DAILY VACATIONER: Easter at Johnson's Corner Farm

How do you take a holiday that is often all about the frenzy of collecting the most eggs combined with the stress of making sure you get that annual bunny photo and turn it into a fun and relaxing experience for the family? Easter is quickly becoming the new "Christmas" with the pressure to do more, give more, and get more building every year. During a season when the focus should be on family, forgiveness, and natural memorable moments, we find ourselves looking for ways to keep the holiday as down to earth yet still enjoyable for everyone as possible. To help us figure out what this balance looks like, we headed over to Johnson's Corner Farm in Medford, NJ.

Already big fans of Johnson's from our visit during the Christmas holidays, we knew we were in for a treat when arrived on the farm to find it bustling with families spanning from super casual attire to their Sunday best. We loved that each group brought their own holiday traditions with them into the "Easter on the farm" experience with no one right way to celebrate. For some, the Egg Hunt Hayride was the highlight while for others having their picture taken with Peter Rabbit was the most anticipated event of the day. We were big fans of the choice to make the bunny a storybook character instead of the usual "Easter Bunny". Thumbs up for the photo experience being free with guests just getting to use their own cameras to capture the moment (plus we liked that Peter actually looked like an adorable farm rabbit instead of some of the other bunnies we have seen....). Another great Easter moment were the cookie decorating kits available for purchase. Whether the recipients were meticulous or haphazard in their designs, everyone enjoyed creating their own delicious holiday treat.

Our personal favorite Easter activity was the Egg Hunt Hayride. During their regular season, hayrides at Johnson's usual yield some delicious "Pick Your Own" fruits and vegetables, but that day we were on the lookout for something a bit more plastic and egg shaped. The hayride took a scenic route around the farm before dropping us off next to some blossoming peach trees where we sat on hay bales to hear the tale of Peter Rabbit losing his eggs in the forest. We were then lead into a grove of trees where eggs were waiting to be discovered and collected. Two things we really enjoyed about the egg hunt were the way it was handled and the location. Egg hunts are often cut throat and just not as fun if you are a younger, smaller, less aggressive child, but fortunately that wasn't the case at Johnson's Corner Farm. All the children were instructed to collect 5 different colored eggs which could be located grouped together in various corners of the wooded area. There were plenty to go around and no one was grabbing anyone else's eggs. The objective was simple for the little ones and still exciting for the older kids. We also loved the quiet grove of trees that was chosen as the spot for the traditional egg hunt. A hushed world away from the open bustle of the rest of the farm, the "forest" was the perfect location to add a bit of magic and adventure to the experience. After collecting all the colors, egg hunters then sorted their stash into bins and traded in their container for a fun Easter goodie bag. Everyone headed back onto the hayride feeling satisfied with the hunt and the prize at the end.

Besides the exciting Easter additions, the normal farm fun at Johnson's was readily available from the treasure hunting at the Gem Mining and good eats at the Market to the variety of play in the Discovery Barnyard and the livestock interactions in the Animal Farm. The Ice Cream Window was open for families to indulge in a cold treat together, and there were plenty of people chowing down on a choice from the extensive variety of great food (we love that they serve Bassett's Ice Cream!). We spent a lot of time exploring all the playgrounds and corners of fun in the Barnyard and made a stop at all the wooden photo ops scattered around the farm. We also browsed the toys for some easy basket fillers and the decor shop for whimsical Easter home goods (LOVED the fabric carrots the best - they could definitely do double duty as a decoration or an adorable Easter basket addition).

The mood around the farm was upbeat and unhurried with everyone just getting to enjoy the day and the added holiday fun. Johnson's Corner Farm is one of the special places where holidays actually get to be celebrated without the stress of feeling like you need to do more and more to make the experience worthwhile. It was no surprise to us to learn that many of the visitors at the farm were returning families who came every year as part of their Easter traditions. A holiday done right - we give Easter at Johnson's Corner Farm an enthusiastic two thumbs up!