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Traveling doesn’t have to be long trips to exotic places that you plan months in advance. Sometimes, the most memorable experiences are day trips that require little advance planning. Day trips with kids are especially wonderful because they provide an almost instant gratification that appeals to kids. Plus, they seem to have an added excitement to them because they are something out of the ordinary. This was the case recently when Boston and I met my mom, sister, and niece at the pumpkin patch for a day of fall fun. Here is a review of our day and some tips for your trip to the pumpkin patch.
The Pumpkin Patch
Boston and my niece at Happy Day Farm
We traveled to Happy Day Farm in Terral, Oklahoma for our day of pumpkin fun. This place is out in the middle of nowhere! You have to know where you are going to find it. But, I have discovered, that the best pumpkin patches are in out of the way places. The further out in the country it is, the better. This is because they have more space to spread out activities and they are not as crowded. Plus, pumpkin patches that are out on a farm means that you will be getting pumpkins that are not far from where they were grown. You can’t get much fresher than that! I think you will find that it will be worth the extra drive.
Tip: For the best pumpkins and activities, go to a pumpkin patch out in the country.
Planning
Basic Information
Now, you don’t have to do a ton of planning for a day trip like this, although it is worth your time to prepare a little bit. Do a Google search or look on Facebook for the pumpkin patch you are going to visit. A basic search should give you directions to the farm, hours of operation, admission prices, and a list of activities. That’s really all you need to know before you go.
Tip: Do a basic internet search on the pumpkin patch to find general information such as hours of operation and admission prices.
Clothing
Boston and my niece on the farm equipment
Remember that you are going to the country to spend the day on the farm. You will be walking through dirt and grass and are likely to encounter critters ranging from ants to cows. You need to dress yourself and your children appropriately! This is not the time to wear heels and a cute dress. Put on some jeans and sensible shoes. Dress your kids in clothes that you won’t mind them getting dirty in. They will probably, at some point in the day, end up in the dirt. That’s part of the fun of the day. So, just prepare for it.
Tip: Wear clothes that you can be active in and that you don’t mind getting dirty. You’re going to the farm, not a fashion show.
Time Management
Plan to arrive early and give yourself plenty of time to explore. When we went to Happy Day Farm, I wasn’t sure how long we would be there. I set aside the whole day for it, though. We ended up staying for a full three hours. Boston and my niece could have spent a lot more time there. There were a few activities that they never made it to. You definitely get your money’s worth here.
A pumpkin patch is the type of place where you don’t want to feel rushed. So, plan to spend the whole day. If you leave early, that’s fine. But, you will have a much more relaxing time, and your kids will have more fun, if you are not watching the clock the whole time you’re there.
Tip: Arrive early and plan to spend the whole day. This will allow you to enjoy all there is do without feeling rushed.
Boston and my mom took some time to play checkers
Cost
Every pumpkin patch is operated a little differently. At Happy Day Farm, they charge an admission price of $8 per person. Most of their activities are included in this price. A few of the activities, however, require a ticket that can be purchased for an additional charge. We took advantage of a few of these. Food and pumpkins are also for sale at an additional cost. Some places will require a ticket for everything or will include all activities in the admission price. This is something you want to check on prior to your arrival. Generally speaking, pumpkin patches are pretty reasonable when it comes to the price for an entire day’s worth of fun.
Tip: Look at the pricing structure before arrival if possible. Do they charge an all-inclusive admission or will you have to pay per activity? Also, check on whether it is a cash only operation.
Activities
Boston on the slide at Happy Day Farm
Happy Day Farm has a whole list of activities to take advantage of. They have one area set aside for children under the age of 7, which is great if you have little ones. My niece that was with us is 3 years old. Her favorite area was the little kid section, but she was able to also enjoy most of the activities outside of that section. The little kid section included a sand box, swing set, water play area, a trampoline, a little obstacle course, a sound garden with musical instruments, and a two-story tree house with a slide.
Happy Day Farm also features a pedal car track, two bounce/jump areas, a hay ride, a corn cannon, pumpkin painting, and a kiddie train. They also have chickens, ponies, goats, and a llama. Additionally, they have a large climbing structure made out of tires, and an archery area. I liked that they also had several photo background areas set up for some great fall pictures. Their barn had a large wraparound porch with rocking chairs and games such as checkers, chess, tic-tac-toe, and corn hole.
Boston and my niece had fun on the pedal car track
They get a big thumbs up for their assortment and variety of activities. I also was impressed that they had a variety of things to do to keep people of all ages entertained. This was the type of place that you could take multiple generations and everyone would enjoy themselves.
Tip: Look for a pumpkin patch with a variety of activities that can be enjoyed by everyone in your family. Take your time and enjoy as many activities as you can. And take plenty of pictures to remember the day!
walking through the corn maze
Pumpkins
Of course, one of the main reasons why you go to a pumpkin patch in the first place is to get pumpkins to decorate your house. Boston loves pumpkins. We always have a large number of them around our house every year. He prefers the more unusual gourds and pumpkins, though. Pretty and perfectly round pumpkins are not for him! Because of this, for us, the best pumpkin patches are those that feature a large number of varieties of pumpkins and gourds.
our load of pumpkins we got from Happy Day Farm
All pumpkin patches will have pumpkins for sale. Some of them have the pumpkins in a central area for you to pick out your favorites to take home. At Happy Day Farm, they had pumpkins on display throughout the farm. They allowed you to buy any pumpkin you saw on display, regardless of where it was. This was great for us! They also had many different sizes. Their selection of gourds was pretty impressive too. Boston walked away with a wheel barrow full of pumpkins and gourds.
Tip: When picking out pumpkins to take home, ask an employee of the patch which ones are for sale. If you find one on display that you like, they may sell it to you even if it is being used for decoration.
Conclusion
Boston loved the water play area at Happy Day Farm
The pumpkin patch is a great place to spend some quality time with your family. They usually offer tons of fun activities in addition to the best selection of pumpkins. Go to a pumpkin patch that is out in the country on an actual farm. They will have the freshest pumpkins and more activities than those located in the middle of the city. Dress for a day on the farm by wearing clothes that you won’t mind getting dirty. This is a great opportunity for you to expose your kids to a different way of live. You can use it to teach them about where their food comes from. It is also just good, old-fashion fun. Plan a day trip to the pumpkin patch this fall for your family. I have no doubts that it will create some wonderful memories that you will cherish for years to come. Happy travels and happy fall!
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