**PLEASE NOTE: ELM KNOLL FARM IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED.**
I think in the past two months I have ridden on hayrides and strolled through corn mazes more than I have in my entire life. Now that my boy is a little older, he is really enjoying these kind of activities. Last year, we did it once or twice, just to say, ‘Hey, our 1 year old went on a hayride’. As they get older though, they understand more of what is going on and they realize how fun it is to be running through the farm. And I’ll admit, even I realize how fun it is. Because isn’t that one of the perks of parenting? You can be a kid again.
I found a little fun on the farm right here in our own town, at Elm Knoll Farm. I didn’t know much about this place but I had seen the name come up on our town’s Facebook forum, so when I was trying to choose an activity for the week, I decided to try this out.
Elm Knoll Farm is located on Moody Road, in Enfield. Moody Road runs parallel right between Hazard Ave (190) and Rte 220.
The entrance to Elm Knoll Farm is pretty clearly marked, and it’s hard to miss. I mean, it’s a giant scarecrow. You really can’t miss it.
We came in from the west, so we ended up taking the second left into the farm. This entrance has a dirt road, so I think this is the intended way to come into the farm.
The parking is in the grass, and there is a lot of space. We did visit on a weekday but I would imagine even on a weekend, they have room.
When we arrived, the tractor was set to go in the parking lot. Like I said above, we’ve done a lot of hayrides this fall, and even though it was included with our admission cost, I decided we’d skip today. Plus, the weather was unseasonably warm and muggy earlier this week, and I wasn’t really feeling the whole sit on itchy hay while I sweat… I’ll be happy when we are back to the cooler fall days one would expect in New England.
They did have a nice looking hay ride though! It goes around the whole farm, back towards the pumpkin field and to the big corn mazes! They actually have two corn mazes: a 2 acre one and a 3 acre one.
Right when you enter Elm Knoll Farm, they have these little guys welcoming you!
There is not an actual admission booth or counter, instead they have a small picnic table where they collect your entrance fee and tell you about the farm. This is a cash only attraction so make sure you come prepared!
There is also a sign posted when you enter that goes over the prices. I did not know the prices before we arrived. At first I was a little taken aback that it was $6 for my 2-1/2 year old, because most places do not charge for his age. So $12 total was a little steep. But after I went through the farm, and also realized the work these farmers put into such a special fall activity for the community, I felt that price was pretty spot on. Sure, it’s nice to save money but sometimes, it’s important to support the little guy.
Right at the entrance, they sell popcorn!
They also sell pumpkins right when you walk in. If you are only interested in buying pumpkins, you do not have to pay admission fees. The pumpkins ranged in price depending on the size. They had a pretty good selection!
The aviary is the first thing you’ll see when you head towards the activities. They have a huge greenhouse that houses chickens and turkeys. You can even walk inside and go through the aviary to see the birds up close and personal!
If you choose to not go through the aviary, the walking path to the other activities is right between the two greenhouses.
Once you come to the main field, you’ll see all the fun activities geared towards the little ones, like my boy. The area is pretty big- and there is a lot going on!
Towards the left is what they refer to as Mother Goose Land. There are little houses that the kids can walk inside of, and different things to climb on. There is also a huge tee-pee made out of cornstalks!
In this area, there are also a couple spots for photo ops!
The Old Woman in the Shoe apparently left her shoe behind, so the kids can play inside it and go down the slide that comes out of the window!
One of the big hits of the day for my boy was this corn pit! I was happy with this alternative to a sandbox… even though when I changed his diaper later that evening, corn fell out! Oops! He did stay in that pit for a while – it was fun pouring the corn into the truck and then dumping it back out.
They have a few areas with different cut-out characters from popular kids cartoons: Peanuts, the Cat in the Hat, the Chipmunks.
In the little kid’s area, they have two mini corn mazes, and a big tunnel to climb through. The first maze is right near the corn pit, and the entrance is the big green ghost!
Under the red barn is this big tunnel hidden in the hay. It took some coaxing to get my child to enter it, but he finally did. Then I couldn’t get him out. Careful what you wish for, right?
The red barn is also a giant hay stack, and you can climb the hay all the way to the top! I was surprised how well my child could climb up it, considering some of the steps were pretty steep. I was thankful that, when I had the brilliant idea to jump down, I didn’t break a limb. Getting too old for this…
As I mentioned, there are TWO mini corn mazes. The other one is a little bigger, and can be found behind the red barn. We had a really fun time running through this one! It was the perfect size for a toddler. There are actually several ways through it, and we ended up going the shorter route. It was also not confusing at all- very straightforward with no crazy turns or blocked ways. I think any longer in the corn and he would have gotten impatient. I thought this was a great mini maze!
After the mini maze, we strolled further down the farm road towards the animals. Yes, this farm has animals!
Here we found a calf, the goats and some donkeys.
We also found the Farmer! And he was super nice to let my child feed the donkeys and pet them! What a great guy!
Further down past the animals is where you would find the pumpkin patch and the corn mazes. Since we skipped those activities, we headed back towards the main area. I have to say, the farm was beautiful. Fall really just a perfect time of year! I made sure we took our time walking back so we could enjoy the beauty of it all!
We took some time to continue playing in the kid’s area. Lots more time in the corn pit, some more turns down the slide and a few trips through the big tunnel. If I let him, my child would have stayed here for the whole day. When they are this little, they are so easy to entertain and what kid doesn’t love being outside in the dirt and surrounded by nature? They don’t notice the humidity, or mommy’s hair sticking up, or the fact that she’s sweaty, or that there are gnats everywhere. Nope, they don’t care at all!
Since this is a farm, there are no bathrooms on site. They do have a port a potty, if you really need to use it, but no changing tables.
They also have some picnic tables if you want to sit and relax, and enjoy your popcorn. There is no sign anywhere that says no food is allowed, but we did not come in with anything either way.
Overall, I have to say I enjoyed our afternoon, despite the humidity. We spent a couple hours at Elm Knoll Farm, but you can easily spend a good full afternoon or morning, especially if you do a hayride and the corn mazes. This is a popular event on the weekends, and they often have live music and other additional activities going on. For us, we were happy with the kid’s play area and the farm animals. I’d totally go back here again in the fall for these fun activities!
This about sums it up…
153 Moody Road – Enfield, CT
Hours: Opens September 24, 2016 (seasonal) – Please check their website for opening day.
OPEN EVERYDAY FROM 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. Make sure to call for current conditions since they could change due to weather.
Cost: Weekdays: $6
Weekends & Holidays: $8
Children Under 2 are FREE
Features:
- Strollers may be tricky in some areas- we chose to leave ours in the car.
- Large parking lot with plenty of available spaces
- Port a potties
- Cash Only
- Food for purchase
- Wear comfortable shoes for walking and since you are on a farm!
- Petting Zoo/Animals
