The Obligatory (And Very Fun) Orchard Visit

We finally accomplished a trip to a local orchard this fall! I was getting worried as the weekends kept slipping by and the fact that it just hadn't happened yet. What is fall without the obligatory (but also fun) trip to an orchard?
On Sunday, after naps, lunch, and playing, we decided to make an impromptu trip. Asa really wanted to ride his bike on the front sidewalk but once we mentioned donuts, he was itching to get in the car. Luckily, the orchard was only a ten minute drive from our home, so the wait wasn't too much for the little guy.

After parking, Asa immediately wanted to check out the animals. He especially loved the goats, even though one of the big billy goats scared him a little. It is so much fun to have the opportunity to introduce him to the real-life version of an animal rather than the ones he reads about! Josh and I both laughed out loud when he saw the chickens, because he started yelling "Bawk! Bawk!" immediately upon seeing them. This kid knows his sounds, ha!

We picked up a gallon of cider, a half dozen donuts, and also a cute little pumpkin cup filled with cider. I kept thinking that these people brought their A-game with those pumpkin cups- kid-friendly, cute, and practical. We ate a few donuts between us and tried our best to take at least a few home. A lovely older lady invited us to sit with her. We really enjoyed talking to her and sharing Asa with her. Her excitement for little kids was so endearing and encouraging for this tired, pregnant parent.

One of the best parts about visiting a place like this is that even the simplest things can bring utter joy to little ones. They had a huge hay stack available for kids to climb on and Asa seriously thought that was the bees-knees. He couldn't play for too long on it because he's such a little thing and was quickly getting mowed over by the bigger kids but even his short time was thoroughly enjoyed. We also found a 'biiiiigggg' stick that quickly became a baseball bat. It definitely took a little bit of persuading to move on from it to the pumpkin patch.

The pumpkin patch was very an adventure to explore, especially because pumpkins come in so many shapes and colors. We came across a few that were past their prime and it was so sweet hearing Asa exclaim "Uh oh! Ow, ow pumpkin!" We have a very compassionate pumpkin lover over here :). Finally, the boys landed on one medium sized pumpkin and one small pumpkin to bring home with us. I foresee some pumpkin painting or carving in the near future for us.
Between the pumpkins, cider, donuts, and animals, heading out to an orchard ended up being well worth the effort. A fun fall afternoon to remember :).
What's on your family's fall activity to-do list?
P.S. In case you are local to the Grand Rapids area, we visited Schwallier's Country Basket and highly recommend it! There were lots of activities beyond what we did (because they were a bit better for older kids)- corn maze, cow train, hay rides, and a fun slide, too.