We wanted to know all about Boston kids who exemplify the spirit of the Kids Really Rock festival – kids who give back in small and big ways to their communities, demonstrate kindness, use their creativity to help others and make a positive difference in the world – so we asked for nominations from parents, nonprofits, youth leaders, and even the kids themselves.

The phenomenal entries we received confirmed our belief that Boston kids are making a difference in their communities, and that they really do rock! After careful consideration (and some very difficult decision-making), we selected five finalists, including one grand prize winner who is the recipient of $1,000 donation to local nonprofit Cradles to Crayons and a nonprofit organization of his choice. These are the inspiring stories of our five finalists in the Boston Kids Who Really Rock contest.

Here we are halfway through October. Are your costumes ready? Halloween is just around the corner, and there are several spooky activities to check out this week. The Los Angeles Public Library continues its exploration of Homer’s Odyssey with many events for kids, teens, and adults in multiple locations across the city. On Tuesday stay home or go out, but be sure to take a few minutes to “Read for the Record” – Jumpstart’s annual promotion of child literacy. The book selected for this year’s event is Rosemary Wells’ Bunny Cakes. Siblings Max and Ruby have different ideas about Grandma’s birthday cake; Ruby wants buttercream frosting and roses, but for Max it’s all about the red hot marshmallow squirters. For these and other fun weekday ideas, read on...

Who says all of the dress up fun has to end with the humans in your family? Let Fido in on the Halloween action with these pet-friendly costume contests and barkfests so that all of the members of your family can have a howling good time this season.

For more Halloween fun on Long Island, visit our Halloween Fun Guide.

New Jersey schools are closed November 6th and 7th for the annual New Jersey Education Association convention. Still have to work and wondering what to do with the kids for the day? Or just hoping to keep them occupied? We’ve got the skinny on ten fabulous camps and programs for NJ kids, whether they’re artsy, outdoorsy or athletic. And if you're planning to take the day off too, visit our NJ Staycation post to find lots of fun ideas for local adventures.

As a child, it never occurred to me that the picnics my family often went on in an old Dutch cemetery were anything but trips to the park. We’d have sandwiches, walk around the ancient stones trying to read the inscriptions (Literacy!), figure out how old the stones were (Math!) while collecting fallen leaves and acorns from the enormous old trees that shaded the small graveyard (Science!).

Now, with the year turning towards the heart of autumn—and, of course, Halloween—people become interested in the ghostly tales of those who lived here before us. For a unique spin on the ghoulishness of late night (or midday) cemetery visit, consider checking out these local and historic cemetery tours.

Our family loves biking but doesn't live in a neighborhood with sidewalks.  In fact, the road is very busy and would be dangerous on two wheels. Because of that, we travel from home to bike and get out and nature and explore. It can be boring going to the same place over and over again, so, If you're like us, you might like to see Mommy Poppins' list of family friendly bike rides in and around Hartford.