As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, Halloween brings families a chance to enjoy costumes, traditions, and a little seasonal fun before winter arrives. From tricks to treats, keeping activities age appropriate and safe should be a top priority.

As autumn settles across the country each year, with leaves turning orange and the air growing cool and crisp, thousands of Americans purposely venture into cornfields and get lost. Armed with maps, clues, flashlights — or occasionally nothing more than misplaced confidence — families and friends wander through towering rows of corn, searching for the elusive way out.

With the arrival of autumn, a familiar figure appears on front porches, in pumpkin patches, and at harvest festivals across North America — the scarecrow. Dressed in flannel shirts, stuffed with straw, and sporting cheerful smiles, they have become a defining symbol of the season.

Few things evoke autumn like apple cider. Whether served cold at an orchard, steaming hot with cinnamon and cloves, or poured from a bottle with a little alcoholic kick, cider seems the perfect accompaniment to crisp afternoons, colorful leaves, and warm cozy sweaters.

Long ago in a small Irish town, a drunkard named Stingy Jack earned his nickname after tricking the Devil himself. Jack was notorious in his little town, and Satan had heard of his mischievous deeds.

While we truly are smack-dab in the middle of fall, we also have the holidays on our minds here at NW Kids. No School November is upon us and we’ve rounded up some fantastic day camp options for your kiddos.