6 minute read
Kids’ Corner
KIDS’ CORNER BUYING HIKING GEAR FOR KIDS: OUTFITTING YOUR KIDS FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
By Jill “MamaBug” Frier
Let’s face it - gearing up for a hiking, camping or outdoor nature activity with a youngster can be a challenge. Those cute little cotton play outfits and sneakers or flip flops just won’t cut it on a trail or dirt path. Not to mention the fact that our daughter prefers dresses and skirts, which makes finding hiking and outdoor wear an extra challenge. After many shopping trips, try-on sessions, trials and errors, we have managed to find a few stores and brands that consistently provide good quality (and good value) hiking and outdoor gear for youngsters. Here are three of our favorites right now.
COLUMBIA
Columbia has good quality outdoor clothes for kids that fit well, so we do a lot of shopping at the Columbia Outlet store near us when we need to gear up (which also saves us money). One drawback is that they cycle through seasonal clothing frequently, so buy it when you see it or it may be out of stock the next time! Columbia clothing is also available for kids at REI, Sportsman’s Warehouse and sometimes Cabela’s (as well as many other sporting goods stores, though the kids clothing is much harder to come by). You can also order from their website - sizes run pretty true to age, but can vary by product.
REI
Can I just say that I am an REI junkie? Every time we are within 5 miles of a store, we have to go check it out and see what’s new. They have a fantastic selection of kids outdoor clothing and shoes in various brands, including their own label. Like Columbia, they cycle through seasonal wear pretty quickly, but they almost always have something that we like in our
kid’s style and size. The shoes are top quality and they frequently have items on sale. A must see if you can swing by - they also have an outstanding website to shop online.
CABELA’S
Cabela’s is an outdoor adventure destination all it’s own. The moment you walk through the door into the cavernous outdoor retail fantasyland, you just know you will find something worth buying. Their kids’ clothing is very high quality, although it can be difficult to find what you’re looking for in smaller kid sizes (5 and under). They have a range of clothing types, but are particularly welloutfitted for anything hunting and fishing related. In any case, it’s worth a trip to the store just to see the aquarium, massive displays of animals, wildlife museum, and all the possibilities available for a multitude of outdoor adventures.
SPORTSMAN’S WAREHOUSE
Sportsman’s Warehouse is a great local outfitter and scaled-down version of Cabela’s that is closer, less expensive and easier to visit. They have been increasing the quantity of their children’s clothing recently, and you can always find items that are good quality and well-suited for any outdoor activity. This is one of our favorite outfitters because of it’s value and convenience. Right off of I-17 and the 101, Sportsman’s is a good first stop when you begin your search to find gear for your kids. There are many other retail chains and small local stores we love that have great clothing and gear for kids in the Phoenix area. Watch Ladybug’s Blog for more outfitter reviews and gear ideas!
Watch Ladybug’s Blog for more ideas at www.LadybugsBlog.com
COVER STORY AUTUMN IN ARIZONA – PUMPKIN PATCH SEASON HAS ARRIVED!
By Jill “MamaBug” Frier
Temperatures are slowly starting to drop, leaves are beginning to change up north and everywhere you look are pumpkin patches, fall festivals, haunted houses, and Halloween costumes and decorations. Autumn is officially arriving in Arizona and we want to share our favorite places to celebrate Pumpkin Patch Season this fall. Most of these locations are open on weekends throughout October, but be sure to check out our Pumpkin Patch and Fall Festival List to get specific details on dates, hours and websites – for all of these venues and many more!
MACDONALD’S RANCH
MacDonald’s Ranch in north Scottsdale is one of our family’s annual favorites. We make time every year to visit the ranch’s pumpkin patch, which is only accessible by horse drawn hayride. The first stop at the
ranch is their old Western town, just inside the entrance, then on to the pony rides, games, hay bale maze and other fun activities. We always pick out a least a couple of pumpkins (they have a great range of sizes), so either save the hayride to the pumpkin patch for last, or bring a wagon to carry your load. Special note: wear sunscreen, a hat and very comfortable shoes – this is a working ranch and you’ll be walking through the desert to enjoy all that the ranch has to offer.
MORTIMER FARMS
We love to visit Mortimer Farms in the cooler climes of Dewey, Arizona. This working farm has a fantastic Pumpkin Festival, and includes activities for older kids and grown-ups on Friday and Saturday evenings. Mortimer Farms not only has a real live corn maze, hay rides, and pumpkin patch, it also boasts a zipline, nightly barn dance, karaoke, pig races and an official “Pumpkin Chunkin’” competition! This Pumpkin Festival is
worth the trip, and is a great way to cool off during our not quite cool yet Octobers in Phoenix.
PIONEER LIVING HISTORY MUSEUM HARVEST FEST
The Pioneer Living History Museum on I-17, just south of Anthem, is a great place to enjoy some fall festivities, and learn a little about Arizona history. The Pioneer Harvest Fest has a pumpkin patch, hay rides, gold panning, a BB Gun Range, crafts, games, food, live entertainment and more. You can enjoy the festival and visit the Pioneer Living History Museum village to see buildings restored from historic sites around the state. Check out their website for a full list of activities and see what special events are happening each weekend.
TOLMACHOFF FARMS
Right in the heart of Glendale, Tomachoff Farms is a real working farm and home to one of our favorite pumpkin patches to visit every year. The farm has a huge pumpkin patch, a mini corn maze for the little ones, and a haunted corn maze for bigger kids. They also have a great petting zoo, train ride, hay pyramid, corn box, adult and child pedal cart track, giant jumping pillow and much more. Tomachoff Farms is a great place to take your kids and hosts many field trips from schools around the valley. Go enjoy some shady trees, fresh air and pumpkin farm fun in the West Valley!
CAREFREE ENCHANTED PUMPKIN GARDEN
It’s hard to believe that the Enchanted Pumpkin Garden in Carefree, Arizona has free admission. The garden features beautiful, whimsical pumpkin carvings from master sculptor Ray Villafane and the Villafane Studios team. It is open to the public and woven throughout the four acre Carefree Desert Gardens – right on Easy Street in Carefree, Arizona. The Enchanted Pumpkin Garden
COVER STORY
invites visitors to see mischievous pumpkin characters, Saguaro cacti and scarecrows, all artfully carved by Ray and his team. It will also feature several special events on different weekends, including instructional carving nights, costume contests, and weekly activities such as the “Adopt a Pumpkin” patch, pumpkin pie eating competition, corn maze, face painting, arts and crafts, a new harvest market, food and a local craft beer garden. We can wait to see those delightful pumpkins and carvings first hand. These are just a handful of the
many fun fall venues that you and your kids can enjoy in the Phoenix area. Be sure to check out our Pumpkin Patch and Fall Festival list for many more venues around the Valley and in Arizona.
