Fall Harvest Adventures with Kids
Enjoy the Tastes and Fun of Fall Harvest with Children
Aug 30, 2008
Fortunately, there are several ways to enjoy the fall harvest with children. It's also a nice way for urban and suburban kids to experience rural life. Here are some ideas for the fall harvest with kids.
Fall Harvest Adventures at Corn Mazes
A corn maze is the perfect blend of fun and food for children. There are often corn mazes to be found throughout the country, but they can get especially extravagant and vast in the midwest and other heavy corn crop regions. Just be sure you know the difficulty of a maze. Small children might get distressed if they can't find their way out.
The food connection: Before you leave the farm with the corn maze, hit the farm stand to buy some corn to eat or some Indian corn to display. When you are in the maze, show your children where the corn grows and explain why the stalks are green or dry now.
Hit a Pumpkin Patch for Fall Harvest Fun
Another way to make the fall harvest fun for kids is to find a local pumpkin patch. The nice thing about this fall harvest adventure is that kids will have a blast and they will walk away with a fresh, local food item they hand-picked themselves.
The food connection: Even if your child is getting a pumpkin for jack-o-lantern carving, be sure to get an extra pumpkin for food. When you return home, have your child help you remove the seeds and pulp. You can roast the entire pumpkin in an inch of water in the stove, then mash the flesh with cinnamin (or even some banana, too) for a tasty treat. You can also roast the seeds for snacking.
Visit a Local Farm, Orchard or Farmer's Market for Fall Harvest Finds
Odds are good you aren't too far away from a farmer's market where you can buy whatever is fresh and seasonal where you live.
The food connection: Explain to your child why certain items are there and are in season, and why the choices are different from what they see at the local grocery store. Let them sample and taste produce, or even locally baked breads and locally made cheeses. Ask them if they can taste a difference between this and what they eat in a jar, box or even from the grocery store.
Find a Farm to Table Restaurant
If you want your children to understand the full potential or the end result of the fall harvest, find a local farm to table restaurant and go for lunch. It's OK if it isn't a McDonald's, as kids can typically handle a nice dining establishment if you're clear on behavior and you don't take them when starving or tired.
The food connection: When your children are ordering, let them know which choices are seasonal. If you recently visited a farm, ask them if they want to order something with an ingredient they saw growing there.
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