Yesterday Allison and I revisited Shelburne Farms in Stow, MA. We were there for an event through Allison’s Sorority Alumni group. It was Allison & I, Amy & Ryan & Mason, Beth, Megan, Rachel & Didi.

I blogged about the day and some of my photos over on The BenSpark and I have a bunch more photos to post. But here I wanted to talk about the farm itself.

Because this blog is about going out and dooring outdoor activities I am going to share with you a secret for a great day with the kids. This event will make memories and help you bond to them in special ways.

Take your family Apple Picking. Think of it as a fantastic day of multitasking.

First off you get some delicious apples that are good for you. You pick them directly off the tree and can even eat them as you walk around. So you get some grocery shopping out of the way and you get the family to help.

Second, you can use this idyllic setting to take photos of your family. I watched the two kids with us as their eyes lit up over and over at picking apples. They would pick one and show it to everyone with joy and pride in their eyes. And when they were lifted up to pick some higher apples they were delighted.

Third, you get exercise, walking around, bending down, reaching up lifting up your kids, walking more, carrying apples. It is a workout and it is a fun one. Your kids get to be outside and enjoy nature. And they get to spend time with you. And that is more precious than anything.

Fourth, overall it is inexpensive. For $14 you could get a peck of apples, for $20 a half bushel. Our 1/2 bushel has about 40+ apples in it, Cortlands and Gala, and I’m not sure if Allison picked Macs too. But imagine getting 40+ apples at the supermarket, that would be an entire weeks budget or more. You could also decide to pack a picnic lunch and eat it out in a field or you could opt for hot dogs at the farm stand.

At Shelburne farms there are three games that the kids can play on, they can ride toy tractors, play on a moonbounce and run through a hay maze and climb a hat pyramid. $4.00 for unlimited rides. $4! That is better than going to a movie and is more healthy for the kids too.

There are quite a few things that make going to Shelburne Farms special. If you are near Stow, MA. you should find a way to get there some weekend. Go early before the crowds, take a camera, cash, and energy for a fun day ahead.

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When I was a kid I remember going to the Providence Civic center for a circus or even the IceCapades. I also remember those cheap hand held toys that would make noise and lights and sounds when you pushed a button. We never got me one of those and with kid logic I thought I was missing out on something great. Now I know that it wouldn’t have been in my best interest to have had one of those throw away pieces of junk.

Back then it is very easy to get tickets, you’d go to the event and buy your ticket. We didn’t have ticket agencies online so that we could reserve the tickets well in advance. You could call for tickets but it just wasn’t as busy as it is now. Things like the IceCapades back then didn’t sell out. Not like today with super tours like High School Musical. That is such a huge phenomenon that you better get High School Musical tickets online because that is most likely your best bet. I hear that this is a huge thing and I know my cousins are into the movie and would probably like the ice show as well.

But to me, it isn’t about what you go see that is important. It is that you go out and see it with your kids. You spend time answering their questions and letting them explore and learn. Yesterday, Allison and I went Apple Picking with our friends Amy and Ryan and their son Mason. I took a bunch of photos yesterday and I think Mason had more fun playing with my tripod than anything else. He was so excited to learn about what it did. Just the simple event of going out picking apples and spending time with his parents was what mattered. I can’t wait to take our child to places like Shelburne Farms so that they can discover joyful things in a simple day.