Weekday Fall Activities to Do with Kids

While festivals and such are great, fall fun isn’t limited to JUST the weekends! In fact, weekday fall activities are some of the things I miss most now that my kids are both in school full-time. Getting out of the house during the week often allows you to enjoy smaller crowds, lower prices, and might just be a necessity depending on your work schedule. If you have little ones that are home during the week, this is the list for you. (Some events also go later than the school day, so you could even surprise your child with a fun afternoon outing!)

Farms with Weekday Activities

Hellerick’s Family Farm

5500 N. Easton Road, Doylestown

Hellerick’s Farm offers over 40 activities included in their Adventure Farm tickets. There’s a hay ride, corn mazes, hay bale slides, playground areas, pumpkin racing, huge slides, and more. (My daughter’s personal favorite is the corn barn, which is basically a little playhouse filled with corn kernels and horse toys.) They’re a popular weekend spot this time of year, but Hellerick’s is also open during the week from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. through November 1. (Last admission is at 5 p.m.) and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (last admission at 4) from November 2 through November 9. Tickets are $15.99 per person on weekdays vs $19.99 on weekends. Children under 2 are free.

Hellerick’s recently opened a brand new Barn-themed mini golf! It is ticketed separately and is discounted to $10 on weekdays before 4 p.m.

Shady Brook Farm

931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley

This is our fifth year having Fall Season Passes to Shady Brook. I love being able to pop over for an hour or so without worrying if we’re “getting our money’s worth.” I highly recommend that you keep an eye out for when they do flash sales in the summer. Otherwise, you can save some money (and avoid crowds) by visiting Shady Brook on a weekday. They’re open Wednesday – Sunday, and tickets are significantly cheaper Wednesday – Friday at $15 per person instead of $20+ on weekends. Festival Field is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and until 10 p.m. on Fridays. The basic activities are the same. They just don’t have the live music Wednesday and Thursday. Enjoy the hayrides, corn mazes, pumpkin/apple/sunflower picking, jumping pillows, pedal go-karts, giant slides, obstacle course, sports area, and more. Last year, the food stands were open during the week, but I noticed you had to get your Uncle Dave’s Ice Cream out by the Market instead of the smaller stand on the Festival Field. (I haven’t gone on a weekday this year yet, but I’ll check on this!)

If you don’t want to do the full Shady Brook FallFest, you can visit the Market area with no admission fee. There’s a small playground, Uncle Dave’s Ice Cream and lots of fall goodies in the store.

TIP: To save even more at Shady Brook, buy your tickets online and use code MESPTO25 to save an extra 10%.

Styer Orchard

97 Styers Lane, Langhorne

If you’re looking for a farm experience without the frills, head to Styers. You can pick apples or pumpkins, take a hayride, shop their huge variety of pumpkin and squash … and you only pay for what you bring home. Admission and rides are free. This is also a great spot if you want to take some pictures without paying admission like so many of the other farms nearby. Styer is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Grab lunch or treats from the Market on your way out.

Winding Brook Farm

3014 Bristol Road, Warrington

You’ll have to wait until the last two weeks in October to visit Winding Brook Farm on a weekday for pumpkin picking. This is a great spot if your weekends are packed with sports etc., but you still want to get in a pumpkin picking experience after school. Pumpkin picking is open daily the last 2 weeks in October from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Terhune Orchards

330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton

The frozen apple cider slush and apple cider donuts alone are worth the trip to Terhune. While they have live music, pony rides, pumpkin painting and more on the weekends, you CAN visit for pumpkin/apple picking, visit the market and see the animals and play area during the week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You need tickets on the weekends, but it’s free to visit during the week!

On Tuesday, October 7, you can purchase tickets for the pumpkin-themed Read & Pick where kids enjoy a storytime and pick a pumpkin. Sessions are at 9:30 a.m. and 11 .m. Register HERE.

Howell Living History Farm

70 Woodens Lane, Lambertville

This farm was a new spot for us in 2022, and I’m so sad that I didn’t go to it when my kids younger! It’s open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and parking is free if you’d just like to take a walk around the beautiful farm and visit with the animals. There are also special programs such as their Corn Maze, which is open Friday nights from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (as well as weekends) and Monday, October 13 from noon to 4 p.m.

Linvilla Orchards

137 W. Knowlton Road, Media

Linvilla’s Pumpkinland is open daily now through November 2. Not ALL of the activities are open on weekdays, but there’s definitely enough to spend several hours there with little ones. You can pick your own apples Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. There’s a train ride that goes around a 1-acre track, hayrides (including Autumn Moon Evening Hayrides!), straw bale maze, playground, and more. You purchase tickets for individual activities, so check the website for details.

Cherry Crest Adventure Farm

150 Cherry Hill Road, Ronks

This one is a drive – it’s all the way out in Lancaster County, but we LOVED it when we went on my son’s October birthday a few years ago. If you’ve ridden a train from Strasburg Rail Road, you’ve gone past Cherry Crest Adventure Farm. They have more than 60 farm activities including hay chutes, hayrides, a corn barn, pedal carts, pumpkin picking, and more. Ticket prices start at $24.95 on weekdays. They’re open Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Plus, they’re open Monday, October 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More Outdoor Destinations

Scarecrows at Peddler’s Village

Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska

Peddler’s Village typically has some additional activities on the weekends, but if you just want to see the scarecrows and enjoy a leisurely walk around the Village, go on a weekday! The stores are typically open until 6 p.m. (8 p.m. on Fridays), so you can shop and eat while you pick out your favorite scarecrow. My kids’ favorite destinations include Clusters popcorn, Mama Hawk’s, Nina’s Waffles & Ice Cream and lunch at Buttonwood Grill.

