DES MOINES, IA (02/08/2022) (readMedia) — From corn dogs to giant slides, here are five ways kids can learn about farming at the fair.
1. Little Hands on the Farm – Located in the Children’s Zone, the Andringa Family Foundation Little Hands on the Farm encourages children ages 2 to 10 to become farmers by visiting a pigsty, garden, grain silo, an apple orchard, chicken coop, tractor shed, cattle barn, sheep barn and dairy barn. After all their hard work, the last stop is the grocery store, where kids can choose a fruit, granola bar or frozen treat.
2. Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center – Experience the oohs and aahs of watching chicks hatch, a calf being born, or watching baby ducks glide. With something happening every moment of every day, you never know what you might see and learn at the Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center, just steps south of Little Hands on the Farm. This is your chance to get closer to the animals that Iowa farms are famous for.
3. Barn Education Centers – Special interactive exhibits in each barn Cattle Corner, Horse Haven, Pig Place and Sheep Stop explain the importance of livestock to the state, country and world. And don’t forget to browse the Avenue of Breeds presented by the Iowa Bankers Association and media sponsor WHO The Big Show, located next to the Bruce L. Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building, with over 100 different breeds you can’t believe live in iowa.
4. Milk a cow – If your kids think milk comes from the grocery store or chocolate milk comes from brown cows, put “I milked a cow” on your State Fair activity list. For only $3.00, members of the Iowa State Dairy Club will explain how cows are milked and give kids the chance to milk a cow. Children can also see how today’s farmers use mechanical milking equipment in the modern milking parlor located directly across from the Livestock Pavilion.
5. The Garden – Kids can learn how a garden grows when they visit The Garden sponsored by Corteva Agriscience. Located north of Little Hands on the Farm, this area is filled with garden beds and exhibits to teach kids about how vegetables take root in Iowa soil and grow to feed the world. A special composting exhibit teaches the value of ecology and sustainability, and you can pick vegetables that are donated to the Iowa Food Bank.
From hands-on agricultural learning experiences for kids to the thrill of the rides, enjoying more than 60 delicious items on a stick to free entertainment, nothing compares to the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 11-21 in Des Moines, Iowa . To find the full schedule of events or to enter family contests, visit iowastatefair.org.
Interested in volunteering at the Fair? Volunteers are needed every day at Little Hands on the Farm, where children aged 2 to 10 can become farmers. This is a popular hands-on exhibit and volunteers are needed throughout the exhibit every day. For more information, contact Emily Wynn at ewynn@iowastatefair.org or call 515-262-3111.
