Pumpkin Patch review - Tom's Farm

I've been going to Tom's Market since the boy was 2 and have only missed one year since. It is a bit of a drive from Oak Park (but most of the pumpkin places are) but once there it has always been very nice. When we started going, the farm was still quite isolated, you could see a few houses off in the distance. Now it feels hemmed in by housing developments on all sides. They are still far off but the feeling of being on a farm is diminished by the houses. That's progress.

Once in the farm area the rides are small but cheap and charming. You can see the link below for the details. The part I like the best (and the kids like this too) is the part where you can feed the farm animals right out of your hand. There is also a pulley-contraption that feeds the goats at the top of a goat-tower- as soon as they see a person put the food in the cup and start to pull the pulley they get quite excited.

For the pumpkins, you can either ride out into the field being pulled by the tractor (on a trailer) or just pick some pre-picked pumpkins up by the main area.

I like Tom's because it isn't over-commercialized, B96 isn't ever going to host a show there and all the activities are younger-kid-friendly. No scary Halloween stuff, not too expensive, not too far away from the City. If Eddie and Jobo ever announce an event at Tom's, you can be sure I won't be there. At least until the kids are teenagers.


Tom's Farm Market

It's Pumpkin Time!

Ok, not quite yet, but get your plans started early. In the Chicago area there are tons of pumpkin places - some pick yer own, some with petting zoos, some with face-paint, all with pumpkins out the wazoo.

Send me your picks and pains! I'm going to review them and give you my opinions.

(I'm partial to Tom's Farm.)

My son has been taken by Penguins

By one in particular. The one he created for Club Penguin. What is this Club Penguin, you say? Do you have a child between 5 and 10? Do you have a computer? Do you let them go online? Your kid will soon begin clamoring for this website. We enjoyed the Fall Festival together the other night. Together we were able to get the feathered crown with all the tickets he won at the festival. I'm still only allowing the chat-free rooms for him, but how long will that suffice? I haven't ponied up for the membership fee either, he seems pretty content with the free stuff.

Go there with your kid (if you dare) and check it out

Club Penguin

Cheesecake. Nothing more needs to be said.

Eli's Cheesecake is having the 11th Annual Cheesecake Festival Sept 15th and 16th! Get there if you can!

It is some sort of Heaven if you love cheesecake. See the link below:

Eli's Website

FIESTA! at the Brookfield Zoo

It is Fiesta para Todos! @ Brookfield Zoo Saturday and Sunday Sept. 9th and 10th.+Sun. 9/8+9/10. This "Party For All" includes Latin music and Fisher Price kid activities.
The Zoo is at 1st & 31st Ave, Brookfield. Zoo hours are 10a-6p, Fiesta activities are from 11a-4p. Price: $6/kids + seniors, $10/adults. Parking is EXTRA.

Oak Park Dad suggestion: If you are gonna visit the zoo more than once, get the membership. Two visits with 4 people or so will pay for it and you get a free T-shirt. (The T-Shirt immediately identifies you as a Brookfield Zoo groupie, and the savvy viewer will be able to date the shirt by the animal on the front. For example, I'm sporting a suave ostrich shirt right now but I sometimes whip out my Dolphin shirt. Ostrich = 2005, Dolphin=2003.) (dork)

Shameless plug for my boy's website here (has to do with animal webcams):

www.whatshappeningwithanimals.com

Fantasy Kingdom Girly Birthday Party

Don't let the location throw you. You gotta pass a couple of strip clubs to get to this unassuming industrial location. However, once you park and follow the signs through the building, Fantasy Kingdom is a great place for a party of the under-6 set.

It is a nice space, pretty large for this type of kid-gathering/party place, which has play area with many climbing structures, a food/eating area and also a baby/toddler corral.

We were there for a 4-year old girl's birthday party and I am guessing there were about 30 kids or so. The space was totally ample for the kids and parents that were with them. Fantasy Kingdom provided (at a cost, of course) the food and an event coordinator. The three varieties of Starbucks coffee made an immediate positive impression on the parents.

One great thing about Fantasy Kingdom was the level of cleanliness of everything in the joint. I'm not a crazy germophobe, but sometimes a kid-centered play area business can get quite skeezy. The toys, the play stuctures, even the bathroom was in good clean shape. Maybe in a year it will look a bit different, but for this party it was great.

Final word: E. had a great time after a short time of pseudo-shyness. She then paired up with another little girl and quickly forgot about me. (sigh) She found a little sparkly cape and quickly ran off with her new friend, Snow White the Firewoman.

Here is their contact info:

1422 N. Kingsbury St.
Chicago, IL 60622

Phone: (312) 642-KIDS (5437)
Fax: (312) 642-4620
E-mail: info@fantasykingdom.org