Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Fort Worth, TX

That crisp, clean chill in the morning; the memory of pumpkin pie spice-filled kitchens of years past; the leaves turning color overnight...Yes, Fall is here!  For most in the Fort Worth area, a collective sigh is heard all around as the hundred-degree days are behind us for another 8 months.  For me, it's the opposite. I much prefer the killer heat to the bone-chilling winter! But I digress...

You have one weekend left to experience the Fall fun of picking a pumpkin to showcase on your porch, as well as join in on some Halloween fun!  Here are some great ways to inaugurate the Fall season:

Hall's Pumpkin Farm in Grapevine has lots of pumpkins, a great corn maze, a child-sized hay bale maze, mini-tractors for the kids to pedal, a fun hay bale house, play structure, tractor-pulled hay rides, picnic area, farm animals, and, of course, great photo ops! It's a great opportunity to let the kids run off some steam and have a great time picking out their very favorite punkin!  Hall's also has a haunted "Farm Fright" that takes place on Saturday, October 25^th.

If you're looking for a kid-friendly Halloween jaunt, Boo at the Zoo takes place October 24-29 at the - you guessed it - Fort Worth Zoo! This is a safe, family-friendly fall event.  It's great for younger kids as you can have some Halloween fun without gory ghosts and goblins jumping out at you!

Mainstay Farm in Arlington will hold an annual "Family Pumpkin Day" on Saturday, October 25^th from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and $7 for children 12-and-under. Bring your camera for all the great photo ops! They have great Fall decorations including orange and exotic pumpkins, hay bales, corn stalks and gourds of all kinds. Adventure Hay rides are included in admission, as well as the chance to play in the 3-story tree house, wooden maze and other playground activities. There are 3 mazes, face and pumpkin painting, a hay-play and jump barn, 100-foot super chute slide, pedal kart race track, GOAT SCAPE MOUNTAIN, and a picnic pavilion.  They even have a grill where they serve gourmet hot dogs, hamburgers, turkey legs, sausage-on-a-stick, caramel apple chips, pumpkin ice cream, and pumpkin pie.

So, get your sweaters out of the attic, grab a thermos of hot cocoa (maybe it's not THAT cold yet!), and take the kids to one of these fun Fall-themed activities. Don't forget the camera to capture those delighted little faces - if you can catch them that is!