1 . Throwing a party is a great way to get all your favorite people in one place for music, conversation, of course, food.     1    , when you are the one planning the party. Not to worry; your planning will be a breeze if you plan ahead of time and take the process course by course, from appetizers (开胃菜) to desserts.

Ask your guests about food restrictions before you start preparing food. For guests with food allergies or on diets, ask them to make their own restrictions clear. And ask if any guests are vegetarians and provide dishes accordingly.     2    .

Choose an appetizer-only meal for a relaxing inexpensive party. You’ll save money and preparation time, and be able to socialize more with your guests.     3    , so guests aren’t thrown off when no main course is served. You’ll want to offer your guests some variety of taste in your appetizers for a more satisfying meal.

    4    . If your appetizers are just the start of a more formal meal with a main course, you keep it a bit simpler. Plan just a few handful of chips and a couple of cookies for your each guest, if you’re serving a main course afterwards.

Prepare fruits and vegetables. Many guests will want a fresh, healthy option to start off a meal. A fruit tray or veggie platter with carrots, cucumbers, and broccoli is an easy and colorful addition to your appetizer spread.     5    . Besides, you’d better offer quick snacks like nuts, or chips.

2 . Mickey’s Not So Scary Party is a fun-filled night of Halloween festivities that runs on select dates from August 16, 2020 to January 30, 2021.

It’s the most magical place to trick or treat, and there are much more fun and entertainment around every corner. If you have little monsters to bring along for the fun, take these tips. They will help you use your time at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party wisely.

First, the party passes costs are not built into your normal pass, so you will have to purchase an extra ticket for each guest. The ticket price changes depending on the date you choose. Those closer to Halloween are pricier, so you may want to plan a night early in the season if going Halloween Night is not crucial to you. Prices for Mickey’s Not So Scary Party start at $79 and they increase based on the night that you will be attending. For example, Halloween night, October 31, will be the most expensive night. As of 2020, October 31st ticket prices are $ 135 per person. Kids tickets are $ 5 less than any adult ticket on the same night.

We suggest arriving for Mickey’s Not So Scary Party as early as possible. Although Mickey’s Not So Scary Party starts officially at 7:00 pm, Disney Halloween party guests are allowed to enter the park starting at 4 pm.

Little ones are always encouraged to wear costumes as long as they don’t surround the entire body and adhere to Disney’s official costume policy. Some masks may be worn as long as the mask does not cover the entire face and eyes are visible. But Disney reserves the right to deny admission to or remove any person wearing what is considered inappropriate or bringing sharp objects. For more inspiration & ideas, you can visit our website.

7 . Camps for Grades 6-8

Camps for Curious Minds are going virtual! Get ready for hands-on experiences this summer   from the comfort of your home. Group sizes are kept small and led by two virtual counselors so that these at-home experiences are interactive and engaging.

Art and Animation (动画制作)

When: July 27-31 (1-4 pm), August 10-14 (1-4 pm)

Cost: $ 275 / $ 250 PacSci members

Create and animate a story using different artistic media and styles. Campers will   explore physical media to create their art and then choose from a variety of animation styles to translate it into a digital animation.

Chef University

When: July 6-10 (9 am-12 pm), August 3-7 (1-4 pm)

Cost: $ 225 / $ 200 PacSci members

Get started learning basic cooking skills such as cutting, sauteing, emulsifying and baking, and about the scientific processes behind some of the most common food phenomena.

Anthrozoology

When: June 29-July 3 (9 am-12 pm), July 27-31 (1-4 pm), August 24-28 (9 am-12 pm)

Cost: $ 225 / $ 200 PacSci members

Be an anthrozoologist for the week, bring your curiosities to life as we discover the relationships between humans and animals! Uncover the worlds of wildlife conservation, veterinary ( 兽 医 的 ) sciences and zoology. Deepen curiosity about our natural world by creating global solutions to human and wildlife interactions.

Ready, Set, Action

When: June 22-26 (9 am-12 pm), July 20-24 (1-4 pm), August 17-21 (9 am-12 pm)

Cost: $ 225 / $ 200 PacSci members

We’re spending so much of our time in front of screens, so let’s use them to make something awesome! In just one week, we’ll learn all about movie-making, storyboards, and setdesign. We’ll explore the possibilities of using video-conference software to create unique and creative short films.

