Families and friends of California State University, Northridge’s Child and Family Studies Center are invited to celebrate the fall with some old-fashioned fun at the center’s 15^th Annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, Nov. 8.

The festival is aimed at younger children and will feature county fair-type games, craft booths and a “down home” bake sale.

“It is always a festive and memorable gathering for our families, past and present,” said Christa Dunlap, director of operations for CSUN’s Child and Family Studies Center Laboratory School. “Our play yard turns into an autumn festival with donated pumpkins, gourds and handmade decorations.”

The festival is scheduled to take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the school at 18330 Halsted Ave. in Northridge. Admission is $10 for adults. Children are free.

For more information, call the Lab School at (818) 677-3131.

The Lab School, as it is known, has a partnership with the CHIME Institute and serves preschool and kindergarten children, including children with special needs. The program is part of CSUN’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. The center and school are committed to fostering the continued growth and development of the whole child — cognitively, socially, emotionally, physically and creatively.

An active learning approach, based upon developmentally appropriate inclusive practice, encourages self-exploration and discovery through interactions with peers, adults and materials in the environment. Through the formation of partnerships with families and the provision of a safe, nurturing environment, the Child and Family Studies Center acknowledges the needs of the individual child and the values of the family.

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