Apple Picking: The #1 Apple Activity for Kids in Fall 2024
What is apple picking?
Apple picking is pretty self-explanatory- it’s just the simple act of picking apples straight from the tree. The satisfaction of selecting the perfect apple is felt over and over again when you go to a well cared for apple orchard during the prime time for apple harvesting.
The best time to pick apples varies slightly depending on where you live and the variety of apples you want to pick, but generally, the perfect month for harvesting apples is September.
After choosing when to pick your apples, it may be important to you to decide what type of apples you want to gather. With more than 100 varieties of apples grown in the U.S.- no joke- your options are wide open!
My family loves Honeycrisp apples the best, and luckily they are pretty abundant in our area. They are sweet, juicy, crisp, and get HUGE! Honeycrisps are the perfect grab-and-go apple to snack on.
Besides our favorite apple type, other popular varieties include fuji, gala, pink lady, red delicious, Granny Smith, and Jonathan. If you’re unsure about which type you want to pick, just go to your local grocery store and purchase a couple of varieties to find your favorite.
Why is it a great apple activity for kids?
People of all ages LOVE picking apples straight off the tree, but kids especially appreciate the experience. Although it is a super fun activity, there are benefits to apple picking other than enjoyment.
Family time while apple picking
In our perpetually busy society, it is difficult to carve out time for the whole family to spend time enjoying each other’s company. For instance, kids are in multiple sports or structured activities, and working parents often struggle with completely shutting down their work email and phone calls when home.
Because of this on the go groove families find themselves in, there isn’t much time to chill out with each other and have meaningful conversations. Then again, we can fix that by intentionally scheduling activities to bond as a family.
Apple picking allows your family to leisurely walk and talk about what’s on your mind. The opportunities for giggles and smiles continually pop up while strolling the rows of trees in the apple orchard.
You will treasure the photos of your spouse lifting your child up to pick the perfect apple, the face your toddler makes while spotting a worm hole in an apple, and the video of your little ones giggling as they chase each other through the trees.
On the other hand, your kids get to see you in a different light as you aren’t stressed from work or haphazardly doing laundry and dishes. They will feel absolute bliss watching you smile and giggle right along with them.
Spending time in nature
Study after study shows how important it is for children to spend time in nature- specifically green spaces. What better place to be immersed in green than in an orchard surrounded by trees?
Go ahead and get yourself, and your family, some fresh air and vitamin D! Feel the warmth of the sun on your face, and the light breeze whooshing through your hair. It’s really so good for the soul!
There’s no doubt your children will notice the various sights and smells of being on an apple farm! Brace yourself for hilarious comments about the rotten apples, bees, and even mud/dirt.
However, there will be much conversation about the sweet smell of the apples, the soothing hum of the bees, and the challenge of searching between branches for the perfect apple specimen.
Learning about how apples grow
As a teacher, I have seen first hand how many young children literally have no idea where their food actually comes from. Every year we have this discussion in the classroom, and most of the kids say their food is made at the grocery store!
It seems funny to us adults, but to children who have had limited experience with farms, orchards, groves, vineyards, etc. it definitely seems logical.
Accordingly, it’s important to introduce children to where our food truly comes from. Apple orchards are a perfect place to start teaching your child about growing food.
At the orchard, children experience the growth of produce on trees, as opposed to in a basket or shelf at the grocery store. Take time to explain that the trees grow from the little seeds inside the apples, and that it takes many years for the trees to get as large as they are now.
Encourage your child to think about how the apples get from the trees to the grocery store, then guide them through the process. Make up a story about the little apple’s journey!
Apple picking gets kids off screens!
Okay, so we all know that screens are not great for kids… but we all struggle to keep them away from technology.
When you intentionally plan family outings, like the apple orchard, you know there’s a good chunk of your day you won’t have to worry about your kid’s face being glued to a screen.
Consequently, your kids will see that they can have fun without a tablet, phone, etc. This encourages them to find other screen-free ways to keep themselves occupied.
So give those little eyes a break, get the gears spinning in their minds, and take that trip to the apple orchard!
Where can you pick apples?
Once you dig into finding apple orchards in your area, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the number of choices. With so many types of orchards, how do you know which is the best for your family?
I’ve listed some general types of apple orchards with their pros and cons. Use this as a guide to figure out the perfect orchard for you.
Small family owned orchards
Our family’s preference is to go apple picking at a small orchard where we are supporting an actual family who are providing for their community.
Pros of small orchards:
- Extra friendly staff who are always willing to help
- Generally organic produce
- Little to no entry fee
- Small crowds
Cons of small orchards:
- Limited open hours
- No “frills” or extra activities
- Maintenance may not be kept up as well as larger facilities
Big orchards with all the bells and whistles
Many families love to go to bigger orchards that specialize in making apple picking a yearly event. These orchards have all the games, bounce houses, zip lines, wagon rides, etc.
Pros of commercialized orchards:
- More activities for the family
- Clean and well kept facilities
- Longer operating hours
- May have season passes, making it cheaper to visit multiple times
Cons of large orchards:
- More expensive
- Huge crowds
- Have to pay for all the extra activities; no going just to pick apples
- Not always organic or the best quality
Pumpkin patches
While our family makes apple picking its own special day, others like to make a big day out of picking both apples and pumpkins by going to a pumpkin patch that also has apples.
Pros of apple picking at the pumpkin patch:
- Easier for busy families to schedule the time to do both
- Many activities for the family
- Again, season passes may be an option
- Longer operating hours
- Usually have well kept facilities
Cons of going to a pumpkin patch for apple harvest:
- Most of the farms focus is on taking care of pumpkins; the apples can be neglected
- Expensive for families
- Big crowds
- Timing can be off for harvest; can be too late for good apples or too early for ripe pumpkins
How long does apple picking take?
This will greatly depend on where your family chooses to harvest their apples. The orchards and patches with many activities will obviously take longer than a small orchard.
If you decide on a larger orchard, you can expect to spend 3-4 hours. On busier days (like weekends) this time will increase because you will spend more time standing in line for each activity.
A combination orchard and pumpkin patch can take a family all day to fully enjoy all there is to offer. Again, weekend days will be significantly busier than going during the week.
Small orchards take considerably less time than other options. If you are going just to pick apples, you can be done in less than an hour.
The small farm my family likes to visit has many other types of produce to pick besides apples. This year we picked apples, raspberries, and blackberries in 1 ½ hours.
A yearly tradition
You will for sure fall in love with apple picking and your kids will definitely love it!
Harvesting your own apples gives you a sense of accomplishment and you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor while providing healthy snacks and delicious treats to your family.
Apple picking is an activity that you will want to do again and again! Find an orchard you love and make this a yearly family tradition you will love and be able to pass down to future generations.
