New England Family-Friendly Fall Activities
Article by contributor Crystal Jaffa
Fall in New England is just breathtakingly beautiful. People drive from all over to see the magnificent leaves turn from green to shades of reds, yellows, and oranges. My kids and I just adore finding the prettiest leaves. We also love finding the best fall activities to do together. There are some pretty fantastic locations to visit when in New England with the kids during the fall. We highlight some of our favorites by state here.
Rhode Island
When in Rhode Island you must visit Confreda Farm, a 400+ acre farm located in Hope. It is open year-round but fall is special due to its festive activities. They offer hayrides, a corn maze, pick your own pumpkins and apples along with Scary Acres which is a haunted nighttime hayride. They have a market that sells groceries and fresh-baked sweets. (their apple pie is really out of this world!) There is also a nursery with all the decor you could possibly need to make the interior and exterior of your house look fabulous.
Massachusetts
While in Massachusetts, you should be sure to check out Davis Farmland in Sterling. With Covid-19 restrictions, things are different and online tickets are a must. These offer various time slots to space out those entering. The location has farm animals that you can pet and feed, apple and pumpkin picking, playgrounds, and amusement rides. We loved playing paintball hitting metal targets and shooting corn out of the cannon aiming at ‘zombies.’ This is actually my all-time favorite fall location! I love the fair-like atmosphere here with the endless activities including the open bounce mat, huge slide, and zip line just to name a few.
Connecticut
In Connecticut, there is Lyman Orchards which is a must-see. Located in Middlefield, Lyman Orchards has a unique corn maze offering informative and inspirational messages on placards throughout the maze. It is designed to honor front-line workers and first responders. One dollar of each ticket gets donated to the American Cancer Society and 50 cents goes to the Connecticut Cancer Foundation.
The paths lead to numbers and at each number, you must solve a riddle to proceed in the right direction. It’s a pretty genius way to set up the maze. Not only is the maze spectacular to see from the ground, but the aerial view is an actual image with written words-so creative!
Next, there is an enormous market full of yummy fall foods and fresh produce along with made to order sandwiches, donuts, breads, apple cider, and ice cream. Another can’t miss activity while visiting is pick your own apples, pumpkins, peaches, and pears all seasonally dependent. There are tables set up around a small pond for enjoying a meal. Horse-drawn wagons run from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. along with pony rides from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. You can find live music on Saturday nights. And for the families that enjoy golf Lyman Orchards offers a fun par-3 course with a driving range that is perfect for a family outing.
Vermont
Vermont offers apple picking amongst other things at Adam’s Apple Orchard in Williston. This farm is open from May 1 to December 24. They have a market selling local Vermont goods, produce, baked goods (pies and donuts are a favorite), meats, dairy, sauces, jams, maple syrup, crafts, gifts, and plants. You have to try the cider donuts and cider slushies. They sell all things fall festive for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and even Christmas including trees. You will find an ice cream stand here as well. The nice thing about this location is that the Green Mountains form the backdrop when you are at the farm so it is quite serene and peaceful.
Maine
McDougal’s is a seventh-generation southern Maine farm located in Springvale. They offer pick-your-own apples or freshly bagged ones in their barn market. There is a free 1-acre kid corn maze (donations appreciated), picnic areas, and a fairy village. Normally there is a swing set and wagon rides but these are closed due to Covid-19. There is a food truck on busy weekends and Captain Jack’s Donut Shack is on the premises serving various donuts and apple cider slushies too. The location has several trails on the property so if you are the active type, this orchard is great for you. Dogs are welcome on the trails only. This orchard requires reservations at this time for you-pick fruits. Raspberries are also in season now.
New Hampshire
Sherman Farm in East Conway has so much to offer. They have a market selling produce, meats, milk and take-home meals, ice cream, bread, jams, and maple syrup to name a few. There is a corn maze with fun games to play while finding your way to the exit, a ride for the kids called the moo-express, a petting area, a pumpkin patch, a farm-themed fun area for kids, a pumpkin jump pad, a mini maze and normally sandboxes which are filled with corn kernels-how fun is that! (these are closed due to Covid-19 sadly) Since this farm offers farm-raised meats, the concessions here currently are limited but; include burgers, chicken fingers, hot dogs, fries, cider donuts, ice cream, and kettle corn. You may bring your own food to enjoy a picnic on the grounds.
We do hope you get out and enjoy these wonderful fall activities with the kids. If you do go let us know how you liked it. Wishing you and yours a fantastic Fall!
*Main Image credit Sherman Farm