The Halloween candy contest results are in and the most popular treat among West Philly kids is… not Reese’s! Read on to find out what it is.

Penn students involved with the Halloween Data Project went to the Spruce Hill Halloween Tot parade and hung around during the trick-or-treating festivities and were able to record lots of creative costumes and kids’ opinions (266 in total!) on their favorite candy and least favorite candy. The students compiled all of their data into an interactive dashboard for kids and parents to see all the different answers in the community: West Philly Candy Dashboard (Panbo App was used to create it).

To personalize the dashboard for West Philly, the students created digital drawings, a mascot named Panbo that explains the data, and a thank you note at the very end that names every individual costume they saw. The dashboard itself presents the data collected in many different ways: a cluster map with each individual response, bar graphs showing the rankings of the candy, and interactive pie charts that help you see correlations between certain costumes and their favorite form and flavor of candy.

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Come Tuesday, hundreds of costumed tots and their parents or guardians will descend upon West Philly streets for trick-or-treating. Neighbors usually buy a lot of sweet treats to give away but do they always buy the “right” sweets?

As you may have noticed, many kids are very selective about what kind of candy they want. This Halloween, a group of University of Pennsylvania students will be conducting a Halloween Data Project, trying to identify the most popular candy for West Philly kids.

“The general plan is to walk around on Tuesday during trick or treat, get permission from parents/guardians first and then ask kids their favorite candy,” writes Ethan Markwalter, a senior at Penn studying statistics. “We were also thinking about noting their costume too. For example, that way we know Batman likes snickers.”

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Get your spooky/funny/cute costumes ready for the annual Spruce Hill “Tot” Halloween Parade! The great neighborhood tradition returns Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Gathering begins at 4 p.m. at 45th and Larchwood, and the parade kicks off at 4:30. The parade ends at 42nd and Osage where party-goers are invited to get treats, like cider and baked goods, from “Little Osage” neighbors and local businesses.

Every year, hundreds of costumed tots (ages 6 and under) and their parents or guardians participate in the parade organized by the Spruce Hill Community Association. This is a fun and family-friendly event for the local community with plenty of trick-or-treating possibilities in the neighborhood!

For more October events, check out this post.

Parents and guardians are invited this Saturday, Oct. 21 to participate in the 4th Annual Fall Clothing Swap for babies and kids (8 years old and younger). This is a great opportunity to get rid of your children’s old or unwanted clothes and/or shoes and find duds that you want in good condition!

The event will be held on the 4200 block of Regent Square, a side street off of Clark Park (near the playground). The drop-off starts at 9:30 a.m., and swapping takes place from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.. Only clothing and shoes in good condition (no rips or stains) will be accepted.

Check out the flyer below for more details.

Community members are invited to support a local arts and education organization at a special family-friendly event. A Book a Day, a nonprofit based in West Philadelphia, is hosting a free fundraiser, titled Alphabet Soup, at the University City Arts League (4226 Spruce St.) on Saturday, Oct. 7, 1-4 p.m.

The event is an opportunity to celebrate A Book a Day’s efforts and achievements in elevating literacy, as well learn about their upcoming projects. Proceeds from the event, which will include a silent auction and raffle, will help ABaD with their efforts to continue providing free educational and art programs.

As always, readers of all ages are invited to join the host in the festivities. Kids’ focused band Ants on a Log is performing, authors Thembi Palmer and Kat Yeh will read and sign books, kid-friendly fun crafts can be made. Also, A Book a Day will unveil their new, one-of-a-kind project. Continue Reading

Heather Gardner Studio, a West Philadelphia-based music school, is launching a new program for young children, Music Together®. The goal of Music Together is to expose young children to a diversity of musical experiences, allowing them to realize their full musical potential as they grow. Young children and parents also develop strong bonds when they share musical experiences. Music Together is a program for the whole family, giving them the tools to continue their musical play throughout the week!

The program is intended for children ages 0-5 years. Babies are welcome and infant siblings under 8 months are free.

Classes begin September 13th and are offered at the studio, where kids and adults can take private Suzuki violin, viola or voice lessons. Classes are taught by a certified Music Together teacher. Free demo classes are being offered Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. RSVP on Facebook here.

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