So it begins: the season of giving. Whether giving thanks or giving presents, many of us are lucky to be able to do both. Sure, video games and gadgets are on the top of their lists, but why not give your kids the gift of giving? It’s hard to take your four-year-old to a soup kitchen, but here are a few easy and fun ideas to remind them (and you) how good it feels to do something for others.

And if your kids are ready to volunteer out in the world, check out our round up of kid-appropriate places to help out during the holidays.

It seems like only yesterday I was complaining about the heat and humidity, but cold weather and the holiday season are fast approaching.  There are deals to be had in diverse locations, like South Carolina, Williamsburg, Orlando, NYC and Portsmouth, NH.  If you are thinking internationally, there is a low-priced airfare special to Mexico City, non-stop from New York City.  If a romantic vacation without kids is in your future, consider the Aruba Marriott Resort's “Cupid on Call” program.

All of those ghoulish decorations (like the Grim Reaper pictured) will soon be replaced by colorful twinkling lights. The period between Halloween and the holidays is always such a blur. So much seems to happen so quickly in those two months—especially this year with the mayoral election coming up next week and Hanukkah coinciding with Thanksgiving. We're not trying to stress you out! In fact, we want to help you get a jump on your seasonal to-do list by holding our second annual Mommy Poppins Holiday Photo Event early on Saturday, November 16. The awesome photographers from Big Apple Portraits will be snapping pictures of kids with Santa (or against a seasonal background), plus you'll get a $25 credit toward holiday cards and there will be fun crafts, storytime and other activities. Sessions are selling out fast so book yours today.

Speaking of planning ahead, many of our sites published their November Go Lists this week and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade isn't the only must-do tri-state area event. Find out about the best things to do throughout the month in NYC, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Another theme across all of our sites this week? What to do with all of that Halloween candy. We've got lots of recommendations including repurposing it, using it for crafts and science experiments, bringing it to a dentist participating in a candy buy back, or, our favorite, donating it to worthy charities.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Post-Halloween festivities linger on this weekend. Watch a performance featuring a vampire bunny at the John W. Engeman Theater. Fans of the Addams Family won't want to miss an art exhibit at the Southampton Center. Have one too many pumpkins sitting around at home? Bring them to the Cradle of Aviation Museum and watch them splatter. Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos at the La Fondita Restaurant and at the Long Island Children's Museum. Hone those investigative skills and deconstruct candy at the Maritime Explorium. Wanna take a break from all things Halloween? Check out a performance featuring Old Saint Nick at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts. As always, check our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family.

Happy Halloween! It may be down to the wire, but if the kids don't have costumes, there’s no need to scream - we’ve found some cheap, easy and fast costumes to make yourself. And after the treats, we have a few tricks for making all that Halloween candy disappear. See our Halloween Guide for these and other seasonal favorites.

Our weekend roundup of events includes concerts by Billy Jonas in Arlington, the Charlie Hope Family Show in Cambridge and the Boston International Kids Film Festival in Somerville. Read on for details, and remember, you can find more things to do by checking out our Event Calendar.

Also this week, we’ve rounded up seven places that offer kids’ cooking classes and workshops in and around Boston. Get ready for your kids to get cooking!

Enjoy the extra hour of sleep on Sunday with Daylight Saving Time!

As I write this, Halloween is before us. We're still putting the finishing touches on our costumes and greedily anticipating the bounty of treats that await us. It's the one night of the year when we let our kids take candy from strangers, and might even grab a few pieces for ourselves.

Some weekends might have a hard time living up to such a world-class Thursday, but not November 2-3, 2013, nosirree.  Because this weekend is a holiday in its own right: Dia de los Muertos. Count on us to clue you in to the best celebrations throughout the Southland.

And as if two holidays in close succession weren't enough, this weekend even has a gift that everyone can appreciate: an extra hour of sleep. It’s the end of Daylight Savings Time for 2013, so in the wee hours of  November 3 the clock “falls back” an hour. Make sure to reset your clocks (and it’s a good time to check the batteries in your smoke alarm, as well).

Keep reading for our favorite picks for the upcoming weekend...

Our jack-o-lantern has turned completely moldy but the squirrels didn't seem to mind--they devoured the whole thing! Less clean up for me, though it is a sign that Halloween is here and if you started celebrating early like me, you may be all too ready for the next wave of the holiday season. I know I am! If you're not quite ready to give up the ghosts and ghouls, there are still some Halloween events continuing this weekend like the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze and other events in Historic Hudson Valley. This is also the last weekend to visit the Scarecrow Invasion and Jay Ghoul’s House of Curiosities at Lyndhurst Castle. November 1 and 2 mark the Mexican holiday of Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, with many of the same trappings as Halloween and there are two events on Saturday honoring the tradition. 

If your kids are into geology visit the Teatown Lake Reservation for Stories in Stone or Cranberry Lake Preserve for the Quarry Hike. For the animal loving littles, join Westmoreland Sanctuary for Meet the Critters and Bird Banding or take the Owl Prowl night hike at Muscoot Farm.  Saturday also brings tons of reptiles to Westchester at the Reptile Expo.

Have you ever wanted to play a live version of an arcade game? No? Me neither, until I read about Field Frogger being held this Sunday at Ridge Hill.  Anyone over the age of 13 can participate. It should be hysterical whether you are the “Frogger” or just watching from the sidelines. Make sure those phones are charged to capture the ridiculousness on video! Kidville in Mount Kisco is celebrating its Grand Opening all weekend long with concerts by Rockin’ Railroad, open play in the state of the art gym, face painting, balloon artists, and more. 

Read on for top weekend picks. If you see something interesting, click through to the event listing to view full details. Looking for more options? Be sure to check our Event Calendar for more fun happening this weekend and beyond.

Thanks to an inevitable Halloween sugar rush, your kids are going to have a lot of energy to burn off this weekend. Luckily, there are lots of great things to do, including two FREE Day of the Dead festivals, Diwali celebrations at the Asia Society and the Rubin Museum, and even some better-late-than-never Halloween fun, like the New York Hall of Science's big Dead or Alive dance party.

There's also some great kids' culture on tap including cool concerts from Dog on Fleas at Symphony Space and the Rockdoves at the central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, plus the opening weekend of the annual Canstruction exhibition.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. As always, you can find additional options in our Event Calendar. And if you're looking to plan our your entire month, check out the brand-new edition of our NYC Go List, which highlights the absolute best things to do with kids throughout November.