Learning Moore Through Nature and Play
The best month of the year has arrived.
The birth month of Libras, October’s zodiac is one of balance, and the month follows suit by dazzling us with outrageous beauty while sending winds haunted by winter’s bite. In line with this ghostly chill, October contains the ultimate holiday for creatives, costumers and kids: Halloween.
While pumpkins are shockingly tasty when turned into soup and provide us with healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, the real draw of these huge and heavy orange globes is the opportunity to carve them into jack-o-lanterns. Look no further than your local farmers market for the perfect specimen to deseed and decorate. Many fruits, vegetables and leafy greens such as apples, squash and kale are hardy enough to withstand the growing cold of autumn and can be found still flourishing here in central Pa. throughout the month. These yummy autumnal treats are delicious when dipped in caramel, roasted or simmered. Supporting your local farmers market is an easy way to make a positive impact on both the environment and your local economy by lessening greenhouse gasses emitted from transportation and funding agriculture in our area. Bring a wagon to fill as you shop small, peruse the wares of makers in our community, and heave your future jack-o-lanterns to their new home.
Creative & Confident
Get involved with a local, nature-based school at Learning Moore Through Nature and Play in Linglestown. LMTNP promotes their mission to be “where the free-spirited children learn and play” by providing an acreage full of opportunities to be creative and gain confidence. Kids can slide and build at the Hill of Mud, chase the facility’s cats and dogs, explore instruments at the Music Wall, climb trees, or enjoy some quiet time on a bench swing. LMTNP has set themselves above many similar, small learning centers by allowing diversity and inclusion with trauma-certified educators, sensory integration techniques, experience with autism, and adherence to ADA accessibility standards. The facility is open to children ages 3 to 12 and integrates a homeschool curriculum. It’s also seeking volunteers to help them offer new experiences to students and improve the center. Folks are encouraged to submit proposals for educational programs, sports, movement and art classes, as well as other ideas that would add value to LMTNP’s offerings. The facility is also seeking help in maintaining their acreage, painting murals, caring for the facility’s animals and other tasks. LMTNP encourages anyone interested in volunteering to get in touch through their website or Facebook page.
World of Words
The Harrisburg Book Festival once again graces our capital city with literary delight, Oct. 9 to 13, at Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg. The festival is a bibliophile’s paradise with local author visits and readings, book signings and book sales. All ages are welcome to attend the event, with a special “Children’s Day” on Saturday, Oct. 12, with YA and children’s author readings and live illustration sessions. Meet the makers of books, ask questions, support their work and be inspired. There is face painting at the event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., an offering that you would be wise to arrive early for. Last year, my kiddo and I read our books three times before we made it to the artist. On Children’s Day, there will also be a bookstore scavenger hunt, build-a-bookmark craft, and a meet-and-greet with Rascal, the mascot for the Harrisburg Senators. For young minds interested in the world of words, this is an event that you don’t want to miss.
Again, central Pa. astounds with endless options for ways to explore and engage with our community. If Halloween is in your celebration docket, there are even more events to cram into this month and endless sugar rushes to either avoid or indulge in.
The October zodiac reminds us once more why the symbol of this month is balance. While our deciduous gems silently offer their deeply stored beauty, the children lose their minds with excitement for the first holiday of the season. As the leaves crunch beneath our feet, costumes rise out of storage to be worn again, donated, or traded for new. There is an easy feeling as the musk of autumn fills our lungs, a trusting that this opulence is for us and that we all deserve to enjoy it.
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