And on This Farm They Had Some Pumpkins

You know how those Bloggy Moms seem to have it all together? They make the best crafts, yummiest treats, and post about holidays way in advance to help their readers? They post beautiful pictures of their joyful cherubs immediately after finishing seasonally appropriate activities with them.

Yeah, well, I am NOT one of those moms. Sure, I post about the good stuff. Behind the scenes? Chaos.  Finding time to write during the day is on par with a Zelda-level treasure hunt. Then, actually writing during the day merely reminds my boys that they were just about to ask to play a computer game. Writing at night interferes with my ROCpoppa paying the bills online... Wait. Who am I kidding? Writing at night interferes with cleaning up the kitchen, folding laundry, getting ready for the next day's chaos, and falling onto the couch to watch shows that have been on the DVR since August.

This is my long explanation for the fact that this article should have been written and posted two weeks ago. Many apologies, and here we go anyway...


It's that glorious time of year. We bundle up for the morning bus stop, and change into shorts when the bus returns the kids home. The leaves are gorgeous, bold colors, and perfect for piling up and jumping into the crunch. Pumpkin spice lattes flow like water. Yes, it's fall.

So it's time to pick your pumpkins.

If you live in the Rochester, NY area, you are lucky. Pumpkin patches are aplenty around here, and these farms have so much more than pumpkins:

Brown's Berry Patch, 14264 Roosevelt Highway (Route 18), Waterport, NY

October weekends 10 a.m - 5 p.m.; hay ride ($2 each) or walk to the pumpkin patch to pick your own.

Barnyard Buster Pass is $10/kids $8/adults includes Barnyard Adventure activities (reg. $5/$4 each), Corn Maze (reg. $5 each), and Barnyard Express (reg. $3 each). Additional fees for hay ride ($2 each), pony rides ($3 each), face painting ($3 each).

Giant slide in the Barnyard Adventure

Cobble Creek Farm, 5161 Ridge Road West, Spencerport, NY

October weekends 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; hayride to pick your own pumpkin.

Admission is $7 per person (children under 2 are free) and includes hayride, cider, donut, train ride, corn maze, pumpkin hollow, straw crawl, duck races, and more. 

Garden Factory, 2126 Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY

October weekends 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; technically this is not a pumpkin patch but it is a great option in inclement weather since the fun is indoors.

Admission is free; tickets ($0.50 each) are required for rides, games, arts & crafts, and the Singing Pumpkin Light Show.

This is from their Winter Holiday Festival,
but gives an idea of the fun inside.

Gro-Moore Farms, 2811 E. Henrietta Road, Henrietta, NY

October weekends 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; weekdays 8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Free daily activities include mazes, haunted house, fun house, and pumpkin slide. Additional weekend activities are pay-as-you-go or a $10 pass per child for: train ride, super slide, mini golf, wagon rides, duck races, trike track, straw crawl, spider web, one tattoo, and one pumpkin to paint.

Boo! (scaring the golf ball
into the hole)

Long Acre Farms, 1342 Eddy Road, Macedon, NY

October weekends 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; October weekdays 9 a.m. - dark

Free activities include giant tractor tires, wooden pirate ship and train, grass mazes, picnic table checkers, giant sudoku, Pumpkin Nursery Rhyme Land, and seasonal displays. The Back 40 activities are $5 per child and $2 per adult to join in (weekday prices): jumping pillow, hoop shoot, climbing wall, swings, giant slide, giant spiderweb, and more. Barnbuster tickets available on weekends include The Back 40, the Amazing Maize Maze, hay rides and cow train rides: $11 ages 5+, $7 ages 2-4, under 2 free.

Power's Farm Market, 161 Marsh Road, Pittsford, NY

October weekends 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.; October weekdays 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Free daily activities include the giant teepees with amazing jack-o-lanterns displayed inside, a small petting zoo, and lots of photo opportunities. Purchase your tickets inside the market for the spooky hayride. 

               

Enter the teepee, if you dare...

...and check out amazing jack-o-lanterns!

