As the weather turns colder, it’s time to turn up the heat in the kitchen. Why not bring the kids with you? Baking with children, whether they’re barely old enough to stir cookie dough or busy making cupcakes with only your supervision, is a surefire way to get them involved with family traditions. As you mix, measure, and stir, you can share memories of your own childhood and build treasure troves of good times for your kids to store away themselves. The kitchen is also a natural learning environment. Not only will you be teaching your kids a valuable skill, but you can also transform basic baking actions, like recipe reading, into educational activities. Cooking is a life skill they’ll need in the future; starting early will make them safe and comfortable in the kitchen as they grow older and begin to take care of themselves. As Beverly Hernandez, About.com’s Guide to Homeschooling, tells us, you can also use baking to teach kids mathematics principles. When you need to select a certain sized dish for baking a cake, teach your children about diameter and circumference. If you’re packing up treats for a holiday delivering, let them figure out how big the container needs to be. As you go through the baking process, you can also teach your kids about the science of baking. Let About.com’s Guide to Busy Cooks help you along with the hows and whys of baking. Plus: Read the Top 10 Reasons to Get Kids Cooking from Stephanie Gallagher, Guide to Cooking for Kids.

In the weeks before Halloween, it’s often the pumpkins that garner attention instead of the costumes. Before the kids pull out the newspaper, spoons, and knives, take a few minutes to brush up on the process of crafting a perfectly affordable and delightfully spooktacular jack-o-lantern. Watch a video that shows you how to carve a pumpkin from beginning to end. Then, instead of investing in a costly pumpkin-carving kit, check out the free patterns provided by About.com’s Guide to Crafts. Choose one or let your kids’ imaginations run wild as they design their own. You can even throw a pumpkin decorating party!

Schools are germ breeding grounds, so it’s only a matter of time before sniffles and sore throats are passed from one grubby hand to the next. It’s time for the age-old question: should you send your tot packing with tissues and a pat on the head, or is he too sick for school? To get ready for cold and flu season, learn when you should take your child to the doctor, build a flu season tool kit, and find a flu shot with the help of About.com’s Cold and Flu Guide.

When your kids get home from school, it may be second nature for them to drop their backpacks and hit the pantry. It’s easy to let them grab a box or a bag, but mindless munching on pre-packaged foods can take a major toll on their health. To satiate their mid-afternoon cravings, keep healthier options on hand, like grapes, already washed and ready to grab, in the fridge. Try cutting up strawberries and serving them with Reddi-wip to indulge a sweet tooth or slicing an apple and dishing up some caramel or peanut butter. Carrot sticks with ranch dressing provide crunchy satisfaction. When in doubt, look for pantry-friendly substitutes, like trail mix (homemade to cut the salt). Instead of chocolate chip cookies, try Teddy Grahams. Swap greasy potato chips for tortilla chips and a mild salsa. And always be sure to set out the proper portion sizes for your kids instead of letting them help themselves. Childhood obesity caused by overeating is a very real (and growing) threat.