I love traditions – especially seasonal ones. One our our family traditions each fall is to head to a pumpkin patch. This year we went to the pumpkin patch and corn maze at Schilter Family Farm in the Tacoma area, and we had a blast. Last year and the year before, we headed to Spooner Farms, which is also in our area.
Although I want my blog to mostly be about activities, crafts, character development ideas, parenting tips and recipes that you can use in your own home, I also want to inspire outings, traditions and fun that your kids can have in your own back yard. I want to be a proponent of creating traditions because they help your child develop security, a sense of identity and create a family bond that only strengthens the family unit. I also want to be a resource for parents living in or visiting the Seattle and Tacoma area so they can be aware of fun family events and places to visit during different parts of the year. If you are looking for more great Puget Sound resources, I would encourage you to check out the blog Sounds Fun Mom. I’d peg Sounds Fun Mom as the best place to go if you are living in or visiting the south sound region.
While my blog is focused on equipping other parents, it has also become a journal for my own kids. I want them to be able to see and follow what they were doing when they were young. This post becomes more of a family album for my kids, but I hope you won’t dismiss it. I hope it inspires you to create your own family traditions. I’m sure many of you have your own traditions around this time of year. Tell me about your traditions in the comment section. I love to hear about them.
Fun Experiences at Schilter Farms
Hay Play Structure and Slide- Cow and Horse Tractor Pull Ride
- Tractors to Climb
- Of course we have the pumpkin patch. We picked out little pumpkins this year and did a very open-ended pumpkin decorating experience.
- The corn maze this year was Wizard of Oz themed. After getting lost in the maze for a bit, we finally were able to get on the right track to go and visit the Great and Powerful Oz.
- Cows and Horses Pulled by a Tractor – I wanted to add another picture of this activity because it was definitely a highlight.
- Hay Ride
- Pony Rides
- Corn Cannons
- Growth Chart to Track Height each Fall
The barns have their own collection of fun. When it’s Christmas, this barn has a manger scene displayed at the edge. I’m not sure if they do weddings, but this barn would be such a great venue. I don’t have pictures of it all, but here are the things you’ll find in the barns:
- Hay Maze
- Hay Jump
- Huge Sand Table
- Giant Slide
- Water Pump Duck Racing
- Tiny Tractor Toys
- Lasso Practice
- Petting Zoo
- Giant Jumping Area
I hope this post has helped those in the Seattle and Tacoma area find a fun fall pumpkin patch and corn maze to visit. If you don’t live in this area, I hope it has encouraged you to find other local autumn traditions for your own family.
We’ve always gone to spooner – what made you go to this one this year? how did it compare? Which one did you like better? do you usually go on the weekends or weekdays?
We loved it at Schilter. I think I liked it better. There seemed to be more options for the kiddos and spread out a little bit more, so it didn’t seem quite so crowded. I think the corn maze at Spooner was a bit better with an easier to read map. We normally go on the weekends. That’s where we always shop for our Christmas trees as well. I think the family are believers, with a great nativity in the barn featured at Christmas time. I also think the prices are reasonable.
Thank you for winter squash harvest One favorite memory is buying some of the Holland Giant Pumpkin Seeds at the Puyallup Fair with a Five Dollar Bill that we found blowing around on the ground out side the Horticulture Display Building at the fair we planted them at the Franklin Park Community Garden next to Life Center on Union Street. They grew to be over 500 Pound, trying to load them into the back of my red Ford Explorer then having to Pick my Aunt Fern up at SeaTac Airport with the Giant Holland Pumpkin in the back with a new cell phone that we could use on intercom headed back Tacoma to Spanaway close to The Arches Restraint talking to Dan
Creating seasonal memories is so much fun and last a lifetime. Thank you for sharing some of your favorite memories.