Unspooking Halloween

The best thing about fall is the food. It starts with the pumpkins of October and doesn't end until after Thanksgiving dinner. Teach your child about harvest and fun fall cooking with a few good books and a trip to the grocery store.

Read: The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons, or Too Many Pumpkins, by Linda White, are great books for fall. Ask your toddler if she knows where pumpkins come from (other than the store).

Snack: There are a number of great pumpkin treats for snack time: pumpkin bread, pie, cake, and bars. You can purchase a pumpkin at a farm or grocery store, find a recipe for a yummy pumpkin dessert, and let your child "help" make it. Toddlers will love removing the ooey-gooey insides of a pumpkin!

Play: If you live near a pumpkin patch, take a day trip with your child to learn about harvest. Another option is visiting a grocery store to examine the fall vegetables: pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, Indian corn, or gourds. Why are there no watermelons in the fall? Be sure to buy an extra pumpkin to make a jack-o-lantern. You may prefer the traditional jack-o-lantern with cut out eyes, nose, and mouth, and with a candle tucked inside. However, a toddler will enjoy finger painting a pumpkin. It's safe, colorful, and fun.

As you watch your child celebrate fall and Halloween, become part of his energy and wonder. Jump into a pile of leaves alongside your child and remember how the first bite of pumpkin pie tastes in the fall. Halloween, the beginning in a string of fall and winter celebrations, is a great time to enjoy learning and creating together. Make Halloween in your home a howling good time.