We did our pumpkin farm visit at Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center this year and the experience exceeded my expectations!
Oxbow Pumpkin Farm & Conservation Center WA Visit with Toddler!
This is why:
- Friendliest, warm and authentic smiles and greetings by the staff as you drive into the farm. I haven't experienced that at other farms.
- Easy parking with abundant parking lots
- No admission fee at all!
- Very rustic and large farm where there is lots of open space in the fields for children to roam about. Some parts of it felt like a nature trail!
- Picnic tables in sheltered tent were set up with live music accompaniment
- Hay playground with fun slides for little ones (OMG a "living playground" built from simple, raw materials like hay? That was just so cool to me, guess I'm a city-dweller and country bumpkin through and through.)
- Climbing tractor for little ones who love getting up close and personal with big machinery
- Lots of interesting produce, on top of pumpkins!
There were food stations, art and craft activity stations and a small kid's maze that we didn't have time to check out.
Verdict?
Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center is such a great find! It's low-key (therefore not overly crowded) and I felt so close to nature there. I love their education mission, the quaint vibes on the farm, the amiable people running the farm and their high-quality produce.
If you're seeking a farm visit with more bells and whistles (amusement rides, petting zoos etc), this wouldn't be the right place, but otherwise, I think a visit at Oxbow with a toddler (who likes good old exploratory and sensorial fun on a farm) would still make for an enriching and enjoyable family time!
Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center
Address: 10819 Carnation Duvall Rd NE, Carnation, WA 98014
Website here
Follow #gweninnature for my chronicles of traipsing North America with a toddler and seeing nature through her eyes.
