There are too many reasons to love Halloween. For one, you get to dress up like an absolute idiot — or a slut, whichever you choose — and no one judges you. Although, if you’re dressing like a slut, you might be fair game for some judgment but that’s a totally different issue. Not into dressing up? Wear all black and you’re still a goblin in disguise! You really can’t go wrong on Halloween. But, what I really love about this awesome holiday is ALL THE FREE CANDY YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON. (I mean, it was totally way more acceptable to go door-to-door begging for candy when I was five but…whatever.)

Woo hoo!

Have a favorite candy you only feast on once a year? Break the chains of your super strict diet on the night of the living dead?

Well, well, well, do I have some torture for you! Feast your eyes (since you can’t feed your stomachs) on the best of the best from the trick-or-treat bowls.

Finally — summer’s over! It’s time for sweaters, boots, Starbucks’ signature fall drinks, and for those leaves to start falling. You could spend all fall hunched over your computer worrying about mid-terms, or you can get in touch with your seven-year-old self that took time to relish the changing leaf colors, the local pumpkin patches, and of course, the cooler weather.

Here are five things that you probably enjoyed during your childhood that you can still enjoy this fall. (Editor’s Note: especially if you add a little spiked apple cider.):

1. Go Apple Picking: Throw on some jeans, find a cardigan, and head to the nearest apple orchard. Now that fall is here, apple orchards should be open to the public. Not sure where the closest apple orchard is? Check out Pick Your Own for all the details of the farms and orchards near you. Not only will this get you outside to enjoy the nice fall weather, it will give you a reason to bake. Once you pick out those perfect apples, call your mom and ask for her apple pie recipe, make some caramel apples, or brew cider (feel free to add alcohol, of course). Baking isn’t your thing? Well, you know what they say: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” and that can’t hurt either.

2. Jump in the Leaves: Once the leaves start falling, don’t let them go to waste. Get your friends together, rake as many as them up as you possibly can, and get to jumping! You loved this a kid, and if you get past it being a kids’ pastime, you will still love it. So many schools have an abundance of quads filled trees and leaves all around them. The crunch of the leaves will be worth it, especially since this amusing activity won’t crunch any money out of your wallet.  Oh, and it turns out jumping in leaf piles is actually good for you:  According to the Children and Nature Network, “Children are smarter, cooperative, happier, and healthier when they have frequent and varied opportunities for free and unstructured play outdoors.” So, since it won’t cost you anything and will make you a happier, healthier, and smarter you — why not?

3. Get Lost in a Corn Maze: Nothing is better than getting together with your friends and heading off campus on a Saturday. And now that fall is here, it’s the season to seek out the closest corn maze near you. Not sure where to look? Check out this list of corn mazes across the nation. Corn mazes these days aren’t just for kids;  many farms get super fancy with their designs turning their cornfields into aerial pictures of Abraham Lincoln on a penny and the elaborate design of a baseball. Since corn mazes usually are on larger local farms, expect a whole day of fun that will bring you back to your childhood — many have petting zoos, pumpkin patches, corn canons (yes — you can shoot corn out of a canon!), and loads of tasty treats.

4. Pick a Pumpkin and Carve It: Now that fall is here, Halloween isn’t far off (!!). While you’re at the local corn maze, you and your friends can probably pick up some pumpkins. If not, don’t worry — pumpkin patches will be in abundance as soon as October rolls around. Remember the first time you helped carve a pumpkin and your parents let you pull out all the seeds? Find a pumpkin that suits you, get a carving kit (they usually cost between $3 to $10) from your local grocery store or Wal-Mart/Target, and get creative. You can do something simple or opt for a more elaborate design. If you really want to get back to your childhood, put the movie Hocus Pocus on while you carve away. Who says you can’t enjoy seasonal activities while in college?

5. Anticipate Halloween: Remember when you were seven and all you could think about was your Halloween costume for that year? Well — get excited and start planning. Although Halloween costumes were a lot less slutty and a lot more cutesy than what you’re probably thinking about now, you should still be excited about finding the perfect costume. Get your friends together and hit up the local costume stores that are probably already popping up. Figure out what costume will best fit you this year. Will it stand alone or work in as a group? Are you buying or making? And, most importantly, what sort of fun-size candies will you be eating when you finally get to wear it?

I think their costumes are the same size...