8 . Summer Camps in America

Maine Camp Experience

Belgrade Lakes, Maine

Phone：1-877-926-2463

At Maine Camp Experience, kids connect with nature. Kids have fun, make lifelong friendships, learn new skills and achieve independence. The camps provide sailing, swimming, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, wakeboarding, water skiing, yoga, etc. Campers of the summer programs are welcome to our winter programs in San Pedro, Belize.

Camp Pocono Trails

Readers, Pennsylvania

Phone：800-365-0556

Camp Pocono Trails is a health camp for kids, teens, young adults and families. We offer cooking classes, basketball, football, boating, fitness training, drama, arts, dance and field trips to NYC. Campers come back each year to have fun, reconnect with friends and keep the progress they have made. If you'd like to discuss your long-term health goals, or even if you just want to learn how to feel better, give us a call today.

Pierce Camp Birchmont

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

Phone：516-621-5035

Pierce Camp Birchmont was founded by the Pierce family in 1951 and three generations of the Pierce family have owned and directed the camp ever since. As a traditional summer camp, Pierce Camp Birchmont offers over 40 activities such as arts and crafts, fishing, football, gardening, golf, hiking, horseback riding, etc.

Rolling River Day Camp

East Rockaway, New York

Phone：516-593-2267

Since 1993, RRDC has provided children with great camp experiences. Rolling River is a one-day camp that is owned and run by a local family. Directors Rhonda Goodman and Mark Goodman and their three children have created innovative programs. Exciting events such as hip hop nights, fall festivals and holiday camps connect families with RRDC.

9 . Magic is a form of entertainment that is based on pretending to do things that are impossible. The magician is a specially trained actor. He tries to make the audience believe that he has the power to do things which are against the laws of nature.

Magic shows are entertaining as long as the audience does not discover how the tricks are done. The magician usually depends on his skill with his hands, on his knowledge of psychology, and, sometimes, on mechanical devices(机械装置). Since magic performance is meant to trick people, the use of psychology is important. The magician must keep people from noticing all the movements of his hands and from thinking about the secret parts of his equipment. He must also lead the audience to draw false conclusions. The magician's success depends on the fact that many things seen by the eye are not the things that matter.

Two basic magic tricks are making objects seem to appear and making objects seem to disappear. A combination of these two tricks makes for some interesting effects. For example, the magician puts a small ball under one of several cups. The ball then seems to jump from one cup to another or to change colour. What actually happens is that the magician, employing quick hand movements or a mechanical device, hides one ball. While doing this he talks to the audience and waves a brightly coloured cloth with one hand. The audience is too busy watching the cloth and listening to the magician's words to notice that his other hand is hiding the ball.

Another favourite trick is to cut or burn something, and then make it appear whole again. What actually happens is that the magician makes the cut or burned object disappear by quickly hiding it while the audience watches something else. Then he “magically” makes it appear whole again by displaying(展示)another object that has not been cut or burned.

10 . For those who’ve always wanted to walk the halls of Hogwarts or explore the shops of Diagon Alley (对角巷)，Universal Orlando offers the next best thing. The theme park opened every Harry Potter fan’s dream place back in 2010.

For Potterheads everywhere, however, deciding when to make the trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is not easy. These tips will help you experience the best of the Wizarding World, whether you’re looking to save money, avoid the busy season, or simply experience the most magical times of the year.

The cheapest (and least busy) months to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter are January and most of February, except the days surrounding the New Year and winter break. Other inexpensive times include the beginning of March and most of September and October.

While they may not be the quietest times to explore Harry Potter’s world, Universal holds many events throughout the year that fans won’t want to miss.

For a weekend every January, Universal hosts A Celebration of Harry Potter. Guests (wearing their class robes, no doubt) will join other diehard Potter fans for three days of exhibits, discussions and cast Q&A activities. For anyone who really loves the books and the films, this may be one of the best times of the year to visit.

Universal’s new additions to their holiday entertainment lineup make Hogwarts the perfect place to be around Christmastime. Decorations add beauty to the shops of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, the Frog Choir sings Christmas carols (颂歌)，and snow falls on Hogwarts as a festive show takes place in front of the castle.

Lastly (and perhaps most surprisingly), Halloween season is also a good time for a magical visit to the Wizarding World. Universal’s main Halloween event, Halloween Horror Nights, produces a special Harry Potter-related surprise.