Farm Exploration in Des Moines, Iowa
My favorite thing about homeschooling this time of year is getting outside and exploring our community! My kids are animal lovers and one child in particular is really interested in farming so that was how we chose to begin the school year, learning everything we could about farm animals, farm equipment, and the process of farm-to-table foods. We are so lucky to have access to many places where agriculture and farm animals are prevalent and I’m thrilled to share a few of our favorites with you!
Check out our Homeschooling in Des Moines, Iowa guide here.
The Machine Shed and Living History Farms
It is easy to spend an entire day at these locations which are right next door to each other. Even the kid’s menu at The Machine Shed has some fun farm facts printed on it which can lead to an excellent conversation during your meal. At Living History Farms, you will take a tractor ride back in time to explore the history of settlement and farming in Iowa from the 1700s to 1800s to 1900s. The 1900s farmhouse and barn has many animals and antique equipment to explore. My kids loved interacting with the horses, pigs, cows, and chickens. There is an orchard with apple and pear trees that can be observed this fall as well. The town of Walnut Hill includes a blacksmith, schoolhouse, church, general store, bank, mansion, and more to fully explore and experience what life might have been like in 1876. Living History Farms has a variety of events and programs including Homeschool Days, Barnyard Reader program for preschoolers, and Historic Dinners and Teas for added fun and experiential learning opportunities.
Mayor Tom Becker Park and Wilson’s Orchard and Farm
Mayor Tom Becker Park is located in Cumming, IA, and is a farm-themed playground for kids of any age. There is a toddler playground, a tall windmill slide for the bigger kids, a fun scavenger hunt, and trails around the perimeter for walking or scootering. The farm theme equipment makes for some adorable photo ops while the kids play and explore. There is also a nice covered picnic area for snacks, lunch, or hanging out and reading in the shade.
Wilson’s has a farm-to-table restaurant and cider bar with indoor or outdoor seating, you-pick apple orchard and cut flowers, as well as a seasonal farm market. Rumor has it, that they will even be adding a barn-like play space in the coming months so stay tuned!
Howell’s Greenhouse & Pumpkin Patch
Howell’s is another fun place to see goats and chickens, pumpkins and flowers, and stay active outdoors. Goat cuddling is available in the summer months (May-Sept) but the goats are still available for viewing in the fall. They have an amazing farm-themed obstacle course, pedal tractors, grain bin basketball, a chalkboard barn, a corn pit, a zip line, a greenhouse, and a farm market store. During the fall events you can even take a wagon ride out to a pumpkin patch or corn maze.
Fleet Farm
An outing to Fleet Farm is a fun way to explore what types of clothing and equipment farmers might need. We went with a purpose and plan for mathematical research and problem-solving. My child was asking questions about raising chickens so rather than just googling the answers, we went to this farm store to find answers for ourselves. He wondered how much it cost to raise chickens, what kind of equipment and feed would we need, how many eggs they produce each day, how many eggs would our family eat a day, how many eggs would we have left over and how much could we sell the eggs for. Finding answers to these questions requires a significant amount of real-life math! At the end of our research, we were wondering if the investment would be worth the work and if it would be the right fit for our family in this season. If your child isn’t interested or doesn’t have a specific purpose in mind, you can always create a scavenger hunt of items and explore throughout the store to find the items and their prices.
Little Hands Dough Co.
For creative learning and to keep little hands busy while you read aloud, I highly recommend ordering the farm theme playdough kits from Little Hands Dough Co! My school-aged boys played for over an hour the first time they opened their kits! They get to strengthen hand muscles needed for writing and apply some of the concepts they’ve learned throughout the unit and it is a great way to help younger children stay engaged during lengthy aloud or more structured homeschool lessons.
Des Moines Children’s Museum
This is for the little ones and the creatives who love to pretend to play! The Des Moines Children’s Museum located within Valley West Mall has a cute farm section with a cow to milk, a chicken coop, a pretend tractor, an apple orchard, and a farmer’s market stand. You can play “farm to table” to your little heart’s content! As we know, children learn through play!
These are just a few of the local places that kept us busy learning about farms this month but there are so many more options for this common unit study theme!
