We kicked off our fall season with a trip to the local pumpkin patch.

We went to a pumpkin patch last year that was just that: a pumpkin patch. Very basic, on the farm, no commercialism, pumpkin patch. It was fun, but took only 15 minutes to pick the pumpkins. This year, we went to a pumpkin patch with all the bells and whistles, including a tractor train, hay bale tower, two corn mazes, and all sorts of other things.

We spent two hours and loved all the activities. Two best and worst takeaways from that experience:

The Worst: don’t wait until the end to pick pumpkins

By the time we made it back to the pre-picked and specialized pumpkins (white ones, Cinderella, tiny ones, etc), my kids were in full melt-down mode.

I wish we would have picked the pumpkins first, put them in the car, then come back to enjoy the rest of the activities. The kids didn’t melt down until they saw the twenty options available and I think it was a tipping point into over-stimulation.

The Best: let them take the lead in the corn maze

We had all afternoon and morning, so it was easy to let my son and daughter navigate through the corn maze with us following behind.

My son tends to thrive on drama, so when he exclaimed, “I think we’re lost!” my daughter, who tends to be an extremist, kept repeating, “Oh no! We’re lost!” – which only made the whole experience more exciting and funny.

And it was wonderful when they figured out the exit. My son was so proud of himself.

Have you visited the pumpkin patch this year? Any other favorite fall things to do?