By NANCY POSTER
For Smart
The leaves are showing hints of amber and orange.

Pumpkins are ripening on their vines. And apples are ready to be plucked from the trees. That means it's time to head to a farm, get lost in a maze or make a scarecrow.

Take a farm tour:
Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm Market
110 Ducktown Road, Hellam Township
252-2540
www.flinchbaughsorchard.com
Fall tours are offered September through the beginning of November. The cost is $3 per person and an additional $1 to purchase a small pumpkin. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Family Fun Day
South Branch Farms, Seven Valleys
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
www.farmtrust.org
The day includes horse demonstrations, a 4-H petting zoo, pony rides, children's activities and demonstrations by WGAL-TV naturalist Jack Hubley at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Attend a festival:
Harvest Festival
Naylor Wine Cellars
4069 Vineyard Road, Hopewell Township
(800) 292-3370
www.naylorwine.com
Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4 and 5
Admission is $5 for adults and includes a $3 wine credit, or $2 for children with a $1 credit for a slushie or candy.

Bluegrass Harvest Festival
Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery
1282 Klines Run Road, Lower Windsor Township
252-9463
www.MoonDancerWinery.com
2 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11
Enjoy the tranquility of the Susquehanna River, while listening to bluegrass music and sipping some local wine.

Get lost in a corn maze:
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm
150 Cherry Hill Road
Ronks, Lancaster County
687-6843
www.cherrycrestadventurefarm.com
Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Saturdays starting Oct. 4 through Nov. 8. Admission is $13.95 for adults 12 and older or $11.95 for children 3 to 11. Admission for kids younger than 2 is free.

Maize Quest Fun Park
2885 New Park Road
New Park
(866) WE-LOSE-U
www.mazefunpark.com
The park is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 1 to 7 p.m. Sundays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 9, 13, 14, 15, 16 and Nov. 4 and 11. Admission is $9 for adults or $7.50 for children ages 2 to 12.

Make a scarecrow:
Brown's Orchards & Farm Market
8892 Susquehanna Trail South, Loganville
428-2036
www.brownsorchards.com
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18
Create a colorful scarecrow and enjoy other family activities. Cost to build a full-sized scarecrow is $15 or $10 for toddlers.

Posted in Entertaining From this issue Playtime

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By NANCY POSTER for Smart

The anticipation can be heard in Roger Baumgarten’s voice.
The 47-year-old Mechanicsburg father of two boys can’t wait to board Fahrenheit, the roller coaster set to debut at Hersheypark this season.
Baumgarten knows coasters. And he knows amusement parks. He’s been a season pass holder at Hersheypark for about 10 years.
So when it comes to giving advice to first-time or even occasional park visitors, Baumgarten is a pro.

Posted in Entertaining Forum Parenting Playtime Smart Ideas Travel

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By NANCY POSTER for Smart

Cold weather has kept you off your bike and off the trails. But now it’s time to get pedaling and start exploring the countryside.
Before you set out, however, take a few minutes to give your bike a quick once over.

Posted in Forum From this issue Parenting Playtime Smart Ideas Travel

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BIL BOWDEN for Smart

Diane Sargeant, director of Education Services for Wellspan, tries to keep the radio and cell phone off while carpooling her teenage son around town, taking advantage of the time together to reconnect.

By NANCY POSTER for Smart

Life can be a balancing act for working parents as they juggle on-the-job duties with caring for their home and family.
Add to the mix a hefty dose of guilt that afflicts many parents who wish they could carve out more one-on-one time with their kids.
What’s a mom and dad to do?

Posted in Babies Cooking Forum From this issue Parenting Playtime Smart Ideas Smart Woman

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Only two weeks left! Submit your photos by July 15!

Keep the camera near, and enter images of your children having fun in the sun into our Smart Shots photo contest.

We'll pick three photographs to win gift certificates to local businesses - $100 from Brown's Orchards and Farm Market, $75 from Cloister Car Washes and $50 from Roosevelt Tavern in York.

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The 42nd annual Smithsonian Kite Festival will be held March 29 on the grounds of the Washington Monument from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Rain date: March 30.) This free event, titled “Brush Strokes in the Sky,” features kite displays, demonstrations and handmade-kite competitions.

There will be competition awards for children, adults and master kitemakers. Kites must have been made by those participating, and will be judged on design, appearance, construction and performance. Kites must be able to fly a minimum of 100 feet in the air for at least one minute.

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Do you ever feel like Cain and Abel are lurking in your back yard?

Even if sibling rivalry isn’t out of hand in your household, there are things you can do to help your kids get along better – while developing skills you can use elsewhere in everyday life.