Stokoe Farms, 656 South Road, Scottsville, NY
October weekends 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
General admission is $9.75 per person; children under 2 are free; includes all activities except pumpkin launcher ($1 for 3 pumpkins) and pumpkins (priced per pound). Activities include corn maze, bounce pillows, straw fort, giant slides, hayrides, train ride, farm animals, pedal cars, nature trail, duck races, trike track, and more. Lunch and snacks are available for purchase. 

Pumpkin launch!

Wickham Farms, 1821 Fairport Nine Mile Point Road, Penfield, NY
Open daily 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Daily activities include play set, farm animals, and jack-o-lantern display; fees apply for corn maze, jumping pillow, train ride, mini golf, and batting cages. Weekend activities include hayrides (fees apply). 

Photo opp at Wickham

With two more weekends to pick your pumpkins and enjoy the Halloween and fall festivities at these farms, now is the time to make plans to take advantage of all these activities. Be sure to Post a Comment and let us know which farm is your favorite for fall family fun! As always, thanks for reading.

Get the Most Use Out of Your Kids' Halloween Costumes

On my mom's side of the family, Halloween costumes are a point of pride. My mom, aunts, and/or uncles - there are nine siblings all together - would likely be up past midnight on October 30th sewing, gluing, and stapling together some genius concoction. Even before it was trendy to repurpose items and "be green," they were adamant about using found items rather than purchasing new ones. I've seen pictures of my mom dressed as a sandwich, thanks to one of her siblings procuring some giant pieces of foam. There was the Cowardly Lion made from curtains. Anything in the house was fair game.

The best part was that the costumes would be passed around each year so that others could use them. About ten years ago, one of my uncles made an amazing pair of costumes for Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore. Over the summer, my family was invited to a Harry Potter birthday party (future blog post to come, with pictures and details) and we were able to borrow his creations. Here is my husband as Dumbledore, on the right:

I'll admit, I did not inherit a talent for sewing and I have been taking the easy way out by purchasing costumes for my kids. Just look how cute this one is; there's no way I could have made it:

This is the first year I'm actually attempting to make one - and it's with a hot glue gun and fabric glue. My youngest son wants to be Geo from Team Umizoomi, and thanks to the good people at Nick Junior for being so gracious and wonderful as to provide costume templates on their web site since none exist to purchase. Yay!

Whether you are the crafty sort or a quick-draw with a credit card, chances are you want to get more than a few hours' use of your child's costume. If you are a fellow ROCmomma or ROCpoppa, read on for some local events over the next few weeks where children can don their Halloween costumes over and over again.

And after the final festivities on October 31, there are a few things you can do to extend the life of those costumes:

1. Start, or add to, a dress-up trunk for the kids. We have a box with old costumes, plus random items such as old maps, goggles, trinkets from goodie bags, etc. My boys will put together some crazy creations such as a fire-helmet wearing pirate with a construction worker's tool belt. Outstanding.
2. Hand the costume down to younger siblings, cousins, or friends with younger children for future use.
3. Donate the costume to a local women and children's shelter before next Halloween.
4. Donate the costume to a local day care center, Kindergarten class, or YMCA; they often have dress-up trunks for the children. 
5. Donate the costume to a local theatre, children's theatre, or high school drama department.
6. Find a costume swap near you (usually in mid-October) to trade last year's costume for a new one. 
7. Consign it at a local consignment shop or consignment event (Once Upon a Child has locations throughout the U.S. and Canada).
8. Save the costume and repurpose the parts for future costumes. Keep a "Halloween Costume" box in your attic, basement, or closet. Pull it out when you need some inspiration next fall and see what you can piece together.
9. Start a Halloween in April tradition among your children's friends (along the lines of Christmas in July). Put up the Halloween decorations and whip up some Halloween treats, then invite everyone to come over with an old Halloween costume and let the kids mix and match to their hearts' content. Weather permitting, go outside for a Halloween Parade, take photos, play Halloween games, and of course give treats.
10. If it still fits next year, just let your kid wear the costume again. I was Cyndi Lauper at least two years in a row, and I loved it.

How do you reuse or repurpose your kids' costumes? Be sure to Post A Comment and let us know.

