 2+. The final weekend of Hersheypark Halloween, with trick-or-treating for kids 12 and under, rides and the Hershey characters. Dark Nights haunts start at 6pm and are not meant for little kids, so go early. Source: https://www.hersheypark.com/plan-your-visit/hersheypark-halloween Event page (share this link): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/hersheypark-halloween/
- **Dramatic Play Friday** (Fri, Oct 30 · 12pm) at Manheim Township Public Library, Lapp Story Silo, 595 Granite Run Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601. Cost: Free. Ages 1–5. Indoor. Exact address not confirmed on the organizer’s page. Drop-in pretend play in the Lapp Story Silo for toddlers and young kids. No registration needed. Source: https://calendar.lancasterlibraries.org/event/dramatic-play-friday-169347 Event page (share this link): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/dramatic-play-friday-manheim-township-public-library/
- **Crafterday!** (Sat, Oct 31 · 9am–12pm) at Manheim Township Public Library, 595 Granite Run Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601. Cost: Free. Ages 4–5. Indoor. Exact address not confirmed on the organizer’s page. A drop-in make-and-take craft table on Saturday morning. The library pitches it at ages 4 to 11, so it suits older preschoolers. Source: https://calendar.lancasterlibraries.org/event/crafterday-169363 Event page (share this link): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/crafterday-manheim-township-public-library/

## A Saturday that works (Saturday, Oct 31)

1. **Morning**: Crafterday!, Manheim Township Public Library. 9am–12pm. Cost: Free. https://calendar.lancasterlibraries.org/event/crafterday-169363
2. **After nap**: Hands-on House, Children’s Museum of Lancaster, Lancaster, 721 Landis Valley Road. Open 9am–4pm. Cost: Kids $12, adults $10.50. (from the city guide) https://handsonhouse.org/visit/

Plan for a nap break in the middle. Times come from each event’s page or the place’s own site, so check before you head out.

## By day

- **Friday, Oct 30**: Dramatic Play Friday (free); Speech Links to Literacy (free); Hersheypark Halloween
- **Saturday, Oct 31**: Crafterday! (free); Duplo Free Play (free); Hersheypark Halloween
- **Sunday, Nov 1**: Hersheypark Halloween

## All outings this week

- **Dramatic Play Friday** (Fri, Oct 30 · 12pm) at Manheim Township Public Library, Lapp Story Silo, 595 Granite Run Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601. Cost: Free. Ages 1–5. Indoor. Exact address not confirmed on the organizer’s page. Drop-in pretend play in the Lapp Story Silo for toddlers and young kids. No registration needed. Source: https://calendar.lancasterlibraries.org/event/dramatic-play-friday-169347 Event page (share this link): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/dramatic-play-friday-manheim-township-public-library/
- **Speech Links to Literacy** (Fri, Oct 30 · 10:30am–12pm) at Madeline L. Olewine Memorial Library, 2410 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, PA 17110. Cost: Free. Ages 3–5. Indoor. Exact address not confirmed on the organizer’s page. A session for families with a child starting kindergarten in fall 2027, led by a speech-language pathologist, on the speech and language skills that help kids learn to read. Source: https://dcls.libcal.com/event/17117702 Event page (share this link): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/speech-links-to-literacy-madeline-l-olewine-memorial/
- **Crafterday!** (Sat, Oct 31 · 9am–12pm) at Manheim Township Public Library, 595 Granite Run Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601. Cost: Free. Ages 4–5. Indoor. Exact address not confirmed on the organizer’s page. A drop-in make-and-take craft table on Saturday morning. The library pitches it at ages 4 to 11, so it suits older preschoolers. Source: https://calendar.lancasterlibraries.org/event/crafterday-169363 Event page (share this link): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/crafterday-manheim-township-public-library/
- **Duplo Free Play** (Sat, Oct 31 · 11am) at Manheim Township Public Library, Lapp Story Silo, 595 Granite Run Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601. Cost: Free. Ages 1–5. Indoor. Exact address not confirmed on the organizer’s page. Drop-in Duplo building for toddlers and young kids. No registration needed. Source: https://calendar.lancasterlibraries.org/event/duplo-free-play-169284 Event page (share this link): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/duplo-free-play-manheim-township-public-library/
- **Hersheypark Halloween** (Fri, Oct 30; Sat, Oct 31; Sun, Nov 1 · Fri 5–10pm, Sat noon–10pm, Sun noon–9pm) at Hersheypark, 100 W. Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA 17033. Cost: Park ticket required. Ages 2+. The final weekend of Hersheypark Halloween, with trick-or-treating for kids 12 and under, rides and the Hershey characters. Dark Nights haunts start at 6pm and are not meant for little kids, so go early. Source: https://www.hersheypark.com/plan-your-visit/hersheypark-halloween Event page (share this link): https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/hersheypark-halloween/

