Registration for 2017 is now closed.
If you are interested in joining our mailing list for 2018, please contact us at education [at] jonesfamilyfarms.com
For decades the Jones Family Farms has been welcoming young school children to the farm during our October harvest season. Since our farm grows 100% of all its pumpkins and squashes, it provides a wonderful setting for young children to experience a true working farm and to visit a real pumpkin field.
Fall School Tours
We offer two special school programs:
Fall Harvest Education Program
This program is designed for students in kindergarten and first grade. Students enjoy a hay wagon tour of the farm fields to see the growing crops and landmarks of a classic New England farm. At the field classroom, our farm educator teaches about growing crops, providing a unique experience for each grade level. Students then harvest their own pumpkins. For more information, please see our Fall Harvest Education Program page.
Pumpkin Experience Tour
This program is designed for pre-school children to provide the opportunity for youngsters and their parents to observe a working farm while enjoying a classic New England autumn activity. Children enjoy a hay wagon ride through the farm fields out to a pumpkin field, where they will harvest their own pumpkin. For more information, please see our Pumpkin Experience Tour page.
Options for Small Groups (less than 15 students) and Home School Students
For small groups of less than 15 students or home school students, a teacher is welcome to bring small groups to visit the farm for a teacher-led experience. The students can ride the public hay wagon (2017 cost: $3.75/person including teachers and chaperones), select a small pumpkin (approximately $5/small pumpkin) and visit the farmyard.
We find the most successful self-guided experiences include planned activities (one option is to use our Self-Guided Handout, printed booklet-style) or other teacher-led activities, such as a scavenger hunt. We also recommend one adult chaperone for every 4-5 children. To ensure the best experience for your group, we schedule self-guided groups into a time slot. We require that groups send a message to education [at] jonesfamilyfarms.com and inform us of the date and time of your visit, and the number of students. We cannot accommodate self-guided groups that exceed 20 people. Thank you.