A couple of weeks ago I had the fortune to go on a field trip with my daughters’ preschool class to the Real Life Farm in Canton, Michigan.
The field trip began around mid-morning with a trip to the barn where we were introduced to the usual sorts of farm animals. Ducks, goats, kittens, cows, piglets, chicks, and other animals were there for the delighted 4 and 5 year olds to see and hold (with help). With plenty of animals, the kids were more than happy to spend some time in the barn before the real activities began.
“Farmer Don”, the owner of Real Life Farm, soon greeted our group and gathered everyone around for a demonstration on bottle feeding baby goats. After the instructions, a number of bottles (with baby goats attached) were passed around from child to child giving each a couple of chances to feed them. Next, feed was provided, and the kids were allowed to hand feed a number of animals, or in the case of the cows, drop the feed into their trough. Best advice: Kids, never walk behind a cow.
After the feeding, the kids were led to a sitting area next to the cows. Farmer Don then explained a lot about milk and cows (sadly, forgotten by me approximately 25 seconds later) and had us pass around and shake a small amount of milk in a container. The end result: butter and buttermilk of course!
For our final activity in the barn, the kids got to take turns milking a cow. Farmer Don assisted and followed his own advice making sure that he and everyone stayed safely away from the cow’s back legs.
This is where I think that Real Life Farm separates itself from some other field trips for kids. Farmer Don is funny and personable to both kids and parents. He instructs in an entertaining manner and involves the kids as much as possible. Some kids will be scared. Some kids will be fearless. All were included in a way that made them feel at ease. Farmer Don’s personality, as well as the animals, helped make the barn the highlight of the field trip for us.
After a bit more animal petting and feeding while we waited for everyone to finish, we moved outside for a hayride. It was a sunny day, and the ride was just long enough to keep the kids’ interest and allow the parents a bit of a breather in the warmth of the late morning. Most exciting hayride sighting: Ducks! Overheard kids hayride rumor: The small wooden buildings along the way were “probably haunted”.
Next came lunch and all of the wonderfulment that is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I love the simple goodness that is peanut butter and jelly. And, I’m not talking about my mom’s peanut butter and jelly which unfortunately, she used to pack for me in a paper towel pressed alongside various fruit snacks. The end result was always some sort of disgusting, kind of melded, vaguely apple or grape flavored PB & J. Completely ruined it for me as a kid. I digress…
After lunch, it was our classroom’s turn for a horse ride. Farmer Ian introduced himself to everyone and asked some parents to volunteer to lead the horses. After some quick training, I was given a black horse named “A.J.” The kids were put on the backs of the horses and led slowly around in a short circle. Most of the class really enjoyed riding “a real horse” and the smiles on their faces was proof of this. Horse advice: Watch where you step. I suspect that some of the horses may like Indian food, or maybe Thai.
Lastly, we let the kids burn off whatever energy they had left playing on this ginormous playground set. (As an aside, I later looked into getting one of these for my backyard, but was told that I would need a building permit). The class ran wild for a while and had a last chance to check outside some of the outdoor penned animals like this huge sow.
Overall, The Real Farm was a real wonderful experience for our preschoolers. Farmer Don was great with the kids (and adults) and so was Farmer Ian. Everyone had a blast, and my girls are still talking about it. I strongly recommend that you check this place out if you want to give your kids a taste of farm life. If you are thinking about hosting a farm animal party, it is really an ideal choice!
The Real Life Day Camp and Farm is located at:
48700 Geddes Road
Canton, Michigan
