Family Matters: Kid-Friendly Halloween & More

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Friday, October 22, 2010

FAMILY by Anisa Raoof, GoLocalProv Contributor

Every Friday, enjoy inside tips for modern family life from Anisa Raoof, publisher and founder of Kidoinfo, the parents' guide for Rhode Island and beyond.

Kido Tip 1. Collect and press leaves

Take a walk with your children in the woods, nearby park or around your neighborhood and collect colorful leaves of different shapes and sizes. Avoid ones that are moldy, brittle or curled. Best to pick ones from the ground unless you have permission to pick them off the trees. Press them flat by placing dry leaves between two sheets of newspaper. Place heavy books on top and allow to flatten and

dry for at least 24 hours. Once pressed, kids can look up leaves in a book to identify what tree they fell from.

Kido Tip 2. Halloween fun for little kids without the gore

The 2010 Halloween Happenings for Little Kids is my list of some local events that are not about being scary and only eating candy but are all about the costumes, pumpkins, parades, friends, and fun activities. From now until Halloween you will find fun happenings at Roger William's Park Zoo, Providence Children's Museum, Audubon Society, local bookstores, parks, and neighborhood gatherings.

Kidoinfo Tip 3. Time for Flu Shots

It’s time for flu shots! Of course, only you and your staff of medical advisors know who in your family ought to get a flu shot. Your family doctor will have advice and vaccines available, or you can call 1-888-FLU-SHOT, or go to The Wellness Company to find flu shot “events” (sounds festive, doesn’t it?) in your neighborhood. It would be a stretch to say getting stuck with a vaccine is anyone here’s favorite thing to do, but getting it out of the way and diminishing our family’s odds of getting the flu definitely qualifies.

Anisa Raoof is the publisher and founder of Kidoinfo, the parents' guide for Rhode Island and beyond.