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Consent Talk Tips Why Kids Bully

Fall Fun — Sweet to Spooky

2019

PreK-8 School Survey

Discover your capable, confident Montessori child.

Now enrolling!

Discover your capable, confident Montessori child.

At Guidepost, your child will enter a wonderful world of activities, tools, and learning materials, designed to captivate her interest and inspire her budding intelligence in remarkable ways. Early childhood is a brief moment in time when your child’s mind develops rapidly, and she establishes foundational character traits. Take advantage of this critical age!

Visit us online today to RSVP for an event or schedule a tour.

Visit us online to RSVP for Oak an event or schedule a tour today!

Guidepost Montessori at Laurel guidepostmontessori.com/laurel-oak 1004 Laurel Oak Voorhees Township, NJ 08043 (848) 999-9456

71019

Spanish Immersion available.

Toddler • Preschool Kindergarten

mk Inside

October 2019 Vol. 24, No. 10

In This Issue 4 MomSpeak Roundup 6 A New Age for Consent 8 Is Your Kid Bullying?

9 Win It! 10 PreK-8 Independent School Survey Family Fun 12 Day-by-Day Calendar 15 Ultimate Guide to Fall Fun Ad Sections

3 Health; 5 Early Education; 9 Education; 11 Child Care

8 4

15 Hayrides & Pumpkin Picking, Corn Maze & BarnBounce

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OCTOBER 2019

MetroKids.com 3

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MomSpeak

The MomSpeak Roundup

Moms know things, but not all the same things. So we tap the pool of local mommy bloggers to get you the handiest advice to make your job easier. Find these and others at MetroKids.com/MomSpeak.

Pumpkin, pumpkin, where’s the pumpkin?

“I need to find a pumpkin.”

“Where is the candy corn?”

These are pretty common things to say in October, especially if you print out Katie Chiavarone’s Halloween Memory Game to keep the little ones distracted from how long it takes trickor-treat to arrive, even though they spotted the first jack-o-lantern before Labor Day. This simple game (printable from Katie’s Views From a Step Stool blog) allows even pre-readers to test their memory by matching bats, spiders, ghosts and other Halloween icons.

Happy Halloween Hunting!

mk smart. local. parenting.

1412-1414 Pine St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 215-291-5560 856-667-3555 302-224-3020 Toll Free: 888-890-4668 Fax: 215-291-5565

President: Nancy Lisagor, PhD, ext. 109 nlisagor@metrokids.com Publisher: Darlene Weinmann, ext. 108 dweinmann@metrokids.com Managing Editor: Dave Gilmartin, ext. 102 editor@metrokids.com Resource Editor: Cheyenne Shaffer, ext. 101 calendar@metrokids.com Contributing Writers: Terri Akman, Suzanne Koup-Larsen, Frank Lipsius, Kathy O’Connell, Ann L. Rappoport, PhD Production Manager: Veronica Hanna, ext. 103 production@metrokids.com Finance: Marcella Reis, ext. 104 finance@metrokids.com Marketing/Circulation: Riley Mudgett, ext. 100 marketing@metrokids.com Intern: Hayley Banks

How to deal with school refusal The year is new and already your child has started to refuse to go to school. Mornings are hard enough.

How do you cope when each involves an argument before your kid even gets out of bed?

“It’s exhausting,” says Lisa Lightner, a special education advocate who writes the A Day in Our Shoes blog. “I’ve seen what can transpire in the worst situations (observing clients). My heart really goes out to you because I can see how stressful it is.”

Lisa provides eight tips for parents, from trying to figure out the source of the refusal to getting up to speed on truancy laws.

MetroKids.com/MomSpeak 4 MetroKids.com

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We welcome your ideas and feedback. Write us at editor@metrokids.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus and Instagram.

MetroKids® is published monthly by KidStuff Publications, Inc. © 2019 MetroKids® Magazine. All rights reserved by KidStuff Publications, Inc. ISSN 1094-8503. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material. MetroKids® or KidStuff Pub­lica­t­ions do not assume responsibility for statements or opinions expressed by editorial contributors or advertisers. MetroKids® and SpecialKids® are trademarks of KidStuff Publications, Inc. The acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of the products, services or information. We do not knowingly present any product or service which is fraudulent or misleading in nature. Advertisers indemnify and hold harmless the publisher from any claim and all loss, expense, or liability arising out of the publication of any advertisement.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: U.S.A. $36, one year; $72, two years. Single copies free.

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Education

A New Age for Consent More states now require middle and high schoolers to be taught about consent, but it’s a lesson parents can teach boys and girls from a young age.

By Terri Akman Parents today realize that “the talk” is much more than it may have been for their generation.

In fact, it is not a single talk at all, but a series of lessons about consent that starts with boys and girls in preschool and continues through high school.

Many states, spurred by the cultural impact of #MeToo, adopted laws that require schools to teach consent. In New Jersey, consent is addressed in grades 6 through 12 and in Delaware, starting next fall, in grades 7 through 12. In April, PA State Senator Andy Dinniman introduced legislation to require consent education in the K-12 curriculum.

Since one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18, it is best if parents talk to their kids about consent at home when they are young, but that’s often not the case.

