Sometimes it's a tough sell trying to get your kids to do something that's also interesting to you.

But I promise if you say "Hey, let's go to the candy factory," you won't get a fight.

And you can indeed visit the inside of a candy factory, for free, this coming Columbus Day at Haven's Candies in Westbrook.

I have no problem exposing my kids to the finer aspects of music and culture.
I do have a problem with paying $20 or $30 for a concert without knowing whether my 5-year-old is going to be able to sit through it.

My problem was solved last spring when I discovered the Portland Symphony Orchestra's Kinderkonzerts.

All kids love getting stuff in the mail, don't they? I did. My daughter Sophie, almost 5, sure does. So I'm always on the lookout for free goodies in the mail that I might be able to send her way.

When I was a kid, there seemed to be all sort of kids' clubs and fan clubs you could join and get free membership cards, coloring books, whatever. So I was very happy and somewhat nostalgic to find that Portland's Oakhurst dairy has Oakie's Fan Club.