We've been cutting our own trees for a few years now, but this is the first year that we've brought the kids on the trek. They did surprisingly well in light of 1. that we went in the evening and 2. the wandering, pausing element involved in selecting a tree.
Most places, in the very least, provide sturdy tree saws. You can look for a few other perks, though - hay/wagon rides, ponys, reindeer, petting zoos, bonfires, wreaths, giftshops, snack shops, hot chocolate, tree shaking and tree wrapping. Note that different farms have different tree varieties. You can also find places that let you choose and tag a tree earlier in the year and then come cut it later.
For the last two or three years we've gone to Van Etten Christmas Tree Farm just outside of Altamont. They have a little petting zoo and pony rides available, hay rides to the various fields, port-a-pottys, bonfires and a very small snack-shack. It's not really so much a farm though - it's a little more foresty than farmy and they don't seem to groom the trees during the year so they tend to be a little unruly.
Next year we're probably going to go to either Ellms' or Bob's Trees up in Saratoga County.
Find a farm near you.
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