Lazy Day: A Pumpkin Patch for Tired Parents

There are a lot of amazing Pumpkin Patches in the area. But it’s all fun and games (and pumpkin cannons and farm animals) until you have to fight your way back to the city in stand-still traffic coming north on Highway 1 at 3:55pm on a Sunday.  

May I humbly submit for your consideration our family’s favorite Halloween tradition: the random pumpkin patch on the side of the highway, just 5.2 miles north of the Bridge. 

It’s located at TerraKids, the year-round play structure and trampoline seller (you can put TerraKids into your map application for directions). The pumpkin patch itself is appropriately called Ian’s Lazy Days Pumpkin Patch.  And true to the name, there is almost no advertising online or elsewhere, nor clearly posted hours. But I have it from the owner’s mouth that they are open daily from 9am-7pm until Halloween (the posted TerraKids hours are different and less comprehensive).

Here’s why this place is so great:

• There are three bounce houses, including an enormous slide.
• There are lots of play structures and playhouses to play in.
• There are several trampolines to play on. 
• Unlimited play on all the equipment is only $7 a kid. They take cards.
• It is quick to get there—it takes us 20 minutes from the Outer Sunset.
• It’s close to a McDonald’s, an In and Out, Nektar juice bar, and Starbucks. 
• There are a few plastic Adirondack chairs for parents to chill.
• It is fenced in.

A few tips:

• Take the exit for Seminary Drive off the 101 North. The exit comes up quickly before you can actually see the bounce houses. 
• Don’t be fooled by the highway-side pumpkin patch with the large space shuttle bounce house just south of TerraKids. It is also fun, but much more expensive! (You must pay per kid, PER BOUNCE HOUSE).
• Go early in the day if your children are SF vampires, like my own. It gets very hot and sunny in the later afternoon. 

So grab an iced coffee, lean back (but not too far) in that plastic lawn chair, and let your kids bounce their hearts out among the pumpkins!!!