Not-So-Spooky Halloween Events for Families

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

08 Oct 2008 10:29 AM

My young daughter would rather have her favorite stuffed puppy torn in half than have to stroll by a haunted house on Halloween.

Pumpkin patches, hay mazes, and candy paths are more her speed. And thanks to hundreds of zoos and aquariums around the nation parents like me can celebrate the season with their young children without damaging an eardrum in the process.

If you are part of the stroller crowd consider contacting your local zoo to see if they are hosting Halloween events this month.

In the meantime, check out this list of Halloween happenings taking place at zoos and aquariums from coast-to-coast. They are full of candy and cute creatures and void of blood and gore:

"Spooky Seas on Halloween" at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

"Night of the Living Zoo" at Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas.

"Creep in the Deep" at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey.

"Little Boo at the Zoo and Pumpkin Path" at the Toledo Zoo in Ohio. The stars of this Halloween event are the elephants and orangutans. Zookeepers take pumpkins that decorate the zoo and stash them in the enclosures, giving the animals something to play catch with and stomp on. The elephants get super-sized pumpkins and visitors can watch as they make mincemeat out of them.

"Boo at the Zoo" at Cleveland MetroParks Zoo in Ohio.

"Boo at the Zoo" at the Denver Zoo. The event is going "green" this year and is encouraging children to dress up as a superhero for the planet. Kids will learn how they can help the environment while getting up close with reptiles, spiders and other creepy creatures.

"Boo at the Zoo" at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

"World's Largest Halloween Party" at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky. The Louisville Zoo decorates the grounds in themes. For example, Candyland Way is filled with lollipops, candy canes and other sweet treats; Pumpkinville, USA is home to a hill of glowing jack-o-lanterns; Land of Oz is where children can follow a yellow brick road to meet Dorothy and her pals and get candy along the way.

"Boo at the Zoo" at the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas. Your family can ride the haunted train and take part in a costume contest after trick-or-treating on zoo grounds. In addition, little girls can get their nails done at the Beauty Shop of Horrors.

"Boo at the Zoo" at the San Diego Zoo includes candy and a chance to meet some not-so-spooky animals. The zoo is also hosting a Spooky Sleepover. In addition, the San Diego Wild Animal Park is hosting Pumpkins at the Park, complete with a scavenger hunt and the extinct animal graveyard.

"Zoo Boo" at the Detroit Zoo. Volunteers sculpt pumpkins into animals and visitors can stroll along a foggy trail that leads to the Reptile House.

Michele Cheplic writes about red-hot celebrities in POP CULTURE, fiery topics in PARENTS, sizzling recipes in FOOD, calorie burning exercises in FITNESS, and hot new kid-friendly crafts in FUN. Check out all of her articles here.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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Courtney Mroch (9169) 08 Oct 2008 03:01 PM

I'm with your daughter!!!!