While many friends may be mourning the end of summer, I’m sitting at home bundled up in my cozy sweater overjoyed for fall! I love the turning leaves, cooler temps and heading to the pumpkin patch!

Especially now during the pandemic, getting outdoors may be the perfect social distancing activity to do with your little one! So, why not start by making a trip to your local farm? You can pick apples, pumpkins, go on a hayride, and say hi to all your farm friends!

Did I mention going to the pumpkin patch offers SO MANY language rich opportunities to expose your little ones to?! It provides an immersive hands on experience that is interactive, engaging and very motivating! This sets the stage for language learning.

As a speech-language pathologist I always share the best way to foster language is by embedding it within our everyday routines and activities! Which, by the way is all day everyday ;).

So today, I’m here to share a few language tips you can use on your next trip to the pumpkin patch! You’ll leave feeling empowered knowing how to follow your child’s lead and provide them with rich language opportunities, all while having FUN!

Are you ready?!

PUMPKIN, FALL & FARM BOOK RECS

Exposing your littles to language and vocabulary about the pumpkin patch can start way BEFORE your trip begins. How? Through BOOKS! You can highlight…

• Where you will go! Point out where you’re heading – the farm, on a hayride, a corn maze!
• What you will see! Talk about those animals, pretend to make their sounds!
• What you will do! Bring the book to life! Pretend to pet animals, pick the apples off the trees!

Here’s a list of some of my favorite farm/fall themed books for babies and toddlers:

• On the Farm Fold Out Book
• Indestructibles: Hello, Farm!
• Old MacDonald Had a Farm Board Book
• Farm Sounds
• Baby’s Very First Touchy-Feely Farm Playbook
• Baby’s Very First Slide and See Farm
• Poppy and Sam’s Animal Hide-and-Seek
• Wind-up Tractor Book
• Thats Not my Squirrel
• Tap the Magic Tree
• Apples and Pumpkins
• It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse!

It was so hard for me to narrow down this list! If you’d like your own curated book wishlist for your little one, don’t hesitate to contact me! You can also check out more of my favorite books here!

3 LANGUAGE TIPS YOU CAN USE AT THE PUMPKIN PATCH!

1. Get face to face and eye to eye with your little one! This will help both of you SEE and HEAR what you each are communicating to one another.
2. Follow your child’s lead! This means we point to, look at and talk about what THEY are interested in.
3. Narrate & Repeat again and again! Match what you say to what is happening in the moment. Use all those fun sounds and animal sounds. keep your phrases simple and keep it fun!

So now you may be wondering WHERE the best farms are to take your babies and toddlers?! I’ve got you covered! I’ve listed my local favorites and what you can do there:

5 LOCAL PUMPKIN PATCHES IN MARYLAND & VIRGINIA!

1. Clark Elioak Farm: Reservation required, $8/person pumpkin picking

Access to the farm includes a pumpkin patch and a petting farm. For an additional cost you can go on train, wagon, and pony rides!

2. Butler’s Orchard: Reservation required, $10/weekdays, $15/weekends per person

Admissions to the farm includes access to the pumpkin patch, apple orchard, giant slides , corn maze , visiting farm animals, and hayrides. There’s also a farmers porch to purchase FOOD! And so much more!!

3. Great Country Farms: Reservations required, $12 adult / $10 child

Admission to the farm includes access to the pumpkin patch, corn maze, farm play area, which includes rope swings, tractor tires, 6 giant tube slides and more! You also have access to the apple orchard – apples are sold separately.

4. Hartlands Farm & Orchard: No reservation/Admission fee

Pick your own pumpkins and apples! You can also walk and explore the corn maze.

5. Cox Farms: Reservations Required

Enjoy a self-driven hayride from your car (covid edition!) as well as an online market with drive-through pick-up.

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I’m so excited, I’m headed to the farm this weekend and there are so many wonderful options to choose from!

How about you?!

Don’t live in the DMV? I’d love to know what your favorite pumpkin patch is in your hometown!

Warmly,

Nadda

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