“Parents often wait for their kids to bring the topic up, in the way that, if my child ever wants to talk about this, I’m here, open and available,” says Brendon Jobs, director of diversity and inclusion at the Haverford School.

It’s a well-intended plan, but if the right

6 MetroKids.com

time never arises it is too easy to put off a conversation that neither parent nor child relishes.

“It’s about making intentional space and being brave enough to be proactive,” Jobs says. “It may even make your kids a little uncomfortable to get them to think about some of these issues.”

Because Hilary Platt has heard students say things like “She dresses like a slut, she deserved it,” and “My boyfriend hits me, but it’s okay,” she knows about the need to teach consent.

“These are really important statements, because if one person is saying it, more people are thinking it,” says Platt, coordinator and case manage for Project SARAH (Stop Abusive Relationships at Home) through Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Southern New Jersey.

Consent is more than sexual

You should start to talk about consent very early with kids, even as toddlers, says Meghan Walls, pediatric psychologist at Nemours A.I. duPont Hospital.

“There’s a lot more to consent than just sexual consent,” she says. With preschoolers you can point out that this

is your own body, this is your space and people can’t touch you without asking.

“I encourage parents to talk to kids at a young age about boundaries,” she says.

Parents can say things things like “If you don’t want to be hugged by another kid you can say ‘This is my space and I don’t want you in my space,’” Walls says. “Or, ‘What are the things we need to ask permission for before we go up to another person — if I can hug them, if I can touch them, even if I can share their belongings.’”

Walls encourages parents to role play what it sounds like when someone wants you to hug them or share something. Is the answer an enthusiastic “yes” or does the child turn his back, mumble “no” or appear uncomfortable? “Even if you are ‘bothering’ the child you say no to, that is your right. Your body and your space and things like physical hugs are okay to say no to.”

One critical change in the conversation is that the prevailing rule of sexual consent – No Means No — is shifting to Yes Means Yes, which protects someone incapacitated or even too shy to say no.

When someone says yes, it’s clear they are giving consent.

Parents should teach their children that only a verbal affirmative answer means yes, and anything else means they should either ask again if they aren’t sure, or take it as a no, says Walls.

“Parents can role play how to talk about their feelings, such as, ‘I felt sad that Katie didn’t want to hug me,’ but not have to act on those feelings,” she adds. “When we start these conversations early, we set the pathways to a better understanding of boundaries.”

Walls says research shows that talking about sex education as early as elementary school doesn’t do any harm. “It doesn’t make kids more promiscuous, but it does get rid of the mythology and excitement around the unknown, by parents having that conversation.”

OCTOBER 2019

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Education

A dad’s advice

Jason Z., 40, from Wilmington, agrees. When his sons Westen, 10, and Isaac, 8, were toddlers, he talked about consent but didn’t use that word. “I tried to teach them not just don’t hit or bite, but a lesson about not to violate someone’s personal space,” he says. “I talked about self-ownership and how it feels to be hurt or how it feels when someone touches you and you didn’t agree to it. Golden rule stuff.”

Those lessons are confirmed in their Brazilian jujitsu classes, which include a non-verbal part of training when they must do a two-touch system to verify that each partner is ready to engage.

“They understand their bodies are capable of harm and using that capability in a responsible way is very important,” he says.

The boys learned how those lessons applied in romantic ways when their dad began dating after his wife passed away. “It was a woman the boys already knew and they saw our physical relationship change,” he says. “They had seen me and their mom kiss and hug but we never explained that it was part of a deeper agreement and promise we had made to each other. So it opened up an opportunity for me to talk to them more specifically about romantic consent.”

Learn from mistakes

Eva (not her real name), 18, from Mount Laurel, NJ, hopes tweens and teens will learn from the mistakes she made when, during the summer between 7th and 8th grade, friends coerced her to sext.

“Middle school was when we started to see more pressure from children,” recalls her mom, who believes kids lose sight of the dangers in a quest to be popular. She noticed behavioral changes in her daughter and sensed that something wasn’t right.

She looked in her phone and discovered compromising photos.

“Some teens think it’s the norm and don’t realize there’s anything wrong with it,” she adds. “Sexting is violating their boundaries and another form of abuse.”

After finding the pictures, Eva and her mom talked about the do’s and don’t’s of sexting and how it’s illegal. Eva went into counseling to begin the healing process.

Her mom has already started conversations with her 3-yearold son about consent, but in language he can understand. “We use words such as ‘my body,’ ‘my space,’ and ‘no touch,’” she says.

“Just knowing that it’s his personal body is huge.”

A lot has changed in the 15-year gap between her kids. When her daughter was little and a relative would ask for a hug, she encouraged her to hug the person. Now, when she finds her son in a similar situation, she lets him decide if he wants to hug the person or not.

“We have to have these conversations with our children about their bodies and boundaries and caring for themselves, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation,” she says. “My daughter is still healing from that experience. She has come very far and is helping her fellow teenage friends with this topic.”

Terri Akman is a contributing writer to MetroKids.

OCTOBER 2019

Holding Hands Family Child Care & Play Center

Choosing a child care or preschool for your child is one of the hardest decisions a parent makes. At HOLDING HANDS, we create a quality educational and care environment for your child — a place where your child loves to come and you feel comfortable. We achieve this through our curriculum, our programs and our staff.

