There are pocketsful of conkers and chestnuts to collect, Harvest Festival celebrations, Halloween parties, Bonfire Night coming up, stacks of half term events at libraries, museums and leisure centres, and first thoughts about Christmas presents to make for family and mates.

Alongside the Christian Harvest Festivals at churches, October is a month with many other religious festivals.

October 2nd marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim period of fasting, October 9th is Yom Kippur the Jewish Day of Atonement, and at the end of the month on October 28th is Diwali, the Hindu New Year.

Find out more about these and other religious festivals at: www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/religion/

Get glowing for Halloween by making a really freaky-frightening pumpkin lantern - or if you need a friendly face with all those spooky goings on, then do a big smiley one.

Start by drawing a face on the side of your pumpkin, with eyes, nose and mouth, not forgetting eyebrows because they can add a great look by being frowningly fierce, or high and surprised, or one up and one down kinda quizzical.

Cut a round disk in the top and then carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon, then carve out your features. Make a little deeper hollow in the inside at the base to hold your tea light candle safely and there it is!

There's a pumpkin festival at Chester Zoo from 25th October until 2nd November. If you take a carved pumpkin you get free admission as long as you're with one fee paying adult. There&squo;s a guess-the-weight-of-the-pumpkin competition and a Trick or Treat Zoo Trail too, with prizes. www.chesterzoo.org

What to do with the middle bit!
And when you've made your lantern, you're left with lots of the inside outside! So how about making some soup?

A nice warmer-upper for Halloween night. All you need is your pumpkin pulp, and a few other bits and pieces to make Apple and Pumpkin Soup quicker than you can say Trick or Treat!

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/

Giggle Box Giggle Box

You'll find a new joke in this box from time to time.

QuestionHow do you stop squirrels playing football in the garden

AnswerHide the ball, it drives them nuts!

Out and about

campaignfordrawing.org

The Big Draw
All through October there are fantastic events designed to get everyone drawing - in all sorts of places from scout huts to national museums – and there's a special Big Draw Day on October 11th. Here's a taster of what's on around the country, and they're all free.

PencilAt Bassetlaw Museum, Retford you can find out how to draw with light, help build a wall of drawings or create an 'old master'.

In Roker, Sunderland, join artists who are creating a huge wall drawing of the River Wear. Go to Roland Levinsky Building, Plymouth and join in making a giant creative landscape inspired by this award winning building.

Visit Bolton Museum, Lancashire and you can handle and draw dinosaur bones in their Dinosaur Roar Dinosaur Draw event. Definitely don't take your dog in case he makes off with the bones!

Find out what's happening near you at: www.campaignfordrawing.org/bigdraw/search.aspx


Inside Story

If October weather is dreary, then head for your nearest museum to find loads of exciting stuff to lighten up the dullest day.

You can spend as long as you like there. How about these for wizard ways to spend a few hours - they're all free!

National Media Museum, Bradford
Blue Peter: 50 Years. Celebrating the history of the favourite TV programme - and you don't need an empty washing up liquid bottle to get into the museum... www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk

New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, Leicester
Animated Adventures - see the real sets and models from Aardman and Dreamworks' Wallace and Gromit: the curse of the Were-rabbit. www.leicester.gov.uk

World Museum, Liverpool
The Beat Goes On. A blast of an exhibition showing Liverpool's contribution to popular music from The Beatles to the Zutons. Listen to jukeboxes, mix your own tracks or strut your stuff on the dance floor. www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

National Football Museum, Preston
If you're into soccer, head for this one. There are always plenty of activities such as the Footy Fun Zone, Goalstriker penalty shoot out game and table football, plus special exhibitions all about football. www.nationalfootballmuseum.com