For those ROCmommas and ROCpoppas, here are a few Halloween Events in the area your kids won't want to miss...in their Halloween costumes, of course:

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18

10:15 - 11 a.m.: Baby Boogie Halloween Party, Fairport Public Library, 1 Village Landing, Fairport, NY. Babies 3-18 months plus an adult are invited to come in Halloween costumes to dance, clap, and sing along with silly Halloween songs. Pre-registration is required: (585) 223-9091.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Zoo Boo, Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY. Trick or treat through the zoo for candy, trinkets, and healthy snacks; a special gift and take-home craft for each child; live entertainment and costumed characters throughout the zoo. In addition to general admission, the Zoo Boo is $7 per trick-or-treater.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Zoo Boo, Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY. (see 10/20)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26

5:30 - 9 p.m.: Free Family Night, Southeast YMCA, 111 East Jefferson Road, Pittsford, NY. Indoor trick-or-treating, swimming, crafts, pizza ($1/slice), Adventure Center (bring socks), bounce house, and more.

6 p.m.: Midnite Madness in Brockport, Lift Bridge Book Shop, 45 Main Street, Brockport, NY. Costume parade at 6 p.m. on Main & Market Street; followed by Halloween Party with games, crafts, and goodies. Parade and party are free.

6:30 - 8:30 p.m.: Family Halloween Party, Rush Henrietta High School, 1799 Lehigh Station Road, Rochester, NY. For preschoolers to 3rd graders and their families. Indoor trick-or-treating, crafts, cider, doughnuts, and entertainment. Free admission; donations of non-perishable food items accepted for the Henrietta Food Cupboard. Call to register: 359-2540.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Zoo Boo, Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY. (see 10/20)

11 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Family Halloween Party at Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Square, Rochester, NY. Trick-or-treat, dance, and play games; included with general admission.

11 a.m. - 5 p.m.: Trick-or-Treat at Eastview Mall, 7979 Pittsford Victor Road, Victor, NY. This free event starts at the soon-to-be Von Maur Wing with cider, doughnuts, live entertainment, and trick or treat bags; children trick-or-treat at participating stores.

11 a.m. - 8 p.m.: Kango Halloween Party at Kango Play Center, 1565 Jefferson Road, Suite 180 at Eagles Landing, Rochester, NY. Costume contests, games, arts and crafts, roller skating, bounce house, and more; admission is $8 per child and free for adults.

12 - 5 p.m.: Trick or Treating in the Village, Genesee Country Village & Museum, 1410 Flint Hill Road, Mumford, NY. Trick or treat in the Village, plus games, activities, stories, scavenger hunt, and more; $5 per child and adults with trick-or-treaters are free.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Zoo Boo, Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY. (see 10/20)

1 - 4 p.m.: Family Halloween Party at Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Square, Rochester, NY. Trick-or-treat, dance, and play games; included with general admission.

2 - 5 p.m.: Family Halloween Fest, St. John Fisher College, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY. Indoor trick-or-treating, games, crafts, activities, hay rides, live entertainment, and a costume parade at 3:30 p.m. Admission is free; please bring one canned good per person for the Pittsford Food Cupboard.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.: Toddler Halloween Party at Strong National Museum of Play, 1 Manhattan Square, Rochester, NY. Halloween activities, goodies, games, and dance to Halloween tunes; included with general admission.

Just a side note, if you find that there is an abundance of candy in your house after two weeks of trick-or-treating activities, check out this site for Halloween Candy Buy Back to locate a dentist near you who will be "buying" Halloween candy from kids in exchange for trinkets or prizes; these dentists will be sending the candy to our troops overseas.

Enjoy extending the mileage of your children's costumes, and have a spooktacular time! As always, thanks for reading.

Family Fun This Weekend

Looks like Saturday is our sunny day this weekend...unfortunately Sunday is supposed to be warm (71!) but with thunderstorms. Be sure to take advantage of tomorrow's sunshine, then stay in to make apple pie or pumpkin cookies on Sunday.


ONGOING

Mary Poppins
Friday, October 12 at 8 p.m., Sat. Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m., Sun. Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Auditorium Theatre, 885 East Main Street, Rochester, NY
This stage musical features the story and songs from the Disney film, plus new dance numbers .  Best for ages 6+ due to length: 160 minutes. Tickets may be purchased online.