## Holiday season in Central PA

- [Santa visits](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/santa/index.md): Breakfasts, photos and trains
- [Christmas lights](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/christmas-lights/index.md): Drive-thru and walk-through
- [Thanksgiving weekend](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/thanksgiving/index.md): Parades, turkey trots, what’s open
- [Parades & tree lightings](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/christmas-parades/index.md): Dates and start times
- [The Nutcracker](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/nutcracker/index.md): Shows for kids, sensory-friendly flagged
- [Christmas markets](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/christmas-markets/index.md): Markets and winter wonderlands
- [December with kids](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/december/index.md): Things to do all month
- [Ice skating](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/ice-skating/index.md): Holiday rinks and skate aids

## Nearby towns

- [Things to do with kids in Lancaster, PA](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/lancaster/index.md): 11 things to do with kids

## Seasonal events and guides

- [Things to do with kids in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey in November](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/november/index.md)
- [Things to do with kids in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey in December](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/december/index.md)
- [Santa visits in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/christmas-lights/index.md)
- [Ice skating with kids in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/ice-skating/index.md)
- [Thanksgiving weekend in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/thanksgiving/index.md)
- [Christmas parades and tree lightings in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/christmas-parades/index.md)
- [The Nutcracker for kids in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/nutcracker/index.md)
- [Christmas markets in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/christmas-markets/index.md)
- [Free things to do in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/free/index.md)
- [Library storytimes in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/storytime/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### What can we do with kids this weekend in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey?
This weekend (Oct 30–Nov 1) our top picks are [Hersheypark Halloween](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/hersheypark-halloween/) (all weekend); [Dramatic Play Friday](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/dramatic-play-friday-manheim-township-public-library/) (Fri, Oct 30); [Crafterday!](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/crafterday-manheim-township-public-library/) (Sat, Oct 31); [Duplo Free Play](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/duplo-free-play-manheim-township-public-library/) (Sat, Oct 31). That’s four of 5 outings on this weekend, all checked on the organizer’s page and picked for kids ages 0–6. [See the full list](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/#all).

### What are kid-friendly things to do in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey this weekend?
This week we found 5 outings that work for kids ages 0–6, all of them this weekend (Oct 30–Nov 1). Our top three: Hersheypark Halloween, Dramatic Play Friday, Crafterday!. [See the full list](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/#all).

### Where are the Halloween events for kids in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey this week?
One Halloween outing is on this week’s list for ages 0–6: [Hersheypark Halloween](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/events/hersheypark-halloween/). Its page has the date, time, price and the organizer’s link. [See it in the list](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/#all).

### Are there free things to do with little ones in Central PA this week?
Yes, 4 of this week’s 5 picks are free, including library storytimes and Dramatic Play Friday. Tap “Free” in [Find your thing](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/#all). For free places you can visit any week, see [free things to do in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/guide/#free) in the city guide. Free museum days and free events coming up are on [free things to do with kids in Central PA](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/free/).

### What are good indoor activities for kids in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey when it rains?
4 picks this week are indoors, mostly at the libraries. Tap “Rainy-day OK” in [Find your thing](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/#all).

### Where can I find storytimes and toddler activities in Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey?
This week we list 4 library storytimes and baby or toddler programs. Each one links to the library or venue page with the time and place. [See them in the list](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/#all). For every weekly storytime by day and branch, see [library storytimes in Central PA](https://littlesweekly.com/lancaster-harrisburg/storytime/).

### How do you pick what goes on the Lancaster–Harrisburg–Hershey list?
We go through Central PA’s library calendars, parks, museums, zoos and local family pages every week, and keep what works for ages 0–6. Each listing links to the page we checked it on, and where the organizer or venue has its own page, we confirm the date, time, place and price there. This list was last checked Oct 30, 2026. [How we choose and check listings](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).

### How do I get this list every week?
Sign up for the Thursday email at the bottom of the page. It’s one short email, and you can unsubscribe any time.