Petting Goats and Conquering Slides: Our Farmstead Adventure
- Vicky
- Feb 1
- 3 min read
Sometimes, a break from our usual activities like Storytime and Busy Bean is needed, especially when the weather is so nice. Today, I decided to take Lizzy to the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, a family-friendly attraction in Overland Park, Kansas, that highlights agriculture and local history.
We arrived with our trusty wagon and headed straight to see the cows. Lizzy was overjoyed, enthusiastically mooing at them. One of the calves was close enough for her to pet, and she was so captivated it took a bit of convincing to move on to the next spot.
That next stop was the goats! Lizzy, who occasionally called them sheep, loved petting them, especially one particular goat, number 22. For some reason, we found ourselves returning to number 22 several times for more pets. Right next to the goats were kid-sized pedal tractors. Lizzy hopped on, and while she didn't quite pedal, I ended up pulling her around the track, racing through her laughter.
After a quick lunch break, we continued our animal adventure. We saw American guinea hogs and bison (which Lizzy enthusiastically identified as sheep). We also came across birds of prey, including a turkey vulture, an owl, and a majestic bald eagle. However, the bald eagle wasn’t too thrilled with us, as Lizzy kept mistakenly calling it an owl! Then came a moment of excitement when Lizzy overheard other children talking about a cat. She rushed over, only to discover it wasn’t a regular cat but a bobcat! Unfortunately, it was hiding, and we could only glimpse the tops of its ears.
Next, we visited the horses. Lizzy loved the Belgian Draft horses that were pulling wagons, but since they had an event, I decided against buying tickets for the ride. Lizzy didn’t seem to mind, as she joyfully pretended to shout, “Giddy up!” Moving on was tough, but there was still so much more to explore!
We made a quick stop to see the turkeys before Lizzy spotted a real sheep (finally, not a goat or a bison!). She was thrilled when I let her feed the sheep using food from a dispenser. Her excitement was through the roof, but it was quickly diverted when she spotted a giant slide. The slide was part of the Play Barn, a replica of a 19th-century red barn. At first, I wasn’t sure if she’d be brave enough to go down on her own, so I sat her on my lap, and together we went down the slide with the other kids.
The excitement didn’t stop there. Lizzy raced across the bridge to the nearby playground and surprised me by going down the big slide all by herself! Her confidence soared as she kept running back to the ladder and repeating the process. There was another slide she was initially afraid of, but after some gentle encouragement, she conquered her fear and went down not once, but twice!
When I asked what she wanted to do next, Lizzy insisted on seeing the goats and cows again. On our way, she spotted a large cow made out of hay and sprinted toward it. I guess we were taking a shortcut! By now, it was late afternoon, and the goats were much calmer. A kind girl gave Lizzy a bottle, so she even got the chance to feed them!
As we headed back to the cows, Lizzy noticed some nearby horses. They were neighing loudly, and Lizzy eagerly joined in. To my surprise, the horses actually responded, engaging in a little "conversation" with her. After their chat, we visited the Kanza Indian Encampment, where there was a historic earthen log lodge and a teepee. Lizzy loved the large tent and even tried to close the doors.
Finally, we made it back to the cows, but they were all fast asleep, much to Lizzy’s disappointment. However, that didn’t last long, as she found some cowbells to play with. Our last stop of the day was the chicken coop, where Lizzy's joy was as lively as ever.
All in all, Lizzy had a fantastic day at Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, and I couldn’t have asked for a better adventure with her.
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