Field Trip: Karyn's Farm

Karyn lives on a beautiful farm with her husband and daughters. They raise prize-winning sheep, 2 miniature horses and several dogs and cats. Bobo and I have visited the farm several times in the summer, but this was the first time we have in the fall. Not only did we learn about the daily chores on the farm, we also learned about caring for pets. I'm allergic, so we only have an outside cat at home. Bobo had such warmth and love to share, though, that I'm going to have to come up with a plan for an inside pet. Any ideas?


The dogs licked and loved on Bobo as soon as we arrived. We watered the sheep, brushed the horses and explored all over the farm. My favorite part of the farm was feeling the sheep's coat. I had never touched a ewe (new vocabulary) before and was surprised at the thickness. I expected her to be so soft, silly I know, but she felt like warm wool.


After the hard work, we explored the back field. I discovered he can climb a fence. I already knew he could climb on rocks, couches and anything else with some height to it.




Bobo's favorite part of the farm was the swing. Karyn's husband found this cool tire swing made in the shape of a horse. I know they are locally made, but you may have some luck searching the net to find something similar.


It was actually pretty hot for October in Indiana. We went inside to cool down and watched some Scooby Doo. Bobo took special care with Karyn's newest family member. He covered her up with a blanket, so she wouldn't be cold.


As a special treat, I'd like to think for all our hard farm work, Karyn's hubby took us to dinner. THANK YOU! We had a wonderful time and would love to visit again! I mentioned in a previous post that we live in an agriculturally rich community. I chose to learn about the farm this month, because I knew there were lots of opportunities for hands-on learning. I encourage you to learn about your community's assets and specialties. Maybe one month, you can learn about the library. Librarians are a friendly bunch and would love to give your child a tour!

Field Trip: Guffey Acres

Guffey Acres is a local farm that turns into a Fall Activy Center in October. They have tractor pulls, sand and corn boxes, slides, hay jumps and a petting zoo. Indiana boasts many of these locally owned and operated farms. We have three in driving distance.

I took Bobo to the farm last year, but they've added so many attractions that it felt like a different place. We played and learned on the farm for 4 and 1/2 hours with no naps. The weather was beautiful, sunny and 75 degrees. The leaves had already started changing. It was a wonderful day!


Bobo played for most of the time in the large sand box, which was really just tractor tires filled with sand, and construction trucks. He played with different children as they passed through and enjoyed showing them the secret hiding place inside the tires.


I steered him toward the covered Corn Box to cool down. He played with different construction vehicles. He also jumped, rolled and buried himself in the corn. If they would hide objects in the corn, it would be the biggest sensory box ever.


In the middle of the play area, stands a large slide and hay jump. Luckily, we arrived early enough to beat the rush of children after school. He could really explore the hay, climb under the slide through tunnels and slide without waiting in line. Later, all the children (especially young ones) were struggling to get a turn. I didn't feel comfortable, because it was dark and hard to keep track of him amidst the crowd.


Do you remember Lincoln Logs? I still can't build anything but a square house with one door and no windows, but my little brothers love making small communities. Guffey Acres has the biggest logs I've ever seen. Bobo did not construct his own house, but he helped hand logs to the bigger boys.


We visited the barn and petted all the animals. Bobo liked the donkey the best. He laughed when the donkey hee-hawed to ask for more treats. After our apple cider slushie, it was too hot for traditional cider, we faced the corn maze. Last year, we were lost for an hour and I was carrying a sleeping Bobo for most of the time. This year, they made a smaller version for little ones. We chose that one and only got a little lost, after Bobo took over the map reading.


When we made it out of the corn maze, thanks in a large part to being able to follow the sound of the corn cob cannon, it was getting dark. Bobo found a friend to chase around in the sand, shine a flashlight on and play hide-and-seek with until it was time to go home. Overall, it was an awesome first field trip! My favorite part was the apple cider slushie and Bobo's favorite part was everything.