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After watching the Disney movie Brave a few dozen times with their princess obsessed sister, the boys asked for archery lessons. Well, technically they asked for “bow and arrow classes” so I assumed they meant archery. I turned to my bff google and typed in ‘archery lessons Des Moines.’ Up popped Archery Field and Sports. I browsed their website and off we went one Sunday afternoon.
Harrison and Elizabeth (ages 5 and 3) decided against trying it out, but Max, my husband, and myself had a blast! Archery Field and Sports is a family owned business in Altoona, making it a very family friendly environment. I was pleasantly surprised at how great they were with the kids. Our instructor was amazing and never left Max’s side while he shot his arrows. He even tried to reassure Harrison and Elizabeth in case they wanted to give it a try (they didn’t). The instructor was sure to go over the safety rules with Max, how to safely and properly load the arrows, and to yell out “clear!” when it was okay for everyone to retrieve arrows.
My two favorite aspects of Archery Field and Sports: 1.) It’s an indoor range, which made it perfect for the 90 degree day and will be a great winter time activity. 2.) They have all of the equipment there (you do pay a rental fee), so we didn’t have to worry about bringing anything. Max loved it so much that we wound up purchasing a bow and arrow set for him, so we’ll be bringing that next time we come.
For kids older than 10, there’s also paintball in an impressive outdoor field. My husband and I instantly thought their paintball field would be a great parents day out activity! We will definitely be making return trips here, as Max is now obsessed with archery.
About the Author
Ashlen Sheaffer is a proud Des Moines resident who was born and raised here. Ashlen wears many hats: mom, wife, daycare provider at her in-home daycare, blogger and co-owner at The Kidsperts, children’s book author, and co-director and producer for the upcoming play Expressing Motherhood play. In her free time Ashlen enjoys exploring all Des Moines has to offer, road trips, and adventuring all with the kids in tow. Ashlen is super excited to be able to share some of her family’s adventuring with other Iowans and get other families out into the community.
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Website: www.thekidsperts.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashlen.kidspert
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshlenSheaffer
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ashlen_at_the_kidsperts/
Erin Huiatt
Erin is a reliable resource and stepping stone for women and families to find support and make connections within our community. She wants families to feel confident to reach out and ask for help and advice to get pointed in the right direction. She enjoys traveling and exploring with her two children in tow!