Part of fall and part of the preparation of Halloween is making a trip to a Pumpkin Patch. But what is a pumpkin patch? My American friends will say: “Uh , duhhh!”. But this is not as common in the Netherlands. I’m writing this post especially for my friends in the Netherlands.
I never went to any of these when I grew up, in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pumpkin (“pompoen” in Dutch) in real life! In the Netherlands we are just starting to have some decorative pumpkins and a few edible ones, like the butternut squash.
My mom asked me for a recipe with a butternut squash, so I gave her my favorite Curried Butternut Squash Soup recipe . And she will use small pumpkins in her fall decorations, but going to a pumpkin patch, it is not a thing (yet) in the Netherlands.
A Short History of the Pumpkin
Pumpkins are believed to have originated in North America. Seeds from related plants have been found in Mexico dating back to 7000 to 5500 B.C. References to pumpkins date back many centuries. The name pumpkin originated from the Greek word for “large melon” which is “pepon.” “Pepon” was changed by the French into “pompon.” The English changed “pompon” to “Pumpion.” American colonists changed “pumpion” into “pumpkin”. Native American Indians used pumpkin as a staple in their diets, centuries before the pilgrims landed. They also dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats. Indians would also roast long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and eat them. When white settlers arrived, they saw the pumpkins grown by the Indians and pumpkin soon became a staple in their diets. As today, early settlers used them in a wide variety of recipes from desserts to stews and soups. The origin of pumpkin pie is thought to have occurred when the colonists sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds, and then filled it with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin was then baked in the hot ashes of a dying fire. Source. |
As you can see, the pumpkins are not Dutch related. Here is what we or they do with pumpkins in the United States:
Visiting a Pumpkin Patch
Now, our family always goes to a Pumpkin Patch in the middle of October. We went to our first pumpkin patch in Colorado. J was almost 16 months old and K was about to be born. There we went, almost 9 months pregnant. K was born the Monday after we went to that Pumpkin Patch.
My mother-in-law introduced me to the pumpkin carving ritual, when J was about 4 months old. Something I had never done this before in my life.
“Harvestville Farm” in Donellson, Iowa
Back in Iowa we searched for the most fun Pumpkin Patches in our neighborhood. We found one about an hour away from us.
It became a family tradition and we bring friends with us every time!
This place is called Harvestville Farm and they have a nice set up with a red barn right next to the road surrounded by hundreds of pumpkins in all shapes, sizes and colors. It goes beyond that: they have kettle corn, hot apple cider, hot cocoa, caramel apples, apple cider donuts and other goodies. There is a barn with local products.
Kids activities at the pumpkin patch
There are several places where you can paint your pumpkin or someone can do this for you. There is a big play area for kids:
- a corn pool
- small carts to bike around
- tire swings
- rubber duckies race
- a jumping “bubble”
- a slide made out of rolling plumber pipes
- big outdoor games, like Scrabble, Chess and Checkers
- rolling tubes
- a kids and adult corn maze
- hay rides with a tractor to pick your own pumpkin or
- hay ride with horses
Pretty fun, right!
We have been lucky with the weather too! After the small (and big kids) choose their pumpkins, we go home and start carving the pumpkins almost immediately.
A perfect addition to our Halloween evening!
Here is another fun decoration idea for your pumpkin!
A Craft or two
The Crayon Pumpkin
Materials needed:
- hot glue gun with gluesticks
- crayons
- a pumpkin (duh!)
- a hair dryer
Glue crayons on top of the pumpkin, around the green stem.
Use the hairdryer to melt the crayons and let the colors drip down the pumpkin.
The Black Stencil Pumpkin:
Materials needed:
- a pumpkin
- a stencil of choice
- black acrylic paint
- paint brush
- knife
- marker
- Mod Podge (optional)
Use the stencil to draw the outlines on the pumpkin with a marker. Cut or carve out the back ground. These will be the parts that won’t be painted black. Paint the parts left over black. You can spray over the pumpkin with a waterproof gloss or Modpodge.
Share this one for me…thank you!!!
Hello everyone,
Welcome to my Crafty Dutch Girl blog! Grab a cup of “koffie” and browse through fun blog posts about our Dutch family expat life in the USA, Dutch history, Dutch recipes, Dutch things to do in the USA and all kinds of crafts and activities. Don’t forget to connect with me for new ideas! “Groetjes en tot ziens”.