Hoot, howl and have fun

Howling good time

All right, kids, time to learn a new word: “ululate.” It’s pronounced “you’ll-you-late” and it means “to howl.”

It’s what the guest of honor -- not to mention the crowd -- will be doing this weekend at the Discovery Science Center. As part of the children’s museum’s efforts to divine educational opportunities from the holidays, the center’s Spooky Science exhibition introduces attendees to Taborri the hybrid wolf.

Taborri is not a werewolf -- those mythological creatures are covered elsewhere in the exhibition -- but a resident of the Animal Tracks wildlife sanctuary. His visit allows educators to dispel some notions about the creatures, including “the ‘Big Bad Wolf’ persona that has been passed down through the ages,” says Janet Yamaguchi, the center’s vice president for education.

Wolves are actually good for the environment, Yamaguchi says, but they make bad pets. And the howl? “It’s territorialism, camaraderie; it’s touching base with everyone that’s out there,” Yamaguchi says.

At the center’s interactive Alpha Wolf exhibition, kids can elicit responses from creatures on a screen by howling at them. “It’s interesting too to help kids understand that the noises you make can influence people -- the tone you use can be very important,” Yamaguchi says.

Meanwhile, a 3-D maze by artist Scot Campbell lays out the legend of werewolves, even as a display on metamorphosis shows how the transmutation from human to wolf is scientifically impossible.

“The belief goes back 4,000 years, though,” Yamaguchi says, explaining that a form of schizophrenia can cause sufferers to see themselves as animals in the mirror. In addition, rabies and certain poisons were the source of such hallucinations. “In the late 1500s,” Yamaguchi says, “people were tried and executed as werewolves.”

* Spooky Science, Discovery Science Center, 2500 N. Main St., Santa Ana. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Taborri shows: noon, 1:30 and 3 p.m. Saturday through Monday. $11; children and seniors, $8.50. (714) 542-2823; www.discoverycube.org.

Costume contest

Speaking of howling, there will be plenty on the streets of Long Beach on Sunday. For the city’s third annual Southern California Kids’ Costume Contest, little ones will parade 12 blocks and then be treated to cookies and candy. The event, co-sponsored by the Community Action Team, will be preceded by the Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade featuring an expected 400 of our four-legged friends dressed up for the holiday.

* Costume parades, Livingston Park, Livingston Drive at Park Avenue, Long Beach. Dog parade, 2:30 p.m.; kids’ contest, 4 p.m. Sunday. Free. (562) 439-3316. Children 12 and younger may register online at www.communityactionteam.org.

Pumpkin Festival

“Creepy Crawlers,” the theme for the 11th annual Kidspace Pumpkin Festival in Pasadena, offers a little of something for everybody. Besides the traditional carnival rides, costume contest and treats, the two-day event boasts storytelling, martial arts demonstrations and a parade emceed by actor Michael Muhney (“Veronica Mars”), as well as dance, rock and comedy performances.

* Kidspace Pumpkin Festival, Kidspace Children’s Museum, 480 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free; rides and some activities require purchase of tickets. (626) 449-9144; www.kidspacemuseum.org.

Treats at the zoo

Children can trick-or-treat throughout the Los Angeles Zoo and watch animals stomp and chomp on pumpkins at the annual Boo at the L.A. Zoo. The celebration’s performers, music and creepy crawlers add up to a “not-so-scary weekend for all.” Wear a costume and get $1 off admission.

* Los Angeles Zoo, Griffith Park, 5333 Zoo Drive, L.A. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $5 to $10; 2 and younger, free. (323) 644-4200.

Stunt tricks

Organized by stuntman-actor Andy Dylan, the third annual Stuntacular in Toluca Lake gives kids some tricks to go with their treats. The live-action show, mounted by about 30 professional stuntmen, will feature all manner of derring-do -- including high falls, martial arts, sword fighting and other jolts to the body. Donations benefit Olive Crest Homes and Services for Abused Children.

* Stuntacular, 10000 block of Toluca Lake Avenue, Toluca Lake. Thirty-minute shows from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Monday. Free (donations encouraged).

Lost in corn

Pumpkins, a haunted house, rides, food, music and a 5-acre corn maze that’s cut to look like the silhouette of a fireman highlight the annual Halloween Harvest Festival all weekend. The venue features a program after 6 p.m. for teens and older.

* Corn Maze, 6498 DeSoto Ave., Woodland Hills. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. today, Sunday and Monday; 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. $5 to $12. (818) 999-6300. www.halloweenharvestfestival.com.

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-- Kevin Bronson