10 Best Arizona Fall Activities for KidsIt may not totally feel like Fall yet in Arizona, but those slightly cooler mornings and spooky Halloween decor hints that Fall is indeed here. Looking for some fall ideas for kids in Arizona? Look no further for the best Arizona fall activities for kids. It's finally starting to be the perfect time to let them burn that energy off outside! 1. Vertuccio Farms Pumpkin Patch (Mesa, AZ)This was our first time visiting Vertuccio Farms this year. Normally, we haven't added it to our pumpkin patch rotation. We are definitely changing that in the future. It may have easily become our favorite local pumpkin patch in Arizona. There are so many activities for kids to do!
Tips: For most of these events, you should definitely try to hit them early in the morning for the best weather while it is still so hot! You'll also avoid crowds during the week or right when they open! Also, get a discount on your admission here by bringing one canned-food per person. 2. Mortimer Farms Pumpkin Festival (Dewey, AZ)We visited Mortimer's last year and had a blast! It is BIG - meaning lots of spread out activities which the kids loved. We visited on their opening weekend and it wasn't too busy. That being said, I imagine the more into Fall that we get, the busier their attendance gets. Highlights:
3. Mother Nature's Farm Pumpkin Patch (Gilbert, AZ)Mother Nature's is one of our favorite pumpkin patches to visit. Here's what makes them extra special - included with the admission is a small/medium pumpkin to take home. The kids love this because we usually don't purchase a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch because, hello, they are expensive! Though it's a little feature, the kids love it. They can walk around the large pumpkins to purchase, but ultimately they get to leave with their own. Highlights:
4. Schnepf Farms Pumpkin Festival (Queen Creek, AZ)The Schnepf Farms Pumpkin and Chili Festival is one that we haven't actually tried ourselves yet, but we have had lots of friends try with glowing reviews! This is one of the priciest festivals/pumpkin patches in Arizona, but it does have some unique features that add to the cost. Highlights:
5. Rocker 7 Sunflower Field (Buckeye, AZ)Rocker 7 is more for some great fall photo opps and just a fun place to take kids for a quick get away. There is not as much to do here as at the other pumpkin patches, but we had to give the far West Side some love on the list. They usually have amazingly large sunflowers and do some great discounts for photographers wanting to get into the area. Highlights:
6. McCormick Stillman Railroad Park - Halloween Decor (Scottsdale, AZ)This was our first year visiting McCormick Stillman Railroad Park's Spook-track-u-la Event. You are definitely paying for the experience of visiting during Halloween time because although you get unlimited rides for your 1.5 hour timeframe, you get about 2 merry-go-round rides and maybe 2 train rides in (maybe!) . The admission price is a bit higher than paying a la carte during the day. The event claims it is designed with smaller children in mind, but we thought the decorations were extremely spooky. Imagine riding a train through the Spirit Halloween Store. It wasn't our favorite event, but the kids had fun on the 3 minute merry-go-round ride that gave us some of our money's worth. Highlights:
7. Phoenix Zoo - Spooky Safari (Phoenix, AZ)The Phoenix Zoo is offering three nights of its Spooky Safari. The Spooky Safari runs October 25-27 from 5:30-8:30. Highlights:
8. MacDonad's Ranch Pumpkin Patch (Scottsdale, AZ)MacDonald's Ranch is one place we've always wanted to visit during the Fall. Maybe we will make it there this year because they do have some unique offerings compared to the other fall events. Highlights:
9. Halloweentown Pumpkin Patch (Chandler, AZ)This Halloweentown event is on our to-do list this year. What makes it unique is that it doubles as almost a mini state fair (which also goes on at the same time here in Arizona) for the younger kids. Entrance to get in is $5 and all additional rides and games must be purchased separately with a wristband or individual tickets. Highlights:
10. Tolmachoff Farms (Glendale, AZ)We love that Tolmachoff is a family-run farm and has been for many years!
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Between quarantine and the 100-degree weather here in AZ, we are having a tough time staying busy and cool. Teddy loves his Little Tikes water table (shout out to Target’s curbside pickup for supporting my impulse Target purchases). But I was looking for a way to change it up. (Probably more for me than for him.) Usually, he plays with the water table and I throw all caution to the wind and give in to extreme splashing. By the time we are done, we are both soaking wet from a mixture of pouring water and playing with the hose.
Today, I finally figured out how I could still use the water table, keep him cool, and keep us both much drier. We had some left-over ice from our cooler and I decided to dump the cubes into the water table. He had so much fun and moving the slippery ice cubes definitely didn’t hurt his fine motor skills.
An article posted in the Boston Globe explains the science behind grip force. It’s pretty interesting to think that children grasping ice are most likely having to use more force to hold onto that item – a cautionary grip – knowing that it could easily slip. Stay cool out there! |