I’ll be honest: it’s been tough that Arlo isn’t walking yet. I know people say “you’ll miss this when he’s walking,” but right now he’s an active kid who hates being held and dislikes strollers or carriers. That makes outings more challenging and has kept us from doing many of the summer activities we had planned, since we assumed he’d be walking by now. After a lot of hesitation — and many tears all around — we decided to try a few things anyway. Yesterday we drove out to Underwood Family Farms for strawberry picking, and it was worth it.
Underwood is about an hour from LA and we had visited years ago just the two of us. We remembered how much fun it was and how excited we were to bring kids back someday. I’m happy to report that Arlo absolutely loved the trip. Jeff took a ton of photos, so I’m sharing a few favorites below along with what we liked most about the day.
We arrived just after opening at 9am and it wasn’t crowded—definitely go early if you can. Kids under two get in free and adult admission is reasonable (around $6 at the time we went). We brought our BabyBjörn for Arlo, though the farm also has wagons you can use to wheel little ones around, which felt easier and more fun than a stroller.
There are lots of animals on the property and Arlo loved watching them. Free-roaming chickens were a hit, and while we missed the animal show that day, there is one a few times daily. A petting zoo is available for an extra fee, plus climbing structures and a large sandbox for little explorers.
A tractor shuttle takes guests out to the pick-your-own fields. On the path to the tractor there were singing chicken puppets that ended up being Arlo’s favorite thing of the day—he’s obsessed with music, so they were perfect. The farm posts which fruits and vegetables are available that day right before you enter the fields, and availability changes by month.
Arlo is a strawberry fiend. The moment I set him down and pointed to a red berry, he went straight for it (still holding my hand, of course). He quickly learned to pick only the ripe red strawberries and avoid the green ones. He ate quite a few while picking and also enjoyed helping put berries into the little containers the farm provides. It was so cute to watch him participate and be so engaged.
A couple of practical notes: dress kids in clothes you don’t mind getting stained—Arlo ended up covered in strawberry juice. And if anyone in your family has bee allergies, take precautions. Bees are common in the fields but generally won’t bother you if you leave them alone.
We also picked some oranges, which are Arlo’s second favorite snack. He loved dropping them into the produce bag. When you’re done picking, you pay for what you harvested; prices felt reasonable to us. There’s a food truck on site, but we opted to eat nearby at The Natural Cafe, which was delicious (though the nearby In-N-Out was tempting).
Photos by Jeff Mindell
On Me: Yellow Dress
On Arlo: Rainbow Romper | Sandals | Hat
Overall, I’m really glad we went. Strawberry picking is a wonderful family outing for kids of all ages and gives you something delicious to take home. It’s a great option for locals and visitors to LA alike. Once Arlo starts walking there will be even more for him to do, so we’ll definitely be back.
Would you like to see more “Family Day” posts like this? If you don’t live in LA, hopefully it gives you ideas for similar activities in your area.
Also — anyone have a good dessert recipe that uses fresh oranges? We have a lot and would love suggestions. Leave your ideas in the comments below.