If you are looking for something to do with your toddler this summer or fall, why not go visit a farm. The types and sizes of farms in your local area may make this more or less of a possibility, but if you live near a farm that welcomes visitors then you and your toddler are in for a treat. This weekend, Dylan and I were able to spend some time at a farm with my friend and her husband. They manage the farm, so our experience was akin to having backstage passes at a rock concert.
From the moment that we arrived, Dylan was completely mesmerized by everything. First, we saw a group of goats who were sharing a pasture with a lone red cow. Apparrently the cow did not get along with the other cows, but she fit in just fine with the goats. We went inside the barn and visited some other cows, and Dylan could have touched one if he had wanted to – they were very calm and gentle. Even though he had been talking about touching a cow for weeks, he decided not to when faced with the actual possibility. I think that they were a lot bigger up close than he had expected, not to mention rather slobbery.
Attached to the barn there was an area for chickens with an outdoor space as well as an indoor area for nesting. Dylan had a blast collecting eggs and placing them in a carton for us to bring home. After that, we went to another barn and saw pigs, piglets, and peacocks and then we went for a ride out to the pastures where there were more cows and an ox.
My favorite part of our trip to the farm was seeing the baby birds. They had baby turkeys, ducks, and chickens and Dylan was able to hold them. He had been very quiet and gentle the whole time we were there, and my friend thought that he would be able to hold the baby birds. She was right – he had a natural instinct for what to do and crouched down near where the birds were running around. He waited quietly and picked one up as it passed by. He held it gently, resisting the temptation to squeeze the little turkey as it wiggled in his hands. The look on his face was priceless. He was calm and happy and loving life. I’m sure that other toddlers would be just as excited about visiting a farm as he was – he is already