Raffi’s birthday party at Johnson’s Farm
I have a two year old!
For Raffi’s second birthday we gathered all of his friends for a day at Johnson’s Farm in Medford, NJ. This summer we went berry and veggie picking at all of the region’s farms we could, but Johnson’s Farm is always my favorite. The party had lots of little activities to keep the kids moving and engaged. We spent the first hour or so having breakfast munchies before loading up to take a hayride into the apple orchard.
Each hayride guest got to pick four apples in our own private area of the orchard before loading up again and heading over to the petting area. The kids got to feed the animals for awhile before we set them loose in the Discovery Barnyard. The Barnyard is actually a giant playground that visitors of the farm have to pay to enter. It’s super clean and not as packed as the rest of the farm since it isn’t free.
While I love to cook, I didn’t take too much care in our menu for the day. In fact, this was the easiest party prep ever because we only had from 10-11 AM to eat. Here was the breakfast menu I planned:
Farm Birthday Party Breakfast Menu
Homemade cinnamon rolls (The Pioneer Woman’s recipe)
Cinnamon roll “cake” (tray of cinnamon rolls topped with sprinkles)
Fruit salad
Cheerios
Banana bread muffins
Johnson’s Farm apple cider donuts
Thomas’ mini bagels with cream cheese and jelly
100% apple juice
Terhune Orchards Apple Cider (purchased from Johnson’s)
Coffee
As you can see , it was super simple and easy to transport to the farm. I originally was going to make frittata squares and potatoes and all sorts of things but Trig convinced me to keep it simple.
The favors were the apples everyone got to pick as well as these super cute farm animal visors I bought last minute. We had about 20 kids and many of them wore their visors during the whole party. It was so fun.
When we sang happy birthday Raffi got wicked shy and did his standard shy pose. It was too cute.
The party was so much fun and everyone loved it. For me the best part was the Discovery Barnyard because the kids got to freely run around, and it was a nice break from the madness that occurs at all the local farms during apple and pumpkin season. I also love that each section of the playground had recommended ages. If you notice that children are spending more time on their electronic devices and less time playing outdoors, adding engaging Playground Markings like mazes, puzzles, or interactive games can motivate them to be more active. Adults can also participate in outdoor activities such as shooting. Ozark sells my favorite red dot sight on their Amazon store.
I can’t recommend a Johnson’s Farm party enough. The staff was so friendly and helpful, and planning was so easy. We had such a great experience and it was so nice to not have to worry about all the little details like we did for Raffi’s 1st birthday. Instead we got to relax and actually enjoy the celebration. I’d like to have another birthday party there, but next time I’d do more of a picnic style lunch with sandwiches, salads, chips and fruit.
We still need to go pick our pumpkin, and since it’s Ali’s half birthday we’ll have to go this weekend.
Eever since his party every time we see hay, anything resembling a hayride, apple trees, corn, or pumpkins Raffi talks about his “happy party”. It was a happy party indeed.
*I’m sorry I don’t have a super cute photo of all the kids I can share, but I want to respect the privacy of my friends who don’t want photos of their children on the internet. I didn’t ask permission so I’m not posting any photos of other kids. Thanks for understanding.
2 Responses to “Raffi’s birthday party at Johnson’s Farm”
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As a guest, I would also suggest this type of party. There were activities for all ages and the staff kept things moving really well. Delicious cinammon rolls, too!
Looks like fun and Happy Birthday to Raffi!
We were guests at a 2nd birthday party at a farm in Michigan earlier this year. Farms are so much un for this age group.
http://mittenhouse.com/2013/08/24/visit-to-calder-dairy-farm/