Every October half term, one of the local farmers opens up his fields for a pumpkin patch event.
As well as being able to pick your own pumpkin for carving, there is an opportunity for seasonal photos, and lots of activities for families to enjoy.
This year, Dave and Darcy visit the pumpkin patch with Darcy’s friend Sasha. They pay their entry fee and are given a wristband, which allows them to do all the activities at the farm and choose a pumpkin to take home.
First up, they have a go in the corn maze. Throughout the maze there are fun Halloween questions for them to answer. The first question is “which animal is a witch’s best friend?”
“Ooh, a black cat!” shouts Sasha. Darcy turns over the card to reveal the answer. “Yes, that’s right!” she smiles.
The next question is “which vegetable are vampires scared of?” The three of them think hard, then Dave says, “it’s garlic! Dad’s always saying mum’s cooking could scare away vampires because she uses so much garlic!” The two girls start giggling.
At one point, they climb one of the wooden towers to see how far they’ve got left to go in the maze, and they spot Darcy’s parents waving from the car park. They know they haven’t got far to go, so they crack on and finally find the maze exit.
Next, they jump on a hayride around the farm. Dave is too heavy to sit on the trailer, so he walks alongside. The farmer takes them around some of his fields and tells them all about harvesting pumpkins and corn.
There is also a petting zoo with some of the farm animals, so Darcy, Sasha and Dave head over to say hello.
There are cute little rabbits hopping around in a pen and some cheeky goats that jump up at the fence. Dave’s favourite animals are the alpacas so he spends some time talking to them.
Finally, they grab one of the wheelbarrows and go in search of their perfect pumpkin for Halloween.
They are given an information card which explains all about the different types of gourds they can pick – they come in all different shapes, sizes and colours, including white pumpkins! There’s also a recipe on the card so that they don’t waste any of the pumpkin once they’ve carved it into a spooky shape.
Once they’ve chosen their pumpkins, they head back to the car park and tell Darcy’s parents all about the activities.
Darcy’s mum asks what they’re going to carve into their pumpkins when they get home.
“I’m going to carve a cat that looks like Noodle,” says Darcy.
“I’m going to give mine a scary face!” adds Sasha.
“I think I’m going to carve mine in the shape of an alpaca,” says Dave with a smile.
They all laugh. “Oh Dave, what are you like?!”
Fun fact
Did you know that it is safe for a horse to eat orange pumpkins, including the seeds? Lots of horses like eating fruits and vegetables. We often think of feeding them carrots and apples, but they also enjoy berries, pears, celery and – of course – bananas!
There are two important things to remember when feeding horses. Firstly, fruits and vegetables are like sweets to us – you mustn’t give a horse too many treats as it can be bad for their teeth and their tummies. Secondly, and most importantly, never feed a horse that doesn’t belong to you without asking the owner first. Lots of horses are on special diets and can’t eat certain foods, so you must always ask permission from the owner and don’t be upset if they say ‘no’, as they know what’s best for their horse.
I’m sure Dave would eat a whole bunch of bananas every day, but it wouldn’t be good for him to eat so many sweet treats.
If you liked this story, you’ll love the Dave and Darcy series, which you can purchase here.
I’d love to see your drawings to go with this short story! Please either tag me on social media (@loiskingscottauthor on Facebook or Instagram) or send a photo to lois@loiskingscottauthor.com and I’ll share the best ones on social media and this web page!
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