Pumpkin patches are open! Here are some in the Hutchinson area for all ages to enjoy.

Pumpkin patches are a familiar staple for the fall season, with many family-owned farms growing pumpkins so families can pick their own pumpkins. They also provide an opportunity for families to enjoy the outdoors and spend time together.

P and M Pumpkin Patch

Tim and Jamie Kaminkow own P and M Pumpkin Patch, which is named after their two daughters, Paityn, 16, and Macy, 13. The patch has hay rides, pig races, pumpkin picking and a petting zoo.

P and M has been in business since 2014, with this year being its seventh year in operation.

The family-owned and operated business has 50 different varieties of pumpkins every year, with 12 acres of fields where families can pick from a mix of pumpkins and gourds.

The types of pumpkins include anything from warty pumpkins to your classic Jack o' Lantern style orange pumpkin — this idea of a pumpkin patch came from Tim Kaminkow's background in Christmas tree farming in his home state of Maryland.

"I grew up in Maryland, so I always had this niche of wanting to do something, and growing Christmas trees in Kansas wasn't really interesting to me," Kaminkow said. "(Opening a pumpkin patch) was kind of something that I always had the want to do it out here, and so this is what we came up with."

When they started the pumpkin patch, it contained about 54 acres, a corn maze, a small pumpkin patch and a slide. They expanded into 175 acres with a myriad of different activities.

More:The armyworm is marching across the Midwest. When will it stop killing the grass?

Picking the best pumpkins

Picking the best pumpkin is mostly a matter of personal preference, according to Kaminkow and Kara Smith, co-owner of Cedar Creek Farm and Pumpkin Patch, where people tend to pick pumpkins mostly based on which ones they like the most.

"Everybody loves a different pumpkin, because we do have so many varieties and colors it's all personal preference — some people like the warted ones, some people like your traditional jack-o'-lanterns, and some people go after the biggest of the season," Smith said.

Cedar Creek Farm and Pumpkin Patch

Cedar Creek Farm and Pumpkin Patch in Maize started three years ago. This family-owned business encourages families to visit and have an "unplugged experience," according to Smith.

Smith said this allows families to stop and enjoy the moment with their kids with the various activities included in the price of admission. These include pumpkin picking, a corn maze, a barrel train, Clydesdale carriage rides and pony rides.

Smith said the reason they began their farm was to enjoy the time they had with their sons and to provide a place where families can enjoy their children as well.

More:Kansas State Fair Rabbit Barn hosts a myriad of different events after renovation in 2005

School Groups and Education

Both venues invite school groups to visit throughout the season, where the school children can pick a pumpkin, learn about agriculture and spend the day at the farm. 

"They'll come through, and we do a class with them, so it's not just free for all. We'll do a class about how pumpkins grow, and depending on their age, we have three different curriculums, the older kids, it's more of a financial teaching session," Kaminkow said.

Both venues enjoy the different people who visit. One of Smith's favorite memories of her farm was simply looking at how families were enjoying it.

"I know what my personal coolest experience was, it was last year, I remember taking it and I was standing over by where the carriage rides start and I saw the helicopter sweeping down, and I looked across their pumpkin patch and saw families picking pumpkins and parents pushing their kids on the swings ... and I was just like, 'This is it, this is the dream that we had and we made it happen,' " Smith said.

If you want to visit:

Place: P and M Pumpkin Patch

Address: 311 16th Ave., Moundridge

Dates: Sept. 18 - Nov. 7

Time: 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday;  10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday and Sunday; 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday; closed Monday

Cost:  $11 per person, children two and younger are free.

Place: Cedar Creek Farm and Pumpkin Patch

Address: 6100 N 119th St.  Maize

Dates: Sept. 18 - Oct. 31

Time: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday; 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday to Sunday; closed Monday

Cost: $12 per person, children two and younger are free.