Where to Take Young Kiddos for Halloween Fun

The leaves on the trees are starting to change colors, parents everywhere are high fiving each other as they drop their children off at school, and your mailboxes (both physical and virtual) are being filled with advertisements for Halloween costumes. It is safe to say that Halloween is going to be here before you know it.

Halloween can be a very scary time for some young children. When my daughter was younger, she thought the pale zombie girl on the swing, who sings in the most terrifying voice, was the most interesting thing she had every seen. "Mommy, will you go with me to see the girl on the swing" she'd ask and I'd reply with "nope, I'm good." Flash forward to the present and she is very concerned about seeing the scary "girl on the swing" who appears in our neighbor's front lawn, which closely resembles the Halloween decoration section at the local costume shop, every year. My, how two years can change one's perspective.

Taking pictures with sister can be so scary

So, that means haunted mazes and hay rides are out of the question, but that doesn't mean that we can't enjoy the Halloween season fun though. There is plenty in Orange County to do with little kids to celebrate the Halloween season (and get another wear out of that $50 costume).

Disneyland (and Mickey's Halloween Party)
Address: 1313 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim
Hours: varies per day, check website
Admission $99 for adults, $93 for children 3-9 years old, under 3 years old is free
(Mickey's Halloween Party tickets are $69 and up depending on the day)

Peek-a-boo with Minnie the Witch

Starting September 11, 2015, Disneyland will be decked out with thousand of pumpkins and every thing that represents Halloween (California Adventure doesn't get as decked out though). During the daytime and on non-Halloween Party nights, you can enjoy all of the same attractions as you can any other time of the year with a few awesome exceptions. The most well known change is the transformation of the Haunted Mansion to the Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion. It is a must see, if you're children are up for the "silliness," which is how I describe things that can be perceived as scary to my children. For the bigger kids, Space Mountain has an added spookiness as it is changed into Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy.

In the years past, we've greatly enjoyed the Halloween Carnival which was located at the Big Thunder Ranch which had arts and crafts, live music, pumpkins carved by amazingly talented artists, and meet and greet opportunities with characters dressed in adorable costumes with very little wait times. However, this attraction will not be available this year (or possibly ever again). Although, you may still want to swing by to visit the petting zoo area (yes, Disneyland has a petting zoo) to see the goats with Halloween themed bandanas wrapped around their necks.

Now, you're probably wondering about Mickey's Halloween Party. Mickey's Halloween Party is a separate ticketed event. To clarify, a regular park admission ticket will not get you into MHP. There are designated days for MHP and people who purchase tickets for MHP are allowed to enter the park 3 hours before the actual start time (usually 6pm or 7pm, depending on the night). Shortly before the start time, people who are in the park but do not have a ticket for MHP are ushered out. I hope that wasn't too confusing.

Now you're probably wondering if it's worth the ticket price. To be honest, I don't know. I have never gone to MHP since my kiddos are in bed by 8pm. Here's what I do know. Everyone is encouraged to wear costumes (appropriate ones). You get mountains and mountains of candy so bring lots of reuseable bags if you plan on trick or treating there. Also, be prepared to stalk people or camp out for parking. While parking can be very efficient and easy for morning Disney goers, it can be a frustrating waiting game at night time. Unfortunately, that's the extent of my MHP knowledge. Hopefully, the kiddos will be able to hang past 9pm without a meltdown so we can experience it next year.

Pumpkin Patch
By far, my favorite pumpkin patch to visit with the kiddos is the Pumpkin City Pumpkin Farm in Laguna Hills.

Address: 24203 Avenida de la Carlota, Laguna Hills
Begins: October 1, 2015
Hours: Monday-Thursday 10:30am-9pm, Friday 10:30am-10pm, Saturday 10am-10pm, Sunday 10am-9pm
Admission: free (to enter), attractions are between $3-8

R loved ringing the bell on the train

This is not your average pumpkin patch. Most pumpkin patches have a sea of pumpkins and one inflatable bounce house, but this pumpkin patch has dozens of things to do besides picking out an overpriced pumpkin. There are fun inflatables including an obstacle course, tons of carnival rides, a petting zoo, pony rides, and boardwalk style games. A couple rides that are definitely worth mentioning are the train and the kid-size John Deer tractors that the kids can drive. My son still watches the video of him on that train on a daily basis. It can get quite expensive since each ride costs between three to eight tickets and each ticket costs $1.10. There's usually a groupon available that cuts the cost significantly.