At Holding Hands, our curriculum emphasizes school readiness, gross motor skills, imaginative play and social-emotional development.

Activities are designed to build on children’s natural curiosity and use hands-on experiences to allow child to explore and learn.

Holding Hands offers flexible scheduling to the meet the many needs of families in Gloucester County. Programs are offered yearround for children from birth through ten years. Children can attend full-days, half-days or both with a variety of weekly schedules.

Our staff is a dedicated team of individuals that bring experience and caring to the classrooms. All of our classrooms operate at better than state-required ratios. This means that your child receives individual attention and our staff build relationships with each child.

Holding Hands also offers enrichment classes for children from two through seven years-old. These classes in dance, karate and soccer allow young children to explore new areas of interest. Both currently enrolled children and children from the outside may participate in these classes.

Holding Hands Family Child Care & Play Center is the place for families —where children are not just cared for, but are cared about; where children discover that learning is fun; where families find flexible schedules and a variety of programs; and where child’s play happens everyday. To learn more about Holding Hands, call at 856467-6811 or visit our website at www.holdinghandsfamily.com.

138 Tomlin Station Rd. Mullica Hill, NJ 08062 856-467-6811 www.holdinghandsfamily.com

Empowering Kids Through the Arts KELSEY THEATRE 2019-2020 Season of Special Shows for Kids Thumbelina

ANNIE - The Movie Sing-Along Rosie Revere, Engineer Frozen Jr.

Chicken Dance Treasure Island

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Purchase all 7 Shows and Save over 35%!

$61 Adult • $53 Senior $53 Child/Student Plus Special Events: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas & The Nutcracker

609-570-3333 www.kelseytheatre.org MetroKids.com 7

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Parenting

Is Your Kid Bullying?

What to do if your child is the one tormenting someone else.

By Michele Haddon What if your kid is the bully?

First of all, don’t call him that, says Mandy Mundy, senior director of programs and services at the Network of Victim Assistance of Bucks County, PA. “It’s important to remember that when anybody, especially children, engage in actions and behaviors that are defined as bullying, that we don’t in turn define the child as a bully,” says Mundy. “Sometimes those labels stick with a child for the rest of their lives” even if they stop bullying.

Look for signs

If you aren’t alerted by the school or another parent, how would you know?

For one thing, take time to listen to your kids, says Dr. Stuart Green, director of the New Jersey Coalition for Bullying Awareness and Prevention.

“Parents should ask about their children’s interests and lives,” Green says.

“What constitutes a lot of discourse between parents and their children comes from transmitting their values and interests to their kids rather than listening to their kids talk about what is happening in their lives.”

Mundy says to ask open-ended questions about her day: “What was one good thing that happened during the day?

What was something that made you sad or upset? What was something that was challenging?”

Maybe she’ll acknowledge that nobody plays or eats lunch with her. That might signal she’s being bullied but it could also mean she’s doing the bullying.

Set expectations, consequences

Make sure your child knows what bully behavior looks like.

“Kids need to have examples of what a bully does and doesn’t do. You have to be specific about the behavior,” says Dr. Patricia Scott, director of strategic partnerships and grants at Beau Biden Foundation in Wilmington, DE. See if he can identify it in real life.

“This can start out with questions about other people’s bullying behavior (which can be examples from TV, internet, social media), and, increasingly, bring the query to the more personal — questions about the child’s own experience with bullying, either being bullied or being the bully,” says Mark B. Borg, Jr., PhD, a psychologist/psychoanalyst in New York City.

When expectations are broken, set consequences tied to the behavior.

“If the child engages in cyberbullying, take away the cell phone or use of social media. If it’s bullying on the playground, work with the school to substitute recess for extra library time,” says Mundy. This also makes it harder for that form of bullying to continue.

Look for a cause

“After you’ve addressed it, you also need to understand where that’s coming from,” Scott explains. “There’s always a reason behind it.

“It’s not always a good one, it may be unjustified, but if you can understand what led to it, you can change the bullying behavior.”

Bullying is a power struggle — whether emotionally, socially or physically, Mundy says. One possibility is your child is being bullied himself, is feeling misunderstood at school or has an unidentified learning disability.

continued on next page

8 MetroKids.com

OCTOBER 2019

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Win It!

GHOULISH

GOODIES

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Parenting

continued from p. 8

“If they feel like somebody else is taking power away from them, they may engage in bullying behaviors against somebody else to feel powerful themselves and to feel in control of another situation,” Mundy explains. “Or if they have trouble learning in school, if they have trouble focusing in school, that sense of lack of control sometimes turns outwardly to aggressive behaviors or bullying behaviors.”

Teach, show empathy

Learning to build and maintain healthy relationships begins at home.

“Children learn from watching. How we not only interact with the members within our household, but also with the people we see in our community, the people we see in our

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children’s school, also impacts what children see and learn from us,” explains Mundy.

Teaching empathy from a young age can help decrease bullying behaviors, says Claudine Malone, program director at Beau Biden Foundation.

