Before you take your kids to one of numerous family-friendly fall activities this weekend, you should properly prepare yourself. For starters (as I learned two weekends ago), you do not want to take your child to the most popular pumpkin patch in town. Every family within a fifty mile radius woke up with the same exact idea and is heading there too.
I suggest you find the less popular option down the road. It’s usually closer to where you’d have to park for the popular place, anyway. It won’t have pony rides or a bouncy castle, but trust me, your kids will be way more excited about actually picking apples if they don’t think it’s just a bouncy castle pre-game.
Even if you do find that hidden gem, you’ve still got to be on parental alert. For instance, there are few things scarier than your toddler’s head disappearing into a corn field.
Here’s a breakdown of what you should expect in pie chart form.
UPDATE: I don’t want anyone to cancel their plans due to this post! I still think going to your local pumpkin patch or apple orchard is a worthwhile family activity with the potential for lots of fun. It’s just that, like everything else were kids are involved, it is also WORK.
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I was going to take my little ones to pumpkin patch this year for the very first time, now it’s cancelled. Thanks for the down low, really needed. Thank god you break it all down for us, or I would have been really hated myself for it.
I hope you didn’t cancel because of this post! It’s still fun and worth doing, but just like everything else when it comes to kids— it is also WORK!
Amily,
I really hope you didn’t cancel you plans! I thought this post was great and made me chuckle knowing what i will be getting myself into tomorrow. and I can’t wait!
So true, yet I do each one. And in the stinkin’ summer too. Heat is not good mixed with fruit picking.
so much work… worth it for the pics and apparently the kids love it, but you’re so so right
My husband has put the hammer down on going to “real pumpkin patches” because the ones here (where pumpkins don’t grow) are just a bunch of pre-picked pumpkins in a field for an exorbitant fee. I tried to tell him it’s all about the “experience”, but he can be a joy killer.