One of the best times of the whole year is fall. Many people love Christmas, and it might be fun, but it is often too cold to enjoy being outdoors for very long. Fall hits that sweet spot.
You are coming off the end of a miserably hot summer and actually want to be outside again. It is finally not nauseatingly hot. The leaves are changing. You can wear those cute boots that have been sitting in your closet for months. And, of course, pumpkin patches are open.
Taking the kids to a pumpkin patch sounds like a perfect fall family activity. In theory.
In reality, you are taking children to a giant outdoor space filled with mud, pumpkins, animals, food, hayrides, corn mazes, and approximately 700 opportunities for them to run in a direction you did not expect.
While we cannot force your kids to have a great day, we can help you minimize some of the challenges and increase your likelihood of success. A little planning can make the difference between a fun fall tradition and everyone silently staring out the car windows on the drive home.
Plan the Right Time
You can never predict everything with kids. Your child might have difficulty sleeping the night before. Someone might wake up grumpy. Your carefully planned 9 a.m. departure could somehow turn into 10:45.
Still, you know your kids better than anyone. Plan your pumpkin patch visit around the time of day when they are usually at their best.
Is your child happiest in the morning? Go early. Do they still nap every afternoon? Trying to squeeze a pumpkin patch into their normal nap window probably isn’t going to end well. If your child expects a snack at 10 a.m. every day, don’t suddenly decide that 10 a.m. is the perfect time to wander into a corn maze without food.
There is another benefit to going early. Pumpkin patches can get busy, especially on sunny October weekends. Arriving closer to opening time can mean smaller crowds, shorter lines, and less time spent convincing a child that, yes, they really do have to wait their turn for the hayride.
Check the Weather Before You Leave
Fall weather can change quickly. A morning that starts cold and cloudy can turn surprisingly warm by lunchtime. The reverse can happen just as easily.
Check the forecast before leaving, but also take a look outside. If it rained recently, assume the pumpkin patch will be muddy even if the skies are perfectly blue when you arrive.
That means this probably isn’t the day for the brand-new white shoes.
Rain boots or older shoes are usually a much safer choice. If rain is possible, throw a couple of inexpensive ponchos or rain jackets in the car. You might never need them, but you’ll be very happy they’re there if an unexpected shower arrives while you’re halfway across a field.
Bring Extra Clothes
If you are taking a potty-trained toddler, bring extra clothes and possibly underwear because accidents happen. Suppose you are in the middle of the pumpkin patch when nature calls. Getting to the bathroom might be challenging, especially if the nearest option is across the farm.
You might not win that battle.
Being prepared with an extra change of clothes turns a potentially day-ending disaster into a minor inconvenience.
Even if you do not have potty-related accidents, there is more dirt at a pumpkin patch than you could possibly want. There may also be puddles, hay, sticky treats, animal encounters, and pumpkins that have been sitting directly on damp ground.
Kids will get dirty. That is part of the fun.
A clean change of clothes for the ride home can also keep your car seats from looking like your child recently took up competitive mud wrestling.
Bring Snacks and Water
Your child may suddenly find themselves starving while exploring the pumpkin patch. It won’t matter that they ate breakfast 45 minutes ago. They are now moments away from starvation, and everyone needs to know about it.
Pouches, cheese crackers, fruit, cereal, granola bars, or other easy snacks can be lifesavers while picking pumpkins. Water bottles are also a must, especially if you are going to spend several hours walking around.
You can even get creative and bring along a fall-themed snack if you’d like. Just remember that simple usually wins. A snack that can survive being tossed into a backpack and doesn’t require utensils is probably your best bet.
Many pumpkin patches also sell treats, which can be part of the experience. Apple cider donuts, kettle corn, caramel apples, and hot cider are hard to resist. Bringing a few familiar snacks, though, means you aren’t completely dependent on concession lines when hunger strikes.
Dress in Layers
Fall is a fabulous time of year, but it can be difficult to dress appropriately. A chilly morning can become a warm afternoon surprisingly quickly.
Dress your child in layers, such as a short-sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, and jacket. If the breeze gets chilly or the sun feels warmer than expected, you can easily adjust.
Layers also give you options when clothes get dirty. If a sweatshirt ends up covered in cider, mud, or something mysterious from the petting zoo, you may be able to remove it and keep going.
And don’t forget about yourself. You will probably spend more time walking, carrying things, pulling wagons, and chasing children than you expect.
Set Expectations Before You Arrive
A quick conversation before you get out of the car can help, especially with younger kids.
Tell them what you are going to do and establish a few simple rules. Maybe they need to stay where they can see you. Maybe everyone gets to pick one pumpkin. Maybe you are doing the corn maze and hayride, but not every activity that costs an additional $8.
Kids may still ask. Repeatedly. With impressive persistence.
But setting expectations beforehand gives everyone an idea of how the day will work. It can also prevent you from negotiating the terms of your pumpkin patch visit while standing next to a giant inflatable slide.
Don’t Try to Do Everything
Many pumpkin patches have become full fall festivals. You may find corn mazes, hayrides, playgrounds, farm animals, games, food stands, photo areas, and dozens of other activities.
You do not have to do all of them.
Pick a few things your family really wants to experience and consider everything else a bonus. Younger kids, especially, can hit a wall after a couple of hours. Leaving while everyone is still having fun is usually better than squeezing in one last activity because you feel like you need to “get your money’s worth.”
The pumpkin patch will still be there next fall.
Let the Kids Pick the Pumpkin
You may have an image in your head of the perfect pumpkin. Round. Bright orange. No weird bumps. Ready for the cover of a fall catalog.
Your child may want the tiny green one shaped like a potato.
Unless there is a good reason not to, let them pick it.
Part of the fun of visiting a pumpkin patch is searching through the field and finding “your” pumpkin. Kids don’t always care about finding the prettiest one. They may choose the biggest pumpkin they can barely move, the smallest pumpkin in the field, or one that looks completely ridiculous.
Those often make the best memories anyway.
Take Pictures, But Don’t Spend the Whole Day Taking Pictures
Pumpkin patches are basically giant family photo opportunities, so take pictures. Get the kids next to the pumpkins. Snap a photo on the hayride. Try for the family picture where everyone looks at the camera at the same time.
Good luck with that last one.
But don’t let getting the perfect photo take over the day. If your child does not want to sit on the hay bale for the 14th picture, that’s probably fine. Some of the best photos are the candid ones anyway.
Take enough pictures to remember the day, then put the phone away for a while and enjoy it.
Relax
Do not expect everything to go perfectly.
Someone may cry. Someone may get muddy. Someone may decide that the pumpkin they desperately wanted five minutes ago is now completely unacceptable. Your child might be more interested in a tractor than the pumpkin patch itself.
Let the day happen as it will.
Give your child time to explore. Slow down when you can. Take pictures, laugh when things go sideways, and enjoy being outside together.
A perfect pumpkin patch trip isn’t one where everything follows the schedule. It is one where your family goes home with a few good memories, a pumpkin or two, and hopefully the same number of children you arrived with.
Bottom Line
You and your children can absolutely have a successful day at the pumpkin patch. Pick a time that works with your child’s normal routine, check the weather, dress in layers, and bring snacks, water, and extra clothes.
It also doesn’t hurt to keep a small first aid kit in the car or diaper bag for scrapes, bumps, and other minor mishaps.
Most importantly, bring some patience and don’t put too much pressure on the day. Fall only sticks around for a little while. Get outside, find a pumpkin, eat something involving apple cider, and enjoy it with your kids.
Mud washes off. The memories tend to stick around a little longer.