“Say to them, ‘When you hurt somebody, when you say something hurtful, they feel it. You don’t know what other kids are dealing with,’ ” Malone suggests.

Sometimes, despite everything you’ve tried, the bullying behavior may continue. If so, seek outside help. Don’t let the fear of labels stop you, Mundy warns.

“We’re not always the expert in helping our child solve problems,” she asserts.

“So, if the things you try to redirect your child’s bullying behaviors don’t seem to be working, seek help from a school guidance counselor, an independent mental health counselor, or even another trusted family member.”

Michele Haddon is a freelance writer based in Doylestown, PA.

HOSPITALITY. RESPECT. QUALITY. RESPONSIBILITY. SPIRITUALITY.

Which famous troublemaker are you? Take on the role of a Disney villain and strive to achieve your wicked objective with the Villainous game, where you’ll discover your unique abilities while dealing twists of fate to your opponents. (Ravensburger; 10+; $24.99)

An academic and experiential education for your exceptional child.

Log on to MetroKids.com/winit and enter to win your favorite prize, beginning Oct. 1. Prizes marked with an asterisk (*) must be picked up at the MetroKids office in Center City. Other prizes will be mailed by the provider to the address given on the entry form.

OCTOBER 2019

MetroKids.com 9

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2019-2020 PREK-8 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL SURVEY

Those first years of school can be so important.

Fortunately, there are many independent schools in South Jersey that can set your child off on the right foot. But with so many options, it can be difficult to decide which school is the best fit for your family. To help, we offer our 30th annual Independent School Survey for grades PreK-8.

In the chart below, you’ll find information about school size and type, tuition, world languages and special services.

Tuition is listed as a range, as described in the accompanying key.

You can find more information on these schools and others at Metrokids.com/educationguide.

KEY

TUITION: $ = < $10,000 $$ = $10,000-$20,000 $$$ = $20,000-$30,000 $$$$ = > $30,000

LANGUAGES OFFERED:

CH= Chinese GR= Greek LA= Latin FR= French HE= Hebrew SP= Spanish

XXX = Enrollment

SERVICES = Accommodates disabilities = Summer camp, school or program

Doane Academy, (Christian) Burlington; Doaneacademy.org; Grades PreK-12; Coed; 114 $$-$$$; LA, SP; Friends School Mullica Hill, (Quaker) Mullica Hill; Friendsmh.org; Grades PreK-8; Coed; 140 $-$$; SP; Haddonfield Friends School, (Quaker) Haddonfield; Hfsfriends.org; Grades PreK-8; Coed; 160 $$; SP; Kellman Brown Academy, (Jewish) Voorhees; Kellmanbrownacademy.org; Grades PreK-8; Coed; 130 $-$$; HE, SP; Guidepost Montessori at Laurel Oak, (Montessori) Vorhees; Guidepostmontessori.com/laurel-oak; Grades PreK-K; Opens Jan. 2020 Fosters independence, nurturing each child’s practical life skills, emotional and social development, and foundational knowledge.

Montessori Academy, (Montessori) Delran; Manj.org; Grades PreK-8; Coed; 100 $ -$$; CH, FR, GR, IT, LA, SP; Moorestown Friends School, (Quaker) Moorestown; Mfriends.org; Grades PreK-12; Coed; 705 $-$$$$; CH, FR, SP; Quaker school pursues educational excellence for diverse student body within academically rigorous and balanced program on 48 acres.

Our Lady of Good Counsel School (Catholic) Moorestown; Olgc.me; Grades PreK-8; Coed; 420 $; SP Our Lady of Perpetual Help, (Catholic) Maple Shade; Olphparish.com/olphms; Grades PreK-8; Coed; 224 $; SP Politz Day School of Cherry Hill, (Jewish) Cherry Hill; Politz.org; Grades K-8; Coed; 175 $$; HE; Saint Mary of the Lakes School, (Catholic) Medford; Smlschool.org; Grades PreK-8; Coed; 330 $; SP South Jersey Christian Academy, (Christian) Sicklerville; Sjchristianacademy.org; Grades PreK-8; Coed; 125 $; SP; Westfield Friends School, (Quaker) Cinnaminson; Westfieldfriends.org; Grades PreK-8; Coed; 140 $$; LA, SP; Quaker school develops students to their fullest academic and social potential by focusing on active learning enriched by social values.

Moorestown Friends School At MFS, a strong start establishes a trajectory that can determine your child’s path as a learner throughout school — and for a lifetime.

We bring both our Quaker commitment to empathy and equity and our child development expertise to every interaction with our students. By immersing children early in a compassionate environment, we teach them to be patient, to take greater academic risks, and to examine and learn from mistakes. And by helping them to honor the light in others, we help them to be guided by it and live up to it in themselves.

Our teachers truly know their students as learners and individuals, schoolmates genuinely value every peer, families work in authentic partnership with the school, and the school acts in earnest service to the community. These connections make MFS a place of safety, support, and joy — and create conditions for great intellectual daring, remarkably productive collaboration, and courageous perseverance.

Our community is always ready to welcome new friends from any background or belief system, and we cherish new talents and perspectives. Every student, no matter how long they’ve been a part of the school community, will be seen and appreciated for exactly who they are.

