Is there any greater childhood pleasure than sorting through an enormous bucket of candy on a cool October evening? Rummaging past the Bit-O-Honey, pennies and black licorice bits, you come across the Holy Grail of all Halloween treats -- a full-sized Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

All candies are not, after all, created equal. As with all things in life, there is a hierarchy of Halloween sweets. Perpetual favorites are full-sized chocolate bars of all kinds, but Almond Joy and peanut butter cups come out on top. Snickers bars are a crowd-pleaser, as are Dum Dum Pops and Charms Blow Pops.

The Kit Kat wafer bar has its place, as do sour candies of the Nerds variety. Gummy candies of any kind always find their way into small tummies, and you won't find any Nestle Crunch or Mr. Goodbar hanging out in the candy bowl. You also won't go wrong handing out Milky Way bars or Baby Ruth.

Chocolate is, of course, king, but no one will turn their nose up at the right hard candy. Jolly Ranchers continue to be popular with the ghouls and goblins, as are Life Savers.

The all-time favorite Halloween candy? Why, candy corn, of course. Who can resist that chewy, sweet, high-fructose corn syrup treat?

My first stop on the Halloween trail was the dentist's house -- he always gave out full-size Hershey's chocolate bars. What did you eat first, and what went stale in a bowl on top of the refrigerator?

Sure, we have a problem with childhood obesity in this country but, come on, what country doesn't? What's it going to hurt to let kids pig out one night a year? I mean, Halloween only comes once a year, just like Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, the Fourth of July, birthdays (of siblings and friends), anniversaries... Okay, so maybe they do end up eating a lot of junk a lot of the time.

Some parents are trying to make a difference -- by skipping the Halloween candy and handing out less fattening treats. Toys, pencils, stickers, Play-doh, and glow sticks are some of the alternatives people are handing out. "I thought, here I am trying to take care of my health," says Lisa Bruno, of Des Plaines, Illinois, who ditched the candy five years ago. "I felt a responsibility to my community to take care of the kids around me."

Experts suggest that Halloween can be used as a vehicle for teaching kids about portion size and limits to help them deal with food issues all year long. "It's important that we as parents help them find the balance between that very traditional fun activity and a healthy lifestyle," says Connie Diekman, past president of the American Dietetic Association.

I like the idea of giving out pencils or Play-doh -- things that will last longer than the length of a single swallow. I'm not so sure, however, how kids feel about it. Are you giving out candy or a less sugary alternative this year?

With multiple players, varying levels and thematic design, Monopoly is a game that can be enjoyed by the whole family, even young children.

There's more to Halloween than costumes and candy. Coming, as it does, just a few days before one of the most important elections we've had in a long time, it's also a potential predictor of the outcome of that election. You see, one of the perennial favorite categories for adult costumes is politicians and what better than to pick one's favorite candidate?

According to costume suppliers, mask sales have successfully predicted the outcome of the last few elections. So which of the two presidential candidates is winning, at least in mask sales? So far, it's Obama, but there's more to it, this time around. Sarah Palin has added an unexpected twist to the mix -- she was a late announcement so vendors were caught unprepared and she is a rare opportunity for women to dress as a candidate.

Personally, if I thought the correlation at all implied causation, I'd be in line to buy a dozen or so masks of my favorite candidate, but instead, I think I'll just chuckle a bit and make sure I vote in November.

Would you hand your preschooler a bag full of live ammunition?

Now you know how parents of kids with food allergies feel about Halloween. The treats so many children look forward to with glee can be deadly for those who suffer from reactions to peanuts, tree nuts and dairy. But who wants to tell their child that trick or treating is forbidden?

Never fear -- with a few common-sense precautions, kids with food allergies can enjoy the holiday without risking their health.

First and foremost, remember that your normal food-allergy rules still apply: read the label of every piece of candy your child collects before they eat it, make sure he or she carries their medication with them while trick-or-treating, and check that he adult in charge knows how to administer the medication if the need arises. Also, give your child a small packet of hand wipes, so they can clean their hands if they accidentally come in contact with an allergen.

