What is one of the best ways to connect as a family in the fall? Visit a local pumpkin farm and enjoy fun activities! Keep reading for our favorite pumpkin farm activities for the entire family.
One of our favorite ways to prepare for fall is by visiting a local farm to pick pumpkins as a family. This outing gets everyone out of the house and engaged. Keep reading for more ideas on family adventures and pumpkin farm activities!
We are fortunate to have Honey Haven Farms, a local pumpkin farm in Ashland, Ohio, within 30 minutes of our home. We have been visiting this location since we relocated nine years ago. I highly recommend this farm!
If your area has different farms; research to determine if the amenities fit your family. The farm we visit has so many incredible options! Keep reading for my favorite recommendations!
#1: Picking Pumpkins
This is why we are here. Pumpkin picking is so much fun! While picking pumpkins up at the store is easy, walking through a field and searching for that perfect pumpkin is one of our favorite annual traditions! As a bonus, many farms include a hay ride back to the fields. Where we visit has multiple rides pulled by either tractors or horses, a win with my preschooler!
For an extra challenge, turn your pumpkin hunt into a game! My teenagers love a good competition. Every year is different. Some ideas to challenge your family and friends include who can find their pumpkin the fastest, the giant pumpkin, the best shape, the unique pumpkin, the tallest pumpkin, and the pumpkin with the longest stem. My oldest loves white pumpkins. While there are not nearly as many, she makes it her mission to search the entire field until she finds the right one.
The only downside to this is that you are in a field. The ground is uneven and covered with vines and other foliage. If you have trouble navigating the terrain, don’t worry, though! Many of these locations, including this farm, pick multiple pumpkins themselves and have them available in their main storefront.
#2: Pumpkin Sling Shot and Corn Air Blasters
What could be more fun than launching pumpkins with a giant slingshot or shooting corn cobs with an air blaster? I highly recommend giving this a try. Where we were, this was an extra-fee activity. While we didn’t try the corn blaster this trip, the pumpkin launchers were so much fun! The teenagers loved the Pumpkin Pulverizer, and the Jr. Squash was great for the little one with Dad’s help.
#3: Corn Maze
Pumpkin farm activities would not be complete without a trip through the corn maze. This is an annual tradition for us. They are a great way to enjoy a beautiful fall day and get in your steps! Many corn mazes have checkpoints or host challenges to make the path more interesting. Many corn mazes will change their themes and paths yearly, creating a new challenge each fall! Try timing your family as you navigate the paths or challenge everyone to find the included checkpoints.
#4 Petting Zoo
What farm would be complete without animals? Our visit led us to a barn with piglets, sheep, goats, and a miniature horse. While our older children love watching and petting the animals, it’s fun to turn the event into a learning activity for the little ones. Try counting the animals, discussing what they eat and their habits, and trying to sound like them.
#5: Playground
Playgrounds are an excellent opportunity for little ones (and sometimes big ones) to run off extra energy. Pumpkin farm activities are not complete when you have littles without a trip to the playground. We took several playground breaks on our last pumpkin farm trip. Our fifteen-year-old took some time to show our preschooler that the tube slide wasn’t that scary! With so many activities, playgrounds are a great way to let our younger kids play while the older ones explore and shop.
#6: Shopping and Food
While this is not the highest item on my list, it is worth mentioning. I think this can vary greatly depending on your location. Honey Haven Farms has a barn dedicated to crafters and multiple booths. This is a great way to support local businesses, and we always enjoy looking for unique treasures. Food options can vary as well. Food trucks are often located at these events and can be welcoming after a long walk through the corn maze. Sometimes, you can even find homemade apple or pumpkin donuts and other sweet treats for a perfect addition to the day.
These are my family’s favorite local pumpkin farm activities. As my children age and begin going in different directions, this is an outing they still love to do. Hopefully, this review is helpful. If you would like to explore more of what Honey Have Farm has available, check out their website https://honeyhavenfarm.com/. I would love to hear about your favorite fall traditions and family activities. Please feel free to share in the comments!
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