110 East Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057 856-914-4426 • www.mfriends.org

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Westfield Friends School

The World We Seek for Children Begins Here

NOW ENROLLING Preschool 2 through 8th grades

Inquiry-based curriculum • Values-based instruction Commitment to diversity • Vibrant Arts program •Affordable Responsive Tuition •Beautifully wooded 8.5-acre campus •Convenient to South Jersey and Philadelphia area families Every day is an open house at WFS--Visit us today!

2201 Riverton Road •Cinnaminson, NJ 856-829-0895 • www.westfieldfriends.org OCTOBER 2019

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Child Care & Early Education Directory

FY: Full Year BS: Before School AY: Academic Year AS: After School SP: Summer Program DA: Diapers Accepted

SN: Special Needs DHS*: Licensed: Dept. of Health & Human Svcs.

DE*: Licensed: Dept. of Education

DYF: Licensed: Dept. of Youth & Family Serv.

NAEYC: Accredited—National Assoc. of Education of Young Children MSCES: Accredited—Middle States Commission on Elementary Schools

* Note: DHS License: requires annual on-site visits. DE License: 20% of all facilities are inspected annually.

BEGINNINGS AT MFS: THE MOORESTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL - EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM 110 E. Main St., Moorestown, NJ 856-914-4428 • MFriends.org Ages: 3 & up • Hours: 8:05am-3:10pm Beginnings at MFS: The Moorestown Friends School Early Childhood Program offers a values-based education for 3-year-olds and up. A project-based approach to learning and wide range of special subject areas are hallmarks of the experience. Moorestown Friends School is one of the only schools in the United States to offer a Coding Program to all Lower School students - Preschool through Grade 4. This innovative program has three strands: coding, problem solving and teamwork. These skills will be in high demand as the 21st century progresses. Half-day and full-day Preschool is available. Prekindergarten and Kindergarten are full-day programs. AY, SP, BS, AS, MSCES ESSENTIAL BEGINNINGS LEARNING CENTER 1329 Rte. 38, Hainsport, NJ 609-667-7838 • Essentialbeginningslc.com info@essentialbeginningslc.com Ages: 2-1/2 yrs.-13 yrs. • Hours 6:30am - 6:00pm Essential Beginnings embraces the differentiation approach to teaching. This method ensures that all children can learn the content based on their learning style. FY, AY, SP, SN, DYF FUTURE SCHOLARS EARLY LEARNING CENTER 1351 Rte. 38 W., B-1, Hainesport, NJ 609-518-1333 • FutureScholarsLearning.com Ages: 6 wks.-13 yrs. • Hours: 6:30am-6:30pm “Where Generations Come and Grow” Full- and half-day classes available year round. Family-owned and operated with an owner on premises daily. Offering Infant & Toddler Care, PreSchool, Drop-In Hourly Daycare, Established Full-Day Kindergarten, Before- and After-School Care with bussing for township students, Private Tutoring and Summer Camp! We are your one-stop solution for early education and child care! STOP BY TODAY FOR A TOUR! FY, AY, SP, BS, AS, DA, DYF

HOLDING HANDS FAMILY CHILD CARE & PLAY CENTER 138 Tomlin Station Rd., Mullica Hill, NJ 856-467-6811 • Holdinghandspreschool.com Ages: Infant-School Age • Hours: 6am-6:30pm A place for families providing exceptional care, engaged learning and everyday play. A full-service center in a new facility with a gym, three playgrounds, access control system and video monitoring.

FY, SP, BS, AS, DA, DHS* OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER 32 W. Main St., Moorestown, N 856-235-5371 • school@olgcnj.org • Olgcnj.org/school Ages: 4 yrs.-6 yrs. • Hours: 8:30am-3pm Our Lady of Good Counsel School features full- and half-day prekindergarten programs, as well as full-day kindergarten. Children in first through eighth grades are educated in a top-notch, Catholic school environment, where our mission to form students in the image of Jesus Christ is reinforced daily. We provide education in music, art, specialized clubs, sports, after-school enrichment programs such as Lego Robotics and Latin, Spanish, technology, and physical education. Students do not need to be Catholic to attend our school. Please call to arrange a tour. Financial aid and volunteer opportunities available. AY, SP, AS SARI ISDANER EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER AT THE KATZ JCC 1301 Springdale Rd., Cherry Hill, NJ 856-424-4444 • KatzJCC.org/ECE Ages: 6 wks.-K • Hours: 6:45am-6:15pm, M-Th; 6pm, F The Sari Isdaner Early Childhood Center at the Katz JCC is an award-winning program and leader in early childhood education. We offer full day infant/toddler care as of six weeks old, nursery school, preschool, full day certified Kindergarten, pre-K and transitional Kindergarten. FY, AY, SP, BS, AS, DA, SN, DHS*, DE*, NAEYC

Expanding Minds Chasing Wonder

Join Us for an Open House!

Sunday, Oct. 20 at 2 PM Friday, Nov. 8 at 9 AM Saturday, Nov. 16 at 10 AM OCTOBER 2019

Ages 3 - Grade 12 MetroKids.com 11

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Family Fun

Decorate the perfect jacko-lantern at the Blackwood Pumpkin Festival, Oct. 6.