The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place

100 Sesame Road, Langhorne

Sesame Place is a popular weekend destination for families with little kids, but they’re also open Friday evenings this time of year. From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, kids can see the Halloween-themed shows and parade, trick or treat and go on some rides.

Morris Arboretum

100 E. Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia

During the month of October, Morris Arboretum has their annual Scarecrow Walk. This year’s theme is Cartoons. You can walk around the beautiful grounds and vote for your favorite scarecrow displays up until October 20. Be sure to check out the Morris Pumpkin Cottage- a 100-square-foot exhibition covered in hundreds of pumpkins. My kids also love the Fairy Woods where they can build homes for fairies with natural materials, and the huge nets in the “Out On a Limb” exhibit. Morris Arboretum is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (They open at 9 a.m. on weekends.) Tickets are $22 for adults, $12 for children 3-17.

Grounds for Sculpture

80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, NJ

I’ve written and entire post about how much we love Grounds for Sculpture, so I won’t get into too much detail here. (Go read THIS POST for more AND a free printable scavenger hunt!) It’s a gorgeous place to take a walk with the kids exploring art and nature. Grounds for Sculpture is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. except for Tuesdays. You need to purchase time tickets online. Kids 5 and under are free. And you can often get free passes at your local library!

Longwood Gardens

1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square

Longwood Gardens is a popular Christmas spot and it’s always beautiful in the spring and summer, but don’t forget that you can go in the fall, too! We actually spent Henry’s first birthday at Longwood Gardens. The colors are gorgeous, it’s not too hot or cold walking around, and they have a really cute kids area. There are festive pumpkin displays the entire month of October. Plus, we’re always all about the train displays! The Garden Railway with Thomas and his friends opens on October 3 and remains open until the beginning of January. Longwood Gardens is open every day except Tuesday.

Churchville Nature Center

501 Churchville Lane, Churchville

Take a walk, play on the recycled material playground, and see the animals at the Visitor Center. Churchville Nature Center’s Visitor Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Monday. The trails are open daily from sun up to sundown.

Silver Lake Nature Center

1306 Bath Road, Bristol

Similar to the above Churchville Nature Center, Silver Lake has trails for exploring, a Visitors Center with educational displays and a few animals. It’s also right next to (you just verge off from the one path) Silver Lake Playground. Plus, the playground at the Bristol Community Center is just down the road if you want to visit two spots. Silver Lake offers afterschool nature classes and a homeschool enrichment series. The Visitors Center is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Closed Monday. Trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Other Activities

Stories and Play at the Library

We love visiting libraries, and when my kids were younger, we could fill most of the day focused around our library visit. We’ll start our day at the library, then visit a playground nearby if possible. (Langhorne, Bensalem and Yardley all have libraries either within the same parking lot of less than a minute drive.) And then, of course, we’ll have new books and sometimes DVDs that we borrowed. All of the Bucks County Free Library Branches offer storytime events that last about 30 minutes. We also love the play areas at many of the areas. Penn’s Little Village (Langhorne) and Career Corner (Yardley) are the two biggest, but all of them have at least some play area for kids.

Check out the Bucks County Free Library website to view the calendar of events – all free!
I spotted a “Not So Scary Spooktacular” Let’s Play session at the Bensalem library at 11:00 on 10/30, a Hocus Pocus Badge Squad program with crafts and play at 4:00 on 10/30 at Bensalem, and a costume parade at the Langhorne library at 11:00 on 10/31.

Find out more about the different library locations in THIS POST.

Try a Children’s Class

There are a number of great music classes for little ones in the Bucks County area. One is even free! Miss Sally will be at Shady Brook Farm on Wednesdays through October 29 at 11 a.m. Music will be on the patio stage or in the barn depending on the weather. Wear Halloween costumes on October 29!

My Gym Yardley is also a HUGE favorite in our family! My kids can only do evening classes now because of school, but we did classes during the day before then.

Go to a Playground

You know I can’t have a list and NOT includes playgrounds! (Well, until it gets TOO Cold at least.) In my kids’ younger years (they’re now 9 and 7) we’d go to a playground at LEAST once a week. I’d either plan our entire day around it, packing a lunch etc. Or, we fit it in based on a library we’re planning to visit, errands we’re running … whether we go for 30 finds or 3 hours, we find ourselves at playgrounds. If you want to find some new playgrounds to explore, visit my Guide to Playgrounds.

Make a LEGO Pumpkin and Other Fun at LEGOLand Discovery Center

We love Legoland Discovery Center in Plymouth Meeting Mall. Tickets are cheaper on weekdays AND it’s less crowded, so it’s a win win. Now through September 27 is Fall Festival followed by Brick or Treat Halloween festivities from now through October 31. To read all about our visit to LEGOLand, read THIS POST. The Discovery Center is open daily (11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.)

Get a Free Pre-K Pass for the Adventure Aquarium

Sign up for the FREE Pre-K Kid’s Pass at the Adventure Aquarium and receive free admission for your children between the ages of 2 and 5 for the entire year. As a heads-up, you sign up for the pass on the website, but you then need to visit the aquarium with your child and proof of birthdate before October 26 to activate the pass. This is an amazing deal, and I’m sad my kids are now too old for it! Halloween is also a really fun time to visit the aquarium!

Visit Crayola Experience during Screamin’ Green Hauntoween

Crayola Experience is so much fun … even moreso when you don’t have to deal with big crowds! I have a post with tips on visiting Crayola HERE.

Halloween activities are running now through October 31.