A six-part program, “Siblings…Without Rivalry,” starts 9:30 to 11 a.m. or 7 to 8:30 p.m. April 16, and continues on consecutive Wednesdays, at the Jewish Community Center, 2000 Hollywood Drive, York Township. Classes led by parenting educator Jessica Brein, M.Ed.

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By Pat Burson
Newsday

MELVILLE, N.Y. -- If you’re a parent who’s tired of buying your kids new toys, only to see them forgotten or collecting dust in a matter of hours or days, now you can stop buying and start renting.

That’s the premise behind a new online toy rental company, BabyPlays.com. That’s right, you borrow the toys and then, when your kids have had enough of them, simply return them and receive new ones.

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By J.M. HIRSCH
AP Food Editor

Use St. Patrick’s Day as an excuse to get the kids into the kitchen to help with this easy, hands-on recipe for sweet soda bread studded with golden raisins.

The recipe calls for baking the dough as two loaves, but it could be divided into four to accommodate multiple baker’s helpers. And be prepared for a (fun) mess; the dough is sticky.

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By GWEN FARISS NEWMAN for Smart

Along with spring comes fresh green grass and flower buds, the chirps of birds and the birth of babes.

For many of us going about the business of cleaning out sheds and tidying up lawns and gardens, it means we’ll come across tiny little critters -- animals toppled out of nests or perhaps left injured or abandoned.

What to do? Well, first of all, don’t rush to do anything.

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CHRISTOPHER GLASS for Smart

Laci Miller, 2, and mom, Danielle Miller, of Springettsbury Township plan for puddle jumping on a recent rainy day.

By NANCY POSTER for Smart

April showers might bring May flowers, but it also brings bored, restless kids and irritated parents.

So, short of turning on the TV, what can parents do to bust the boredom on a cold rainy day?

Posted in Entertaining Forum Parenting Playtime Smart Ideas Web exclusive

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By NICKI LEFEVER for Smart

After having 10 babies, Susan Wood learned what works and what doesn’t. She knows new moms should walk past the baby oil and buy a big tube of Balmex. They should register for the swing and skip the bouncy seat.

The York New Salem mom took a trip down the baby aisle at Target in West Manchester Township and shared what her shopping list would be if she were to go for No. 11.

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Test your knowledge

1. In York, a small park off College Avenue is named in memory of Helen Thackston. Why?
A. She gave the city the land.
B. Her home was on the site of the park.
C. She helped care for and educate inner-city children all her life.
D. She taught black children at a school once on the site.

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The Harrises and the Leydigs represent opposite ends of the parenting spectrum.
Amy and Colin Harris of Red Lion are in the baby stage — the restless nights, the busy days, the endless needs voiced as only an infant can, through wordless
communication.

Cynthia and Randy Leydig of York have become a couple again, after their youngest child moved out at age 18. They’re in the empty-nest stage — the restful nights, the busy work days, the endless quiet and clean that comes only when the children have flown the coop.
Countless couples occupy the in-between stage of parenting, not starting out, but not done either.

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Readers share their favorite holiday movies

Romantic holiday

My “it’s-not-Christmas-until-I’ve-seen-this-movie” pick is "The Bishop's Wife." It stars Cary Grant (you can’t go wrong with a Cary Grant movie) and Loretta Young and David Niven. . . . The original is a really good mix of values, humor, love and Christmassy stuff. There’s a skating scene that will just take your breath away. The supporting characters are distinct and memorable in themselves, and that always helps make a movie great.

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By BETH BENCE REINKE
For Smart

Whether you’re at home or visiting relatives, the holidays are a great time to gather around a board game for some family fun and togetherness. Felton resident Jeanie Olson remembers playing cards and board games when she was a kid. “My sisters and I used to play 500 Rummy on Thanksgiving at my aunt’s house,” she said.

Olson and her husband, Jan (pronounced “Yon”), make board games a frequent part of family life for their children, ages 14, 13, 8 and 2. She says games provide a face-to-face opportunity to laugh, talk and build strong relationships, instead of sitting in front of a video game or computer screen.

“The kids can be scattered through the house, and if you get a game out, they all come running,” she said.

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BIL BOWDEN for Smart

When choosing an extra-curricular activity for your child, make sure to let them take the lead in choosing the activity.

Dance lessons, karate, art classes, sports, music lessons. It can be overwhelming for parents and kids to choose extracurricular activities.

Marie Bell, program director for the family life division of Family-Child Resources in York, said there are tremendous benefits for kids who participate in activities, including social interaction, confidence, independence and physical activity.

To find the right activity for your child-ren, Bell recommends observing them and talking with them about their interests.

“Go to the library or look on the Internet together for things that spark your child’s imagination,” Bell said.

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A few of our Smart readers shared their advice for throwing a great birthday party for your kids.

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By JENNIFER VOGELSONG
for Smart

Trying to highlight the best fall hikes in York County is kind of