DAY-BY-DAY CALENDAR Special needs event Dia Los Muertos Pumpkin Painting

October 5

Seasonal event

$ = $1-$5; $$ = $6-$10; $$$ = $11-$19; $$$$ = $20 & up

1 Tuesday

Museum Playdate: Let's Go to Egypt at the Penn Museum, Phila. Little ones engage in storytime, art activities and gallery exploration. $$ Read and Pick: Pumpkin at Terhune Orchards, Princeton. Read about the gourd before picking a decorated pumpkin. $$

4 Friday

The Glow: A Jack-o-Lantern Experience at West Fairmount Park, Phila. Through Oct. 28, wander along a trail of expertly carved pumpkins that depict superheroes, famous Philadelphians and local landmarks. $$$$ South Jersey Pumpkin Show

October 12 & 13

5 Saturday

Aura Fall Festival at Mood’s Farm Market, Mullica Hill. Activities include pumpkin-picking hayrides, face painting and food. FREE Collingswood Book Festival on Haddon Avenue, Collingswood. See “Fab Freebie,” p. 13. FREE

Fall Forestry Festival at the New Jersey Forest Service Nursery, Jackson. Go green with maple-sugaring and forestry ID demos, as well as educational displays, acorn painting, hikes, scavenger hunts and games. FREE Festival of Fine Craft at WheatonArts, Millville. Check out creations by 150-plus juried artists, family art activities and the “Glass Pumpkin Patch.” $$$ Kilt Fest at Liberty Lake, Bordentown. This celebration of Celtic culture includes kids’ games, sports demos, music, a fun run and dancing. $$$$ Midtown Village Fall Festival at 13th & Chestnut Sts, Phila. While parents explore vendor displays, kids are kept busy with performances and activities. FREE Oktoberfest at Historic Smithville & Village Greene, Smithville. See “Parents’ Day Out,” p. 13. FREE

6 Sunday

Dia Los Muertos Pumpkin Painting at MADE. Artisan Marketplace, Woodbury. Pumpkins, paint and supplies provided. $$$$

Blackwood Pumpkin Festival at Mainstage Center for the Arts, Blackwood. See “Fan of,” p.

14. FREE

Fall Family Weekend at Morris Arboretum, Phila. Make a scarecrow, paint pumpkins and sample a variety of apples. $$$

Family Float Festival at Historic Smithville Park, Eastampton. Set out on a canoe or kayak to view decorated homes along the Rancocas Creek, then hit the shoreline for all-ages entertainment and activities. FREE

HalloWheaton

October 27

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See MetroKids.com/familyfun for more information on these and other events.

OCTOBER 2019

South Jersey Pumpkin Show at the Salem County Fairgrounds, Woodstown. A giant pumpkin display, a fall home show, contests, giveaways, wine sampling and hayrides are all part of the seasonal mix. $

13 Sunday

Boo at the Zoo at the Philadelphia Zoo, Phila. See Oct. 12. $$$$ Family Arts Academy: Magic Storytelling and Rattle Craft at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila. FREE National Dog Show Charity Walk at Wilson Farm Park, Wayne, PA. $$$$

PARENTS’ DAY OUT

Get the kids a sitter: Oktoberfest season is here! Mark the occasion at Historic Smithville & Village Greene’s celebration Oct. 5 & 6, complete with German-inspired cuisine, music and beer, as well as an international food court and 100-plus juried crafters.

Old City Fest at 3rd & Arch Sts., Phila. This event highlights the area’s art, culture and history via demos, live music, fashion shows, a kids’ zone and 100-plus vendors. FREE South Jersey Pumpkin Show at the Salem County Fairgrounds, Woodstown. See Oct. 12. $

17 Thursday

Cape May Fall Festival at the Grand Hotel of Cape May, Cape May. Enjoy vendors, monarch-tagging demos, sand art and a silent auction. FREE

Fall Family Weekend at Morris Arboretum, Phila. See Oct. 5. $$$

Haunted Seaport at the Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen’s Museum, Tuckerton. Spooky pirates and sea captains stroll the grounds while families embark on a hayride through haunted woods. A non-scary kids’ area is on deck as well. $$

Family Arts Academy: Optical Illusion Paper Sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila. FREE

Girls' Night Out in downtown Haddonfield. Shops offer deals and food & drink specials. FREE

Festival of Fine Craft at WheatonArts, Millville. See Oct. 5. $$$ First Sunday Family Day: Art and Movement at the Barnes Foundation, Phila. Practice drawing a live model, make tutus & ribbon wands and learn ballet moves. FREE

Autism New Jersey Conference at Harrah's Waterfront Conference Center, Atlantic City. Caregivers of those with autism have access to workshops, exhibitors and opportunities to network and find support. $$$$

Kilt Fest at Liberty Lake, Bordentown. See Oct. 5. $$$$ Oktoberfest at Historic Smithville & Village Greene, Smithville. See “Parents’ Day Out,” above. FREE

11 Friday

A Spellbinding Soiree at the Garden State Discovery Museum, Cherry Hill. Meet friendly witches, watch spooky science shows and make themed crafts. $$$$

12 Saturday

Apple Festival at Kirby's Mill, Medford. Expect dozens of craft vendors, food, live music, demos and fun for little ones. FREE Autumn in Moorestown Fine Arts and Crafts Festival on Main Street, Moorestown. FREE Boo at the Zoo at the Philadelphia Zoo, Phila. Wear your costume to set out on a trick-or-treat safari, wind through the hay maze and explore the not-so-scary “Extinction Graveyard.” $$$$ Fall Festival and Craft Show in downtown Haddonfield.