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I could never understand what wasn’t to like. All the store windows are covered in cotton cobwebs and fake skeletons, people hand you free candy everywhere you go and you can dress up as absolutely anything and walk around in public without being judged. Did I mention the free candy?

It doesn’t matter whether you’re seven or 21, this holiday rocks. What changes, though, is the reasoning behind your excitement. Clearly, we spend the holiday a little differently now then we did back then.

Then: It gave us an excuse to have a party during math class.
Now: It gives us (a valid) excuse to party for a week straight.

Then: We grabbed the biggest bag we could to load up on candy.
Now: We grab biggest burrito we can to load up on carbs to coat our stomachs for the festivities.

Then: We dressed up as our favorite Disney princess.
Now: We dress up as our favorite Disney princess… minus 7 inches of fabric.

Then: “I’ll give you two Kit Kat’s and a nerd rope for that giant Hershey bar!”
Now: “Why don’t we go back to my place, Sexy Police Officer?”

Then: We weren’t allowed to take candy from strangers.
Now: We’ll take a drink from anyone.

Then: When we got home, mom would undress us and we’d eat a little candy.
Now: When we get home, “sexy police officer” undresses us and we get a little lucky.

Then: Your mom sent pictures of you and your siblings dressed up to grandma.
Now: Your mom calls and asks you to take down the Facebook photos of you dressed up like a hooker before grandma sees them.

Then: We packed our lunches full of the best candy the next day to show off to our friends.
Now: We pack our bra into our purse… and avoid our friends on the Walk of Shame home.

Happy Halloween! What are you wearing?!

Mary Kate and Ashley play pin up.

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Jamie Foxx is makin’ an album.

Chunky is in...for sweaters.

The Barack Obama and John McCain talking dolls.

Is Colin Farrell dressed up as a Newsie?

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Sarah Jessica Parker does her part for the election.

Pink just totally threw John Mayer under the bus.

Are we getting old MTV back?

While Halloween now is more closely associated with finding a (slutty) costume and drinking Halloween inspired beverages, as a kid, there was nothing better than going door to door loading up on enough candy to last you till the 4th of July.Only problem is, my mom – the smart woman that she is – knew her life would be torturous through July if she let her three hyper children keep that much sugar around.

So every year, my two older brothers and I would have to dump all of our coveted, prized candy into the middle of the table. My mother then carefully separated the candy into piles – Milky Ways in one pile, Twix in another, Candy Corn in another, and so on. She then handed a bucket to each of us and, one by one, we would go around taking our pick and filling our buckets.

Once they were filled, the rest of the candy went to inner-city kids whose neighborhoods were too dangerous to trick-or-treat in (which now I see was a very noble thing but at the time I couldn’t understand why they deserved my candy gold. After all, I spent three long hours in the cold with clown makeup on my face, saying stupid poems at people’s doors while they filled my bag up with all that deliciousness).

Going around that table, each taking our turn, made our piles of crack candy like a game of Monopoly. 100 Grand (because of its rarity) was like Park Place, while Apple Sauce (I mean really WHO GIVES OUT APPLE SAUCE ON HALLOWEEN?!) was like Baltic Ave. Having spent so much time pouring over every. last. piece of candy, I think I’ve become somewhat of an expert. So, I bring you my list of the all time Top 5 BEST Halloween Trick-or Treat Treats.

1) 100 Grand: It’s like a Nestle crunch bar meets a Milky Way meets Amazingness.

2) Peanut Butter Twix and Peanut Butter M&Ms. No explanation needed.

3) Double Stuffed Oreo’s with the Bright Orange Frosting. I’m not even sure if they make these anymore, but nothing says childhood like playing the Oreo game.

4) Skittles. The non chocolate version of M&Ms. Note to self: Don’t stick them up your nose…

5) Whatchamacallits. Mainly because I love the name and still find it slipping into my vocabulary. You know, while playing games of Concentration or jumping around on my Skip-It.

And an honorary spot has to go out to any big candy bar given. Those houses were the BEST. They were few and far between, but they were total jackpots. I bet if you drove through your old neighborhood now you could point out the houses that gave out the full sized Snickers.

Oh and I totally ate those before I got home, or hid them in my room… it took too much room up in the bucket and there was no way those other children were getting their paws on that treasure.

What are your favorites?