Vala's Pumpkin Patch

I love fall. I love pumpkins. I love pumpkin patches. At Vala's its pretty much impossible to do all there is to do in one day with kids whose little legs get tired. We bought a pass this year and made four trips there. We made sure to make one of the trips on a Saturday so Brad could enjoy it as well. The kids and I were sad to leave on our last visit and still didn't even fit in everything they would have liked to have done that day. If we lived in Omaha we would have gone at least once a week! :) And yes, all of this is included in our pass. They have extra charge stuff like ponies, a train etc, but we stuck to what was included. Here are the highlights from our "pumpkin patching" (Makin quote) adventures over the last month.

The Great Pumpkin Jump
Lorelei remembered this from our visit last year and it was at the top of her list. Last year Makin did not care for them much, but had a blast on them this time. They especially loved the freedom to bounce off into the sand.

Corn Box

I couldn't get enough air shots of Makin! Obviously, his favorite part of the corn box was jumping in. :) It is so amazing how much kids love playing in corn.

Trikes

Fun path, with bridges to boot!

The Petting Zoo

One of Lorelei's other favorite stops. They really loved this llama.

The Ducky Derby

One of Makin's top favorites. You put little ducks into your lane and then pumped water to race them to the other side. Then sent them back from that side. So. Fun.

Hayride and Pumpkin Pickin'

I loved that they could go out to a real field so they knew where pumpkins come from! Also loved that you could see the flowers so they could see how the pumpkins started out!

Giant Lincoln Logs

I knew this activity had to be done on Brad's day with us. They started from scratch and built themselves a little house. They loved helping find the right size pieces needed and then played in it after all the hard work was done. They then made it into a workshop and filled it with extra pieces inside. All the other kids wanted to come to their house. :) Fun memory.

Wiggle Cars

(Yes I had to look up the name.)

So fun. Makin loved running off into the hay. I don't know what it is about these but they are a hit.

Spider Web

Tractors

Barnyard Sports

This was a new addition and a lot of fun. They had pretty much every sport you could want to play. Makin's favorite was baseball. I think Lorelei's favorite was the "Test- your-strength bell".

The Corn Maze

I was surprised how much they loved exploring the corn maze. I think its the idea that they are in charge of finding a way out on their own that makes them feel excited and independent! Lorelei had just had a person from 4H come in and teach them about corn so she loved looking at a piece on the ground.

The Big Slide

What a great ride! :) Sorry for the sad pictures, I always had Makin on my lap so I couldn't catch his reaction. Both kids would scream and laugh at the end and then he would jump up and say, "Lets do it again!!!" (Lots of laughter from parents watching. :) )

The Big Sand Scoops and Kids Country Jamboree

Who doesn't want to scoop sand and play musical instruments...country style? :)

Graveyard Golf

(Mini golf with a black light in a barn)

For the men in our family, mini golf was definitely a priority. It sure isn't great for picture taking though! I have to brag that Makin got TWO holes-in-one during one round. And further brag that he takes after his MOTHER who got two one of our previous trips as well.

Shows

Makin was intrigued by the dragon show so we made sure to watch it this time. There is just something about a "robot" dragon smashing a pumpkin and then dropping it that is fascinating...

The Pumpkin Eating Dragon

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The dog show was actually quite fun to watch. Naturally, this was Lorelei's request. She loooooved watching it. The dogs were all rescued dogs who had been trained to catch frisbees in all kinds of fun ways. Even after some amazing jumps. They were so talented and fun to watch. The trainer even let the kids who wanted to try tossing a frisbee for the dog to catch after the show was over.

Dog Show

We also took in the Pigtucky Derby races, but those pictures were not that great. :)

How Tall This Fall?

Pumpkin Cuties