These simple rules don't mean your child can't have fun. Rather than trying to read the fine print on candy labels with your flashlight, bring a small bag of "safe" candy from home, so your little trickster can snack along the way. You can also invent new Halloween traditions, such as a "Halloween fairy" who brings safe treats or non-food presents.

Afraid your little one will get into the stash you plan to hand out? Don't give out candy -- try stickers or pencils. Or skip the door-to-door candy collecting altogether, and attend a local event that doesn't focus on food. Local zoos or farms often host Halloween parties loaded with activities.

And remember, your child can always say "no, thank you."

Last but not least -- don't panic. Taking care to follow your normal food-safety rules will help everyone enjoy a fun holiday.

Sure, the economy is going down the drain and everyone is nervously checking the news to see if their bank is still in business, but that doesn't mean parents aren't going to be dressing their little ones up as pirates and princesses this Halloween. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation, more people are planning on celebrating this year than last. They are also planning to spend more this year -- $66.54 on average.

"Halloween sales may be a bright spot for retailers this fall," said Tracy Mullin, NRF President and CEO. "Consumers -- who have been anxious and uncertain for the past several months -- may be looking at Halloween as an opportunity to forget the stresses of daily life and just have a little fun." Plus, you can't disappoint the kids, now can you?

So, how are people spending those Halloween dollars? There's twenty-four dollars and change for costumes, another twenty for candy, and eighteen dollars for decorations. There's even almost four dollars going to greeting cards (that would be my wife's family). With nearly three out of four people planning on handing out candy, but only about a third of respondents planning on taking kids trick-or-treating, there will undoubtedly be some leftovers. Yum!

There's nothing quite like it -- dressing up as your favorite character, heading out (at night! in the dark!) to ask strangers for candy and getting ... wait for it ... a brand-new toothbrush.

Yes, friends, it's that time again.

Halloween is just around the corner and children (not to mention some adults) are counting the days until it's time to bring home a giant bag o' cavities. But not every treat in your huge plastic pumpkin is pleasing to the palate. Some of the all-time worst Halloween treats include apples, boxed raisins and old, loose hard candy.

Oh, yeah, and pennies.

Who does that? Pennies!

But the list doesn't end there. How about some yummy baked goods from the crazy lady down the street with all the cats? Or the classic unwrapped popcorn ball. You know, the stuff your parents started throwing away back in the '80s when some crazy dude supposedly put pins and needles in the goodies he gave out.

Remember when it was cool to hand out McDonald's coupons? Not so much anymore. Coupons of any kind made one list of Top 10 Worst Halloween Treats, along with dried fruit and mints.

My personal least favorite Halloween treat? That really hard bubble gum. You know of what I speak - the kind that breaks your jaw because it was manufactured in 1976 and sat on the shelf at your local Big Box store ever since.

How about you? Plastic bugs? Pencils? Play Doh (yes, I got that once). What's the worst treat you ever got?

Last year, when my then four-year-old decided to be a scary witch for Halloween, I said, "Right on." We love Halloween at our house, and she was getting right into the spirit. We weren't surprised, however, to hear that though her parochial preschool would be having a costume party, scary or occult-type costumes wouldn't be allowed.

We planned early on to put her in the previous year's pirate costume instead. Problem solved, until a teacher's assistant, who asked her what she was going to be for Halloween, told her in no uncertain terms that she would not be allowed to come to the party as a witch. I didn't disagree with the rule, but it bothered me that she was made to feel bad about her choice of costume outside of school.

What made it worse was that when we finally attended the party, it was decorated completely in traditional Halloween decor -- witches, monsters, and all. She was confused, and I didn't have a good answer for her.

Today we changed the calendar in our classroom. A brand new month with all its possibilities. October, with it's red maple leaves, fat pumpkins and decidedly chilly weather. But while I look forward to October because it is the pinnacle of my favorite season, when the hills turn vermilion and yellow, and the first twinge of wood smoke is in the air, the children love it for a different reason entirely. Halloween.