15th Annual Apple Tasting Tour
Daily through Wednesday, October 31
Various Locations in Wayne County, NY
Visit fourteen markets to taste the different varieties of apples and collect stamps at each market you visit. Take the Apple Taste Test, enjoy other food samples, enter door prize drawings, and more.



Exhibit Opening: A T. Rex Named Sue
Daily through January 6, 2013; Mon-Sat 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Rochester Museum & Science Center, 657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY
See the largest, most complete, and best-preserved T. Rex! Touch casts of Sue's bones, complete a 3-D puzzle with bones, move models of Sue's jaws, and more. Included with general admission.


FRIDAY

Story Time & More

Friday, October 12, 2012

1. Lift Bridge Book Shop, 45 Main Street, Brockport, NY - story time at 10:30 a.m. for toddlers ages 1-4, with songs and games
2. Lollypop Farm, 99 Victor Road, Fairport, NY - come for the story at 11 a.m., stay for the farm animal fun!

Free Family Night
Friday, October 12, 2012 from 5:30 - 9 p.m.
YMCA-Southeast, 111 East Jefferson Road, Pittsford, NY
Enjoy swimming, crafts, the Adventure Center, pizza ($1/slice), and roller skating ($4/person) for a fun family night. Bring socks for the Adventure Center, plus your swim suit and towel for the pool.

Fun Fridays
Friday, October 12, 2012 from 6 - 8 p.m.
YMCA-Westside, 920 Elmgrove Road, Rochester, NY
Family gym games, inflatables, obstacle course, crafts, and family swimming. There is no fee for members; $10 per family for the community.

SATURDAY

Scarecrow Festival 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 11 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Kennelley Park Gazebo, North Main Street, and the Box Factory Parking Lot, Fairport, NY
Live music, kid's crafts, food vendors, face painting, kids activity tent, guess-the-pumpkin's-weight contest, pony rides, bounce house, flea market, farmers market, side walk sale, Fairport tours, and a scarecrow contest.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY 

ZooBoo
Saturday, October 13 - Sunday, October 14 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (weekends through October 28)
Seneca Park Zoo, 2222 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY
Enjoy 15 trick-or-treat stations with a mixture of candy, healthy snacks, and trinkets. Every participating child receives a gift and take-home craft as they exit. There will be live performers and costumed characters, plus the zoo animals will be enjoying their own treats. General admission applies (zoo members enter for free); additional $7 per trick-or-treater.

Corn Maze & Fall Festival
Saturday, October 13 - Sunday, October 14 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (weekends throughout October)
Genesee Country Village & Museum, 1410 Flint Hill Road, Mumford, NY
Check out the awesome corn maze, plus enjoy a barrel race, bean bag tic-tac-toe, horseshoes, and hay bale maze ($7/person for maze and activities). There is an additional fee for the bounce house/slide ($1), wagon rides ($4), plus food and beverages. Please see web site for additional information.

Pumpkin Patch & Harvest Fest
Saturday, October 13 - Sunday, October 14 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (weekends through October 28)
Stokoe Farms, 656 South Road, Scottsville, NY
Pick your own pumpkins and enjoy over 30 fun activities, including animal attractions. General admission is $9.

Holiday Hollow Halloween & Pirate Festival
Saturday, October 13 - Monday, October 14 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. (continues Saturdays and Sundays through October 28)
Holiday Hollow, 1410 Main Road, Corfu, NY
Happy, family-friendly Renaissance Fair-like entertainment including 8 live stage shows, a Haunted Parlor, Hook's Hideout Maze, teacup search, caricature artist, face painting, games, and food. In case of inclement weather, shows move indoors. Admission is $11 for ages 11 and up; $10 for ages 3-10; ages 2 and under are free. Discount coupon available on web site.

Pumpkin Hollow
Saturday, October 13 - Sunday, October 14; Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m./Sat-Sun: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Gro-Moore Farms, 2811 East Henrietta Road, Henrietta, NY
A wide variety of games, crafts and other activities. Daily activities for up-to-3rd-graders are free; some weekend activities have an extra fee (pay for individual activities or pay One Price Ticket for $10 per person). Mazes, slides, haunted house, fun house, pumpkins, apples, homemade candy and caramel apples, pies, fry cakes, cider, apples, and more await!

