The hot sunny days of summer may be over, but the crisp cool air and vibrant fall colours make the perfect combination for family fun at the farm. Whether you’re picking your own pumpkin or apples, getting lost in a corn maze, petting a goat, or taking a hay ride, Halton region’s farms have tons of fun activities in store for the whole family.
Andrew’s Farm Market & Winery
9365 10 Side Road, Milton | andrewsscenicacres.com
This pick-your-own farm is a great place to get your apples and pumpkins this fall, but aside from the produce, it’s an excellent destination for family fun. From peaceful walking trails to wagon rides, playgrounds, farm animals, straw mountain climbs, and miniature straw mazes, the kids may never want to leave. Don’t forget to pick up a yummy pie for dessert at the Farm Store.
The Apple Orchard
1668 Highway 6, Hamilton | theappleorchard.ca
With over 10,000 apple and pear trees, The Apple Orchard is a great place to explore the beautiful agriculture of Southern Ontario. This farm offers way more than pick your own fruit. There are wagon rides, farm animals, a corn maze, retired tractors for kids to sit on, walking trails, a corn pit, and who can resist a candy apple and sweet apple cider?
Chudleigh’s Entertainment Farm
9528 Regional Road 25, Milton | chudleighs.com
A full day of fall fun awaits at Chudleigh’s. Enjoy a scenic tractor ride, visit the farm yard’s pigs, goats, sheep, alpaca, and other animals, and enjoy the vast slides and hay bale jumps in the play area. Or, for some quiet family time, enjoy the scenic nature trail. Plus, there is an incredible outdoor kitchen featuring barnboard pizza’s, hard cider, and so much more. This farm requires pre-booking. You can reserve a 3-hour timeslot on the farm’s website.
Bronte Creek Provincial Park Playbarn
1219 Burloak Drive, Oakville | brontecreek.org
Located in Bronte Creek Provincial Park, this 150-year-old barn has been transformed into a play loft for kids to climb, jump and burn off some energy. The play barn is located across from the Nature Centre, which features interactive exhibits, live reptiles, hands-on displays, and even costumes. Gnome Road is also located nearby, where you’ll find little wooden fairy houses along a stroller-friendly path. Bronte Creek is home to many animals, including chickens, sheep, goats, cows, and horses. Staff often hold informative workshops where kids can learn how to milk a cow or groom a horse. Check with the park for details.
Hanes Corn Maze
1001 Highway 5 West, Dundas | thehanescornmaze.com
You can easily spend an entire day in this place! Take a trek through Canada’s largest corn maze – over 20 acres of cornfields shaped into a new challenging maze each year. Collect clues at various checkpoints to solve the puzzle as you make your way through the maze. Younger kids will love running through the maze to find the checkpoints, and older ones will enjoy decoding the clues at the end to win a prize. Visit the farm animals on your way to the farmland play area full of swings, slides, a sandbox full of diggers, and even pedal carts. Bring your lunch and camp out at a picnic table while the kids play. Don’t forget to visit their delicious bakery on your way out.
Springridge Farm
7256 Bell School Line, Milton | springridgefarm.com
Springridge Farm is packed full of fun farm adventures for younger kids. A newly renovated giant sandbox filled with diggers and buckets will surely be a hit with the little ones. Red Muskoka chairs surround the sandbox for adults to lounge in while the kids play. The farm yard includes tube slides, a spider web climber, farm animals, antique tractors, pedal tractors, farm hoppers, a singing chicken show, and a wagon ride. During Harvest Weekends (Sept 17th – Oct 30th), explore the 5-Acre Corn Trail (special admission prices apply). Springridge also serves delicious baked goodies and has a marketplace with country-chic home decor and gifts.
By Lisa Evans