For children, at least all children who attend mainstream public schools, Halloween is at the zenith of all things adored: fantasy, candy, mystery, and the possibility of being afraid but not too afraid. Already they've been talking about their costumes for weeks, and with the turning of the calendar, we've aquired a new classroom routine: counting down the days.

Today 29, tomorrow 28. And they're pestering me, "Can we have a Halloween party, PULEEEZE?"

As a teacher in a public school I've always sort of dragged my feet on this one. I've let the kids share their excitement, and swap stories about what they're planning to wear for the big night, but I've kind of tried to stay away from having a full blown party in our classroom... because, well, isn't it somehow blurring the separation of church and state?

Almost every year I've had at least one child whose family doesn't celebrate Halloween. And granted, in its current form, decidedly one of the least denominational holidays hyped by the media. Yet it is still a holiday with religious origins, and parents who don't celebrate the holiday have every right to expect that it won't be foisted on their kid at school-right?

Or maybe kids should just be allowed to be kids at school-regardless of what their parents believe? Perhaps they should be allowed to soak up their classmate's excitement and engage in a full-blown Halloween party with sticky popcorn balls and freaky costumes even if their parents don't let them dress up or engage in such activities at home. Forget the Day Of the Dead for a second. The only thing kids care about is the candy anyway. Right?

What do you think? Should kids be allowed to celebrate Halloween in school-or should schools skip such festivities all together?

Today is the official beginning of candy season. In my house, candy season lasts approximately 5 months - beginning with the bite-sized treats of Halloween and continuing to the heart-shaped deliciousness of Valentine's Day. In between, you have all manner of sugared goodness just waiting to wreck your diet.

While today may be only the first day of October, the Halloween candy has been filling the store aisles for weeks now. I've given those temptations a once-over, but will wait until the big day is a little closer before actually purchasing any treats to hand out. I have a low threshold for temptation and if I bring all that candy into the house now, there might not be any left by the 31st.

When I finally do fill my cart with candy, I'll try to minimize the temptation by buying treats that I don't particularly like. At the risk of being known as 'the house with yucky candy', I am going to stock up on bags of Bit-O-Honey, Dots and Licorice. Sorry kids, but I have to. Otherwise I will be buying bigger pants by Thanksgiving and at my age, it's just too hard to get the weight off again.

What about you? Does your own sweet tooth dictate what kind of candy you buy for Halloween? Have you already purchased your candy? Are you eating Milky Ways for lunch yet?

Halloween may be a month away, but chances are your kids have been talking about it for weeks. Soon, it'll be time to make final decisions on costumes, then either start making or shopping for them. Pumpkins need to be carved, candy needs to be purchased, and did you remember to volunteer for the class Halloween party? If it's making you tired just thinking about it, get in the mood with a little Halloween trivia:

• Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.
• The first jack-o'-lanterns were made out of turnips.
• Samhainophobia is a fear of Halloween. (Samhain is what the holiday was originally called.)
• In Ohio, Iowa, and Massachusetts, Halloween is often referred to as Beggar's Night.
• The largest Halloween celebration -- the Village Halloween Parade -- is held in Greenwich Village.
• Former First Lady Dolley Madison is said to haunt the White House Rose Garden.
• The most popular costume of 2005 was Spiderman.
• The first official city-wide Halloween celebration was held in Anoka, Minnesota in 1921.
• Americans eat about 26 pounds of candy every year ... each. That explains why my jeans don't fit.
• According to the U.S. Census, there are 108 million housing units in the U.S. That's a lot of trick-or-treating!
• The biggest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
• Americans spend $6.9 billion on Halloween each year.

Hungry for more? Take a Halloween trivia quiz at About.com.

My father, who's birthday is on Halloween (lucky guy!) would tell you that you're really never too old to celebrate Halloween. His love for the holiday is probably the reason Halloween is my favorite day of the year. That said, we've all opened our doors to hand out candy to someone who was, in our opinion, a little too old to be hitting up the neighbors for candy. Costumes are one thing--having seen the magic and creativity of many a Halloween parade (including the likes of the famous ones in New Orleans and New York City), I can attest that you're never too old to wear a costume, parade around and have a general good time. Once you hit a certain age, the candy is generally replaced by cocktails at such functions, but what about that in between time?

