Have you been to Harvest Moon Farm in Oakland, NE? It’s an hour north of Omaha, and the one place on my bucket list this fall.
Harvest Moon | 1098 County Road N Oakland, NE
Last year, my kids and I were invited by a mom friend to check out Harvest Moon Farm in Oakland, NE. She said it was about an hour from Omaha but worth the drive. As soon as we arrived, I could see why. Around every corner was another activity for kids to stretch their muscles or imaginations. I was not surprised when I discovered an educator had created the space. Everything felt intentional. By the end of the day, my kids’ fun buckets were full to the brim, and we couldn’t wait to go again.
We arrived at 10 a.m., right when the farm opened. The kids were eager to explore. We headed to the barn with the skeetballs. This allowed me to slather sunscreen on each kid. The calendar said it was fall, but the sun was hot and the breeze slight.
We moved on to the ziplines once everyone was chalky from the sunblock. The youngest in our group was worried about the fast-moving swing, but she found the courage to try the smaller one since there were two sizes. That’s another thing I appreciate about Harvest Moon. Most activities had two versions, a “little kid” and a “big kid” copy. Even though I have “big kids,” I appreciated this, because I don’t want my big kids to trample any littles.
Our crew continued to the jump pillow once the zipline fears were conquered. My daughter enjoyed this the most. She could have stayed longer, but she was coaxed away by the boys who had discovered the go-cart track.
Off to the Races
There are three different tracks at Harvest Moon. Hidden toward the entrance is a tricycle track for younger kids, near the pillow jump is the monster track for large tricycles, and then there is my kids’ favorite: the go-cart track.
The go-cart track has go-carts that fit young kids all the way up to adults. And if your young one can’t work the pedals, there are go-carts with passenger seats as well. This was where we stayed (or should I say “raced”) for the next 40 minutes. Other groups came and went, but my little crew went from one go-cart to the next. They raced each other, then they took turns carting each other around. My daughter even got out and raced on foot.
(Another thing to note, there are plenty of benches for parents and caregivers throughout the farm!)
After they exhausted the race track, I gave them a mandatory drink break before they tested their strength with the tractor pull and high strikers. They also tried the rail rollers, which I think they would have stayed and enjoyed longer, but then they spotted the corn maze.
Corn Maze
The corn maze was the farm highlight. Although they started the maze together, one by one they trickled out, then immediately back into the maze. How quickly could they get through? How many times? Were they faster than their friend or sibling?
We spent 30 minutes at the corn maze. But this time, they drained their bottles when we stopped for their mandatory water break. The sun was near noon. The morning activities had made them thirsty but also hot and hungry. Our next stop: refill water bottles and eat lunch.
But first, we went to the bathroom to wash up. (Now if you’ve experienced the bathrooms at different agritourism sites, you know there is a whole gamut of bathroom experiences. Some are more pleasant than others. So you might understand how excited I was about these bathrooms.) Not only were the toilets functional, but the bathroom was farm chic pretty!
We brought picnic lunches from home but also planned on choosing a treat at the food barn. There were plenty of sweet and savory options. We opted for pretzels and fries. The total for three pretzels and one fry was $12.
As we sat munching on lunch, the group made a plan for the rest of our time: barn slide, corn pit, and a visit to the animals.
Most of our time was spent at the corn pit. They dived, rolled, and embraced the corn while I shot basketball hoops nearby. Inside the corn pit, there were many tubes and cups so visitors could pour to their hearts’ content.
Obstacle Course
Our last stop of the day was the obstacle course. Once again, my active crew raced each other and even made up their own obstacles. They could have spent another hour or two going back to each activity.
Fall is the best time to be in Nebraska. It is dotted with pumpkin patches and apple orchards, corn mazes, and farm fun. There are so many to choose from. And, it seems everyone has their favorites.
If you’re in the mood for an adventure that’s a little drive from Omaha, consider Harvest Moon Farm.
Take it from my little crew. Although everyone was exhausted, no one fell asleep on the hour drive home. Instead, they gushed over their memories of the day, saying the drive had been worth it.
