Welcome to The Playground, a place for Vancouver families. I’m always on the lookout for fun stuff to do, so if there’s something happening that you think I should know about, don’t hesitate to contact me.

With boots on our feet we spent a foggy October morning at Westham Farm to pick some Halloween pumpkins.  Only 40 minutes from Vancouver and on the other side of a bright green swing bridge in Ladner, while visiting this island oasis one is immediately transported to a quiet, idyllic country side.    There is lots to see at Westham Farm – goats, cows and bunnies, a lovely produce stand, rows and rows of vegetables and flowers and a haunted house for tiny ones to help get everyone in the Halloween spirit.  Everywhere we turned there was something that catches your eye – a wall covered in vintage farming tools, an old pop machine, a rusted car and lots and lots pumpkins.

With a wheelbarrow in hand, we headed out to the field to pick our pumpkin.  There were no shortage of pumpkins to choose from and lots of room for stomping in the mud.  Sadie and Arlo had a great time picking their little pumpkins and pushing them around in the wheelbarrows – just like real farmers.  With the exception of a small school group, we had the place to ourselves and it was by far one of the most calm and relaxing pumpkin picking experiences I’ve had.  If muddy field are not for you there is an impressive selection of cleaned pumpkins at the market that you can purchase along with other locally grown produce, homemade preserves, baked goods and honey.

But who would have thought that the highlight of a trip to a pumpkin patch would be exploring rows and rows of artichokes.  Sadie and Arlo loved exploring this new-to-them vegetable and seeking out the elusive purple flowers that grow from their head.

The highlight for me was the gardens filled with zinnias, sunflowers, daisies, and other colourful flowers.  The farm is only open from May – October so I’m going to add this to my list of things to do next spring and summer and take advantage of their berry picking.

Be sure to wear boots and bring a bag for your pumpkin.  Westham Farm is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00pm.  Visit later in the day and you can see 100-150 hand carved pumpkins all lit up.  Spooktacular!