Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Long Beach, CA

Our family is moving across town on November 2^nd, so this Halloween will be goodbye to a neighborhood we have grown to love. Our Bluff Heights neighbors go all-out decorating their houses with gauzy spider webs and creepy skeletons, and without venturing more than a few blocks in either direction, my daughter can fill her bag to the brim with Tootsie Rolls and gummy bears. I know not all neighborhoods have such a friendly trick-or-treating scene, but there is plenty of Halloween fun in Long Beach if you know where to go.

Several business districts around town will be passing out candy to costumed children. Kids can trick-or-treat along Broadway between Temple and Redondo, or on 2^nd Street in Belmont Shore. On the other end of town, shops at the Lakewood Mall will distribute candy to children10 and under from 4:00 to 7:00 PM, while supplies last.

No matter where you live, chances are there's a Parks and Recreation Halloween carnival at a park near you. Locations include Cesar Chavez, Bixby, Wardlow, and College Estates, among (many!) others. Kids can jump around in bounce houses, carve pumpkins, and create Halloween crafts. Most events begin between 3:00 and 4:00 and continue until 6:00 PM. For more information, contact the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine at 570-3150.

Several area churches are hosting alternative celebrations on October 31. California Heights United Methodist Church will have a Halloween Spooktacular from 6:00 to 9:00 PM. Activities will include trick-or-treating, a costume parade, and crafts. Admission is a can of food to be donated to the needy. At Cornerstone Church's Treasures 'N Treats, children can enjoy music, candy, games, and bounce houses. The event is free, and it will take place from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at 1000 N. Studebaker Road.

What are your plans for Halloween?