While parents view handcrafted items, all ages enjoy carriage rides and scarecrow making. FREE Irish Festival at Historic Smithville & Village Greene, Smithville.

Immerse the family in all things Irish via authentic music, food and a marketplace. FREE

FAB FREEBIE

Show the kids the importance of literacy during the Collingswood Book Festival, Oct. 5 on Haddon Avenue.

Families meet booksellers and storytellers, enjoy poetry readings and exhibits, stock up on books and get their creativity flowing during workshops and activities.

Pumpkin Painting at Mood’s Farm Market, Mullica Hill. FREE

OCTOBER 2019

MetroKids.com 13

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Family Fun

18 Friday

Cape May Fall Festival at the Grand Hotel of Cape May, Cape May. See Oct. 17.

FREE

Storybook Showcase at the Garden State Discovery Museum, Cherry Hill. Sing and dance alongside favorite princesses. $$$

25 Friday

Haunted Seaport at the Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen’s Museum, Tuckerton. See Oct. 17. $$

Halloween Hikes and Hayrides at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Phila. $$$

Star Observation Session at the New Jersey State Museum, Trenton. FREE

Halloween Hootenanny at the Garden State Discovery Museum, Cherry Hill.

See "Fan of," below. $$$$

19 Saturday

Annie, the Movie Sing-Along at the Kelsey Theatre, West Windsor. $$$

Halloween Movie and Treats at Byrne Plaza, Wildwood. FREE

Boo at the Zoo at the Philadelphia Zoo, Phila. See Oct. 12. $$$$

Origins of Halloween Night Hike at the Watershed Institute, Pennington.

Explore Halloween folklore and nature on this non-scary stroll through a jack-olantern-lit path. $$$

Cape May Fall Festival at the Grand Hotel of Cape May, Cape May. See Oct. 17.

FREE Costume Pet Parade at Historic Smithville & Village Greene, Smithville.

FREE

26 Saturday

Boo at the Zoo at the Philadelphia Zoo, Phila. See Oct. 12. $$$$

Haunted Seaport at the Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen’s Museum, Tuckerton. See Oct. 17. $$

CultureFest! Dia de Los Muertos at the Penn Museum, Phila. Celebrate the Mexican holiday with storytelling, face painting, sugar skulls and arts & crafts. $$$

Pumpkin Festival at Historic Cold Spring Village, Cape May. There’ll be pumpkin painting, games, hayrides and a haunted house. FREE

East-Asian Autumn Festival at WheatonArts, Millville. Activities include taiko drumming, traditional dance performances, a costume show and games. FREE

Pumpkin Painting at Mood’s Farm Market, Mullica Hill. FREE

East Passyunk Fall Fest and Spooky Saturday on East Passyunk Avenue, Phila.

Festivities include costume contests for kids & dogs, pumpkin decorating, crafts, storytime, live music, trick-or-treat and a scarecrow scavenger hunt. FREE

Vendor Fest at Smith Memorial Playground, Phila. Shop for family-friendly items. FREE

20 Sunday

Boo at the Zoo at the Philadelphia Zoo, Phila. See Oct. 12. $$$$

Halloween Hikes and Hayrides at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Phila. $$$

Cape May Fall Festival at the Grand Hotel of Cape May, Cape May. See Oct. 17.

FREE

Halloween Movie Screening: Casper at the Hopewell Theater, Hopewell. $$

Corvette Show at Historic Smithville & Village Greene, Smithville. FREE

Halloween Spooktacular at Verizon Hall, Phila. Performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. $$$$

Not-So-Scary Halloween at Fernbrook Farms Environmental Education Center, Chesterfield. Head to the barnyard for games, wagon rides and marshmallow roasting by a campfire. $$$ South Street Fall Pumpkinfest at Headhouse Square, Phila. Family activities include crafts, circus performances, pumpkin putt-putt golf, a straw-bale maze, face painting and a costume contest. FREE Trick-or-Treat Trail at Franklin Square, Phila. FREE Trunk-or-Treat Halloween Block Party at 2nd & Walnut Aves., North Wildwood. FREE Zombie Walk at Historic Smithville & Village Greene, Smithville. Show up in full makeup and costume or get zombie-fied by an on-site artist. FREE

27 Sunday

Bark-or-Treat Trail at Franklin Square, Phila. Bring the family pup for treats, music, photo ops and space to play. FREE Boo at the Zoo at the Philadelphia Zoo, Phila. See Oct. 12. $$$$ Fall Family Day Parade and Picnic at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Phila. $ Family Arts Academy: Accidental Characters the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Phila. Use pigment staining on paper to make spooky or silly characters. FREE HalloWheaton at WheatonArts, Millville. Wear a costume to trick-or-treat and snap selfies with popular characters. FREE Seaport Spooktacular at the Independence Seaport Museum, Phila.

