Food. Friends. Family. Football. Thanksgiving would be incomplete without any of them, but the most important is the holiday feast your family and friends have gathered to enjoy while the game plays in the background. Serving up a full holiday spread – from turkey to dessert – that is sure to bring everyone back for years to come is easy with these tips.

Shopping with kids of any age is an exercise in stealth, patience and creativity that’s almost as hard as trying to find a place to stash the gifts once you get home (one hint: it’s nearly impossible to hide a light-sensitive talking baby anywhere in your closet without her piping up ‘Peek-a-boo!’ anytime you open the door). So how do you attempt to shop for kids, finding that perfect gift to wrap up for them for Christmas? Here are a few ideas to get started.

Some of the best — and most memorable — gifts for kids don’t come in neatly tied packages. This year, you might consider giving your kids the gift of experience. Think of your child’s interests and then incorporate something you two can do together.

Store locations in Mentor, North Olmsted and Mayfield invite parents and their kids, family members and friends for this fun-filled event. Join for a special storytime and other activities, plus every child who attends will receive a free book to take home. There’s a limit of one pre-selected book per child, while supplies last.

The Cleveland Indians are offering Holiday Six Packs to catch Indians baseball this summer. Choose a Friday pack to enjoy your fill of Sugardale Dollar Dogs and fireworks or pick a Sunday pack, which is perfect for families to take part in KeyBank Kids Fun Days. If you buy your pack by Nov. 25, you'll also get access to purchase Opening Day tickets as part of an exclusive presale.

Put the Christmas carols on the radio and take a drive to see some of the best Christmas lights in our area. There are so many great displays to choose from, including displays synchronized to music, ones with hundreds of inflatables and twinkling lights, and even ones you can walk or drive through.

Shorter days and crisp weather can only mean one thing: fall is in full swing. As families are busy preparing for the holidays and getting the most out of the season, they can incorporate small changes to make sure their autumn fun encourages the whole family to get up and move.

Royalton Music Center presents Kindermusik. The class has music and movement activities that offer many benefits, including boosting early literacy and language, plus social-emotional skills, while providing kids with opportunities to practice fine and gross motor skills.

Community members can join an initiative to get 10,000 Ohioans free online training on child sexual abuse prevention education and resources through the Stewards of Children. The Central Ohio YMCA Guardians Against Abuse is a partnership between youth serving organizations.

The school year is underway and your child’s first report card will arrive soon. Has the year, which started with such promise, already begun descending into a pattern of frustration and bad grades? If a child’s school performance has dropped, parents often are left wondering what happens next. Tutoring might offer homework help, skill building or enrichment that your child needs.