Fall Harvest Celebration
Saturday, October 13 - Sunday, October 14 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (weekends through October 28)
Brown's Berry Patch, 14264 Roosevelt Highway, Waterport, NY
Pick your own apples, pumpkins, and raspberries. Face painting, pony rides, hayrides, dinosaur corn maze, lots of pumpkin and apple treats made at Brown's, Barnyard Adventure, Barnyard Express, pedal cars, rope maze, giant slide, playground, and more. Fees apply for activities; please check web site for details.

You Pick Apples, Raspberries, and More
Saturday, October 13 - Sunday, October 14 from 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
G and S Orchards, 825 Atlantic Avenue (Route 286), Walworth, NY
From now through the end of October, enjoy an afternoon of family fun while picking apples, berries, pumpkins, and more.

Pumpkin Harvest Festival Weekends
Saturday, October 13 - Sunday, October 14 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (weekends thru October 31)
Long Acre Farms, 1342 Eddy Road, Macedon, NY
Celebrate autumn with the Maize Maze, Back 40, hayrides, and cow train rides. Check out nursery rhymes made entirely of pumpkins and gourds, fun picture cut-outs, and a funny graveyard. Admission is $10.50/ages 5+ and $6.50/ ages 2-4.

"Pumpkintown" & Pick-Your-Own Apples
Saturday, October 13 - Sunday, October 14 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (weekends thru October 28)
Lagoner Farms, 6985 Lake Avenue, Williamson, NY
Pick your own apples and pumpkins, enjoy wagon rides, ride the Cider Barrel Express, explore the Mini Maze, Ring the Corn Cob, Knock the Apple Off the Tree, Bowl Over the Cider Jugs, play Farmer's Fastball, and more. Activities are 1-2 tickets each (tickets are $1 each) or pay one price: $10 each or $35 for a family of 4. Lunch menu is available.

SUNDAY

Trolley Rides

Sunday, October 14 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

New York Museum of Transportation, 6393 East River Road, West Henrietta, NY

Purchase your tickets, then explore the train cars, antique cars, fire truck, and the model trains in the museum. At your departure time, board the trolley and enjoy the 1-mile ride to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. Explore the second museum before boarding for a ride back to the Museum of Transportation.

Stay warm, stay dry, and have fun this weekend! As always, thanks for reading.

Make Your Own "Scare Case"

Welcome to our Scare Case...our Flight of Scares...our Fright of Stares! Whichever name you prefer, this simple Halloween craft looks spooky and awesome. You can make it with items you already have at home, and a Martha-level of creativity is not required. My five-year-old helped cut out the black circles for the pupils, and both he and my two-year-old glued the eyes together and helped hang them. It's a fun after-school project!

Here's what you'll need:

• construction paper - 2 sheets of same color, per pair of eyes; plus white and black
• scissors
• glue sticks
• masking tape or painters tape to hang them up

1. First, cut out your eyes. I placed two sheets of the same color together, so it's less cutting, and to get two matching eyes. You can make them fancy, if you'd like.

Or make simple ovals (loosely fold the paper in quarters before cutting).

Or, just about any shaped eyes you can imagine.

2. Next, fold a sheet of white paper in thirds, widthwise, and then in half, lengthwise, to get six rectangles. I planned on using ovals for two of the sets of eyes, and a unique shape for the third set. So, I cut away two of the rectangles.

Using the section with four, fold them again and cut the ovals. Take the section with two, fold again and cut the unique shapes.

3. Fold a sheet of black paper into quarters, widthwise, and cut along the center fold. Take one half of the black paper, fold along the crease, and then fold into thirds. You should have six squares. Keep the squares folded and cut out circles for the pupils.

4. Match up your pieces: 2 colored eyes, 2 whites, 2 black pupils.

5. Create a work station for each child with their paper pieces and a glue stick.

6. Get gluing!

7. Attach masking tape or painters tape to the back and create your Scare Case! (or Flight of Scares, or Fright of Stares...which name do you like best? Post a Comment and let us know.)

My kids had a blast making these yesterday, and I've already been informed by my five-year-old that we will be making more after school today.

Have fun decorating your home, classroom, or cubicle with these fun, spooky eyes! As always, thanks for reading.