Like last year,we went to a pumpkin patch with our MOPs group. But this year, Z knew  what he would be doing. We have read many fall and harvest books about pumpkin patches, farms, and tractor rides.

He loved the tractor ride and of course was much more involved in picking out his favorite pumpkin.

He also enjoyed petting the baby cow, sheep, goat, and looking at the chickens.

Z’s pumpkin’s stem fell off later that day. Fortunately, Daddy was awesome and glued it back on but that meant it was no longer touchable so we put it up on the bookshelf to look at. The next time I went to the store, I bought a pie pumpkin for Z to play with.

A few days later Z suggested we use stamps on it. I am not sure where he got that idea-since I have never done stamps with him.

I got out my holiday stamps and we put leaves, sunflowers, dinosaurs, and fish on the play pumpkin one week day night. It was a nice spontaneous mid-week activity as a family.

 

For Halloween this year Z was a train engineer.  We met L at on of our historic downtown where the businesses stay open for trick or treaters.

 

 

Z loved blowing his train whistle every time a train came by. At the end, it was getting dark and cold. We all piled into one car and drove over to a local church. There we met up with friends, had hot dogs and chips and let the kids play inside where it was warm.

This church’s harvest festival reminded me of my childhood with games like fishing for prizes, soda ring toss, and a hay sorter. They had a dark cardboard maze and a cake walk too. What I really enjoyed was that at every game they had an option of a small toy like a bouncy balls, parachute men, crayons, silly puddy, sticky hands etc. instead of candy.

 

Our little boy  really doesn’t need that much sugar, (neither do his parents) so having an alternative was awesome! He was excited to go home with fun little toys to play with that will last a whole lot longer than the candy.

What were your end of October activities?