I've heard people say they've turned away kids who they thought were too old for trick or treating. I've also heard people say that it's the parents' responsibility to not only take the kids trick or treating but to tell them at what age to stop. I remember dressing up and hitting the neighborhood myself when I was in middle school and getting the hairy eyeball from a parent or too. My friend, who went as a baby, actually got on her knees after pushing the doorbell and wore pigtails to appear younger. I realized at that point, once you spend any period of time thinking about how to appear younger, you need to be on the other side of the candy bowl.

What do you think? Is it more important for the parents to tell the kid when to stop trick or treating, or should it be a decision the child makes on her own? Isn't Halloween really all about rebellion, anyway? If so, then telling a child he can't go trick or treating might just get him more inclined to do so without your blessing!

Though the tampered candy scare of the 70s and 80s is little more than urban legend, safety is one reason that parents may decide to opt out of trick-or-treating. Unsuitable neighborhoods, bad weather, and religious objections are other reasons to keep kids from going door-to-door.

But just because you've decided to skip out on the candy grabbing doesn't mean that you can't join in on the Halloween fun. If trick-or-treating isn't your thing, try one of these alternatives instead:

• Host a party for your kids and their friends. Carve pumpkins, bob for apples, or plan a candy scavenger hunt.
• Kids too old for trick-or-treating? Let them plan a Halloween movie night.
• Research community-organized parties in your area.
• Visit your local shopping mall, where stores often pass out candy to trick-or-treaters.
• Visit a corn maze, pumpkin farm, or haunted house as a family.
• Throw a monster-themed dinner party. Think "spaghetti and eyeballs" with a tasty witches brew to drink!
• Want the experience but not the candy? Trick-or-treat for UNICEF.
• Try "trunk-or-treating." Groups get together and decorate the trunks of their cars, then let children trick-or-treat amongst them.

Do you opt out of trick-or-treating? What do you do instead?

I love camping. Being out amidst the trees, the rocks, and, yes, even the dirt is relaxing and comforting to me. If I could live in the woods year-round, I would. Not everyone is quite the Grizzly Adams type that I am, however. If you've got kids, though, it's worth it to take them camping now and then. I came across this great video that offers some insight into what's so great about camping, put together by the website Joy of Camping:



And if you're convinced, you might be interested in their list of ten things to bring for kids when camping. I wholeheartedly agree about the flashlights and whistles, and have to admit I wouldn't have thought of the bug jar or the star finder -- both fantastic ideas. I'd also include some reading and coloring books for down times and some musical instruments -- shakers, rattles, and the like -- to save your pots when the kids want to form a marching band.

All in all, I can't recommend camping more -- it's a great experience for the kids and it's a cheap vacation. If you've never been and are a little hesitant, get together with other families who are more outdoorsy and plan a group trip. The kids will enjoy it even more and you'll be able to sit back and just watch the swarms of kids running around.

Do you let your kids actually eat their Halloween candy or do you whisk it away in the name of oral hygiene? The bad news for snacking moms and dads is that it's actually okay, dentally speaking to let your kids pig out on their candy, on a special occasion like Halloween. Candy is, of course, not the ideal snack, but there are ways you can lessen its dental impact when kids do eat it.

Eating candy and other carbohydrates changes the chemical balance in the mouth, making it more acidic. This acidity is what eats away at teeth, causing cavities. It takes between half an hour and an hour for the mouth to return to normal, so doling out candy every hour is a bad idea -- it just keeps the acid levels up on a continuous basis. Instead, let them have a bunch of candy all at once, preferably at mealtimes when the mouth is already producing a lot of saliva. And, of course, have the kids brush their teeth afterwards.

While moderation is great in general, it seems to me that excesses -- like candy on Halloween -- are perfectly okay, as long as they are done in moderation.