Adventure with Alex

This week we have a longtime reader and first time guest blogger! Alex’s very own Mommy!

From a trip this summer to Sea Girt, NJ

I wasn’t sure how Alex would take to Halloween this year. Alex has a weird sense of fear when it comes to costumes and inanimate statues. For instance, when he first saw Verizon’s Halloween Star Wars commercial he said, “No costume, no costume…” and frantically ran to hide. Apparently an image of a baby dressed as Princess Leia in a bjorn attached to Jabba the Hutt is a bit disconcerting for a 2 year old. However I wasn’t going to let that hold Alex back from experiencing the spirit of Halloween so this past Saturday we headed over to Halloween Town at Purity Springs Resort in Madison, NH.

There were two reasons I was interested in going – so Alex can enjoy Halloween as every kid should and to support an important cause. Halloween Town is a FREE event, but donations are gladly accepted and 100% of the proceeds go to The Laura Foundation for autism and epilepsy. “Halloween Town has been designed with the desire to offer kids an opportunity to enjoy…what some of us remember from childhood…Traditional Halloween Fun…” – Steve Harding, President of the Laura Foundation.

“Experience a truly family-friendly Halloween experience. Dress in your Halloween costumes and walk up the hill to Halloween Town on the grounds of Camp Tohkomeupog. Many are claiming “It’s better than Halloween night itself!” Halloween Town is a good, old-fashioned way to have Halloween fun; something to be enjoyed by kids and parents alike!” – http://www.purityspring.com

Halloween Town is filled with a variety of events which include: a tethered hot air balloon, music, some amusement rides, games for kids, a food court and of course a trick or treat “trail”, which is comprised of about 25 themed cabins. Each cabin has a sign to inform visitors of the level of scariness. It ranges from non-scary to terrifying. The local non-profit Mount Washington Observatory had sponsored it’s own kid-friendly cabin this year!

MWOBS Cabin

Weather observers are not that scary

While visiting the non-scary cabins we ran into Alex’s best friend Rowan!

Best Friends Super Why and Robin!

It was so exciting for me to see how much fun Alex was having. He was so proud of his character Super Why that whenever someone recognized him he went into character mode, put his arms in the air, and made the swoosh sound as if he was flying to save the day with the “power to read”! It was even more fun for him to recognize characters that he knew, especially Humpty Dumpty and Duke, who he even shared a few dance moves with.

Humpty Dumpty and Duke

Although Alex insisted on walking around everywhere, I was glad I had the stroller packed in the car. Parking is a few minutes of a walk to the event, but not terribly far. Having a stroller was key, especially when he started to get tired right before leaving. We visited cabins, all decorated with fun themes, road the train ride, petted the goats, danced and played music and had a great time with friends.

With the support from families, friends and local businesses – volunteers and sponsors – it has been a growing success (from 300 hundred attendees five year ago to thousands in 2013). We’re looking forward to returning for Halloween Town 2014!

What Halloween activities have you been sharing with your little ones?