Trick-or-treat on the decks of the Cruiser Olympia, make a fish-skeleton craft, build a pirate scarecrow and partake in a scavenger hunt. $$$$ Witch's Day Out at Historic Smithville & Village Greene, Smithville. Enter a witch-hat contest and enjoy food & drink specials. FREE

FAN OF . . . HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

Whether your brood is drawn to spooky, magical, fantastical or downright whimsical getups, the whole family can show theirs off during costume contests at two events. On Oct. 6, enter the competition at the Blackwood Pumpkin Festival, which also brings pumpkin painting, hayrides, scarecrow making and amusement rides to the Mainstage Center for the Arts. Then dress up again for Halloween Hootenanny at Cherry Hill’s Garden State Discovery Museum Oct. 25. In addition to the contest, little ones enjoy trick-or-treat, science experiments and a moonbounce.

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OCTOBER 2019

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FamilyFun Fun Family

Enter at Your Own Risk!

Ultimate Guide to

Fall Fun! Sweater weather is here, apple cider’s flowing and jack-olanterns are perched on every porch. Fall is in full swing, and with it comes an array of harvest and Halloween fun in the Delaware Valley.

KEY: not-so-spooky;

elementary-age eerie;

batten down the hatches!

Mood’s Farm Market, Mullica Hill

Creamy Acres, Mullica Hill

Through Oct. The place transforms into a real-life nightmare at sunset, but daytime activities such as hayrides, a kiddie maze, pumpkin painting, pedal carts and “straw mountain” appeal to the younger crowd.

Duffield’s Farm, Sewell

Through Oct.; closed Sun. After a pumpkin-picking hayride, round out the day with the Barnyard Express train, corn maze and BarnBounce.

Indian Acres Tree Farm, Medford

Sat. & Sun. through Oct. Treat the kids to barrel-train rides, face painting, mazes, a playground and pumpkin-picking wagon rides.

Johnson’s Corner Farm, Medford

Through Oct. In addition to U-pick apples and pumpkins, little ones can cut loose in the Discovery Barnyard, complete with pedal carts, a “space net,” climbing rocks and three age-specific play areas.

Maugeri Farms, Swedesboro

Through Oct. You won’t leave with goosebumps, but you may be covered in hay. Watch as your tots make their way through 200 bales in the kids’ maze and rummage through piles of straw for goodies in the treasure hunt.

OCTOBER 2019

Through Oct.; closed Sun. Stop by for special events that include scarecrow-making and pumpkin-painting workshops, or hop on a hayride to the pumpkin patch, with whimsical displays thrown in along the way.

Terhune Orchards, Princeton

Sat. & Sun. through Oct. Hit the fields to pick the perfect jack-olantern, then partake in pumpkin painting, pony rides, duck races, pedal tractors and a maze.

Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson

Through Oct. Show off your costume on the trickor-treat trail, where you’ll interact with favorite characters and snag surprises.

Storybook Land, Egg Harbor Twp.

Thurs.-Sun. through Oct. With all treats and no tricks, you’ll find hayrides, pumpkin decorating and a maze here.

Dutch Wonderland, Lancaster, PA

Sat. & Sun., Oct. 19-Nov. 3 Perfect for the littlest ghouls, Happy Hauntings caters to kids with themed rides and an interactive trick-or-treat trail.

Do your kids love the thrill of a good scare? These venues deliver just that, with special effects, unsavory characters and scream-worthy surprises guaranteed to terrify the whole family.

Bloodshed Farms’ Fear Fest (Fri.-Sun. through Nov. 2) in Columbus lures visitors into a former prison (moved from the Burlington County Prison Museum) and cemetery.

Field of Terror, hosted by Mullica Hill’s Creamy Acres (Fri.-Sun. through Oct.) preys on your worst fears with ample haunted spaces, a cornfield and a creepy carnival featuring — what else?

— unfriendly clowns.

Mazes, themed rides and prowling spooks frighten even the most jaded thrill-seekers at Dorney Park’s Halloween Haunt (Fri.-Sun. through Oct) in Allentown, PA. Terror Behind the Walls at Philly’s Eastern State Penitentiary (select dates through Nov. 9) takes visitors around every creepy corner of the former prison.

Hersheypark, Hershey, PA

Fri.-Sun., Oct. 18-Nov. 3 Show off your crew’s costumes during a flashlight tour of ZooAmerica, lights-out roller coaster rides and a Halloween dance party with popular characters.

Philadelphia Zoo, Phila.

Sat. & Sun., Oct. 12-27 It’s A-OK to go a little wild during Boo at the Zoo. Families set out on trick-or-treat safari, explore the not-so-scary “extinction graveyard,” navigate a hay-bale maze and snap selfies in front of the giant pumpkin wall.

Sesame Place, Langhorne, PA

Through Nov. 3 Join favorite Sesame Street pals for The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular. The silly celebration includes themed shows, rides and parades.

Log on to MetroKids.com/ familyfun for more information, including address, phone number, time & website.

MetroKids.com 15

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