Tanaka Farms
Address: 5380 3/4 University Drive, Irvine (Did anyone just have a Harry Potter flashback?)

Begins: Farm is open all year long but the pumpkin patch begins on September 26, 2015

Hours: 9am-5pm

Admission: $2 per person, attractions vary in price 

What kid wouldn't love to go to an actual farm? Here, kids can get a sense of how the pumpkins are grown and they can pick one out to take home (for a price). There is also a fun (free) corn maze to run through. For $5/person, you can ride a wagon ride around the farm. There is, of course, a petting zoo, which is $3/person, that was filled with the most adorable baby goats last year. On your way out, be sure to hit up the produce stand. 

This is an actual working farm so close-toed shoes that can get dirty are a must. Last year, my step-mom stepped in something in the petting zoo and we had to hose them clean once we got home. Also, bring your own water as drinking water is not available; and wagons and pets are not permitted.

Great Park Spooktacular Fun Days at the Great Park
Address: There is no physical address for the Great Park. It's located off of Sand Canyon Ave and 5 Freeway in Irvine. Check their website for directions.
When: October 24 and October 25, 2015
Hours: 9am-3pm
Admission: Free with non-perishable food donation. Registration is required.
Website: http://www.ocgp.org/events/spooktacular-fun-days/

This is a great place to take the kiddos for a fun Halloween outing. Not only is it free, donation of non-perishable food items is required, there's so much to do. I recommend getting there early because it can get crowded. You can help yourself to a free pumpkin from the pumpkin patch (one per child); word of warning: either bring a stroller or save the pumpkin picking for the end of your trip. Who wants to carry a pumpkin all day long? Not I, said the mama. Afterward, you can check out the adorable animals at the petting zoo. Don't forget to check out the games. Last year, K and R only played enough games to get a cheap, little plastic toy that probably lasted for about a week before I threw it out while the girls behind us had enough points to get a lanyard laced with Disney princess pins. Lesson learned! There are some awesome prizes so I strongly recommend playing as many games as possible. There's also a "trick-or-treat" area where different vendors are giving away coupons and other goodies. If you need a break, head over to the arts and crafts area or check out the food trucks for a bite to eat. In past years, there were inflatable slides and a small train that the kids loved to go on. All of this is free. Free! Does that even exist anymore? And you get all of this with the great orange balloon (which is not free, nor is the carousel) in the background.

One thing that I cannot stress enough is that you must register prior to going. Registration starts on September 16, 2015 at noon. There is limited space so register early.

Pretend City
Address: 29 Hubble, Irvine
Hours: 10am-4pm on October 31, 2015 (check their website for hours on other dates)
Admission: $12.50 for children over 12 months old and adults

Watch out! Rapunzel is driving.

Last year, I was desperate to find somewhere to take the kids on Halloween during the day. I didn't want to go somewhere far since it was crucial that we didn't miss nap time that day as I knew we'd be out trick-or-treating with friends. Pretend City popped into my head so I got the kids in their costumes and we headed on down to Pretend City. The kids had a fabulous time. Every two hours, they have various trick-or-treat stations where the kids received small little toys or useful kick-nacks. Hallelujah, no candy! Let's face it. Who really eats the majority of the Halloween candy?

Irvine Park Railroad Pumpkin Patch
Address: 1 Irvine Park Road, Orange (follow the signs for the pumpkin patch)
Begins: September 19, 2015
Pumpkin patch hours: Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday-Sunday 10am-6pm
Admission: $3/car on weekdays, $5/car on weekends, activities vary in price

We love visiting the Irvine Park all year long but it's especially fun during their pumpkin patch. There are so many fun activities to keep the whole family entertained. There's cookie decorating, a pumpkin ring toss, face painting, kid-size John Deer tractors, a hay ride, carnival games, and a bounce house that cost between one and two tickets. Tickets can be purchased for $5 each or a book of 15 for $60. And you can't miss the train. It's a full size train that takes you on a 12 minute ride around the park and through a tunnel. Pony rides are also available until 4pm and the pumpkin patch tickets cannot be used for the pony rides. One ride is $5 and you must pay by the entrance to the pony ride area.

If you have time. check out everything else Irvine Park has to offer. There's a cute little zoo that focuses on animals native to Southern California. Rent a bike big enough for the whole family to see the rest of the park or rent a paddle boat to explore the lake. Before you go, subscribe to their newsletter for coupons.

I hope you have a scary good time during the Halloween season!