Those of us in early childhood often talk and read about how the brain development of babies affects their early years and futures. For today, I'd like to highlight how a simple day on the farm can positively affect the brain development of everyone in the family!

Have a look... 

We started out by petting the horses and feeding them apples. This is a great opportunity for talking with your kids about "gentle" and "kind" and "soft."

There were tractors for the children. My daughter didn't get to ride one right away because they were all being used. That gave me a chance to explain to her that patience is important and her turn was coming.

They fight at home quite often but when you put them on a farm and toss in a giant wooden image of two donkeys, they are the best of pals.

We moved on to the carousel. We had to wait in line again (more patience!) but when they did get on...what fun!

My eldest son came with us and after complaining all the way there about how LAME the farm was going to be...I spotted him on the carousel with his sister - holding her back with his hand so she wouldn't slip or fall.

The kids participated in the pinata game and again had to wait their turn and practice patience.

More swinging and fun!

Even big brother, who said the farm would be LAME, dove for the free candy and walked away happy.

A brotherly bonding moment on the hay ride. (Thanks to our nanny Courtney for capturing this shot!)

Off to the petting zoo area...more chances to talk about being "gentle" and "kind" and "caring."

Rick and I had a moment to ourselves while walking through the corn maze with the older boys (Thanks to Courtney for capturing this moment and highlighting my preggo belly amidst the corn.) :-)

Train ride anyone? Make room for everyone and be sure to share the space!

We headed over to the pumpkin patch to find our pumpkins. This is where a little critical thinking comes into play: what pumpkins are going to be best for carving? For decoration? Which pumpkins are going to last the longest and not rot too quickly?

Courtney, our nanny, found what she calls the PERFECT pumpkin.

My eldest son proudly held up his pumpkin of choice.

I, myself, wanted a short squatty pumpkin to off-set the other ones. When I calculated the prices, however, I sadly left my own pumpkin behind.

My daughter evidently felt a special bond with this pumpkin.

Our youngest son showed off his selection (yes - that's his smile).

A simple day on the farm may not appear to be much but when you break it down...

The kids had an opportunity to be kind, gentle and thoughtful of one another. We laughed, ran, smiled and no one yelled. No one got into trouble, we breathed in lots of fresh air and enjoyed nature and its offerings.

If I had the energy to spend more time doing this, I'd have our family on a farm every weekend.

The benefits are endless...although our pocket book would never allow for this to be a weekly occurrence. For one marvelous day, however, it was totally worth the drive, the cost and the complete physical exhaustion.