Sta. Elena Fun Farm: A Birthday Party Outdoors in Cabuyao, Laguna

 


When my cousins Gio and Melan invited us to Sta. Elena Fun Farm to celebrate their son Ino's 3rd birthday, we said yes immediately!  Since the pandemic lockdown began in March 2020, we had been yearning for opportunities to bond with family again. It's been two long years of not having big family gatherings!  My older kids Narra and Guijo had more opportunities to enjoy playing with cousins than my youngest son Lauan, who like his cousin Ino, and their other "batch mates" had to live with social distancing for an extended period.   Sta. Elena Fun Farm was a perfect choice for a pandemic party - we're still under Alert Level 1 and while more activities are allowed now, we still follow safety protocols like wearing masks, observing social distancing, and choosing well-ventilated and uncrowded places. 



Sta. Elena Fun Farm had plenty of space and outdoor activities for kids to enjoy. From pony rides to animal feeding, to zip lines, obstacle courses, boating, fish feeding, sand box play, seesaws, swings, and tons of teepee huts and tree houses to climb.  It was fun for our older and younger kids alike, which I am grateful for - I have found it increasingly more difficult to find activities my teener, tweener, and pre-schooler can enjoy in common as their age gap naturally leads to diverging interests.  Sometimes, my older kids prefer to just stay at home in the comfort of their rooms where they can spend countless hours glued to their gadgets.  I sometimes meet with resistance when I tell them we're going out somewhere.But such was not the case when I said we're going to be with cousins for Ino's birthday at Sta. Elena. 



And it wasn't just the attractive destination and the promise of playing with cousins that made it a fun afternoon, our hosts' preparations also heightened our enjoyment!  For the party, the rented out an open-air pavilion which had several picnic tables - it was a spacious and airy venue surrounded by lush greenery. Conveniently located near the reception, animal feeding area, pony and zipline rides, and restrooms, it meant just walking a little bit to take our kids to an attraction.  And then there's the food carts! My kids absolutely loved those! The fishballs, kikiam, flavored fries, juices and snowcones!  And then there were the food trays of pasta, chicken, seafood, and plant-based fare like Vietnamese spring rolls, tofu sisig - and fresh fruits and kakanin for desert. What a delicious picnic spread that was! 



When it came time to gather around to sing happy birthday to our little celebrant, I felt a great sense of nostalgia - it really has been a while.  For two years, all the birthdays my little Lauan experienced are either home affairs with just his nuclear family, or video-call parties with classmates.   This party was a precious opportunity to give Lauan a taste of what pre-pandemic family gatherings used to be. I am so grateful to my cousins Gio and Melan for organizing an awesome and much appreciated party at Sta. Elena Fun Farm and I am hoping that my inaanak Ino will enjoy a year of greater freedom and more playtime with cousins ahead! 




Date of visit: March 26, 2022

Sta. Elena Fun Farm, Cabuyao, Laguna

Website: https://www.staelena.com/fun-farm.php


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