Living

Are your family dinner conversations falling into the same boring routine? Why not spice it up with fun questions that spark imagination in children and reveal more of their personality?

Pretty soon, late summer will morph into a kaleidoscope of fall colors around our state, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources wants you to enjoy all the colors. You can go online and see a Fall Foliage Report for different parts of Ohio.

First held in 1976, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati has grown to become America’s largest Oktoberfest, where 650,000 visitors gathered last year in the Queen City. This year’s event is scheduled for Sept. 20-22 between Elm and Walnut Streets in the downtown area.

Novartis received approval for a one-time treatment for a rare childhood muscle-wasting disease called spinal muscular atrophy. The price tag is expected to be $2.1 million per dose.

Performing hands-only CPR to the beat of “Baby Shark” is the perfect way to help save a life. The song is the right speed for chest compressions.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is hosting an event in Dayton on Sept. 26 to help communities support the mental health needs of children.

One of our state’s natural resources is the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Ohio on the shore of Lake Erie. The refuge was established in 1961 to provide a habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds as well as endangered and threatened species.

Aimed at beginners, Ohio Women’s Outdoor Adventures is a three-day program to introduce women of all ages to outdoor skills such as boating, fishing, hunting and nature programming. It all takes place the weekend of Sept. 13-15 at Mohican State Park. You learn new skills in a relaxed setting.

This upcoming Labor Day weekend heralds the start of the long-standing Ohio Renaissance Festival, which brings together hundreds of actors and skilled artisans in a re-created 16th-century English village. The festival is held in Harveysburg near Cincinnati.

No matter where you live in Ohio, you’re bound to find a sandy beach. Our state has miles of beaches waiting to be explored, and the warm weather should last through September. Lake Erie has more than 300 miles of shoreline, and there are more miles of public beaches throughout our state parks.