This past week, my son’s class took a trip to the apple farm. With a little extra planning, our entire family made it out to the farm by the afternoon.

Besides the yearly family pictures, our entire family enjoyed the visit. The apple farm outing has become a family favorite since my son was barely walking.

Though each farm has its unique qualities, these fun activities comprised our day:

Farm Animals

Though not a petting zoo, our apple farm keeps goats, chickens, a pig, llamas, and a donkey.

When the pig curled up behind the hay bale, my toddler could not see him. As she searched for him in the stall, she broke down in tears thinking he left. Upon pointing him out to her, she immediately calmed down and continued her happy chatting about “her pig.”  🙂

Hay Ride

Packed into the trailer pulled by the tractor, we took a ride around the farm singing, laughing, and talking about all the sights including the decorated nursery rhyme path. My toddler enjoyed the 5 monkeys jumping on the bed decorations as this song is one of her favorites.

Gem Mining

With a bag of dirt, a sieve, and a gem identification card, each student found a spot at the water to mine their dirt. My son loved this section of the day as he found lots of gems. When we got home, he washed his gems more thoroughly and sorted them by color.

Pumpkin Patch

With the early season of apples this year, most of the apples had been picked from the trees. We bypassed the apple picking and headed for the pumpkin patch which just opened this past weekend.

Playground

Our apple farm owners created a fun space for the students to run and romp around. The tire jumps are a highlight each year.

Scavenger Hunt

Though not a part of the apple farm, I created this Apple Farm Scavenger Hunt for my children. I have tweaked the items from year to year, but my children look forward to finding the same items year after year. You are welcome to adjust this scavenger hunt to meet your needs.

Corn Maze

Having expanded this year, our apple farm had two corn mazes with games hidden within both. My children enjoyed running through finding the items and getting lost together.

With the arrival of cooler temperatures, our family enjoyed our visit to the apple farm.

In using time wisely this fall, take a trip to a farm. To find your local apple farm, visit PickYourOwn.org, and click on your state. Plan a visit and enjoy your family time together. Happy visiting!

Question: What is a favorite family activity you enjoy in the fall?