Hidden Hills Tractor Day, 2016

Daniel's dad and my dad both grew up on farms, and when we were kids, Daniel and I both had opportunities to spend time on farms – Daniel's grandparents still owned their farm when he was small, and one of my mom's uncles had a dairy farm when I was growing up.

As an adult, I don't know a single person who works on a farm. It's a bit shocking to see that shift in a single generation.

Since we can't just pack up and go visit relatives at the farm, I am grateful for places like the Hidden Hills Farm and Saddle Club for opening their gates throughout the year.

On certain dates, they allow you to come play and explore their property. You can ride their horses, feed their chickens, and play on their equipment. It is a fantastic experience for little kids.

A week ago, we took advantage of their annual Tractor Day, meeting up with friends for a fun-filled afternoon at this farm.

It was our second time to attend Tractor Day and I'm pretty sure that it is one of Jack's favorite experiences. Where else can a kid (or adult) ride in the bucket of an excavator, and then operate the backhoe afterward?

There were several tractors to sit on, and Jack was intent on trying to operate them (it's a good thing that no keys were accidentally left in the ignitions!).

Besides the tractors, the kids chased fed chickens, pestered a bull, and had the opportunity to ride a horse.

It was a beautiful day for an outing with friends. We enjoyed a picnic together, and then wrapped up the visit with a hayride.

I'm so glad there are still places we can go where children can get a little glimpse of a farm world, even if it is just for a few hours.

The cost to attend a play day at this farm is $10 for your first child and $5 for any additional kids. If you are interested in a Hidden Hills play day, be sure follow their page on Facebook to find out when the next event is.

Trying to feed the chickens.

Jack taking a turn working the back hoe.

Hidden Hills Farm Tractor Play Day

Today marked our second visit to the Hidden Hills Farm and Saddle Club for a play day. It's hard to believe that Isaac was only a month old for our first visit! Thankfully Daniel was off of work today (after working the last 10 days with only one day off) and we were able to take advantage of the beautiful weather and a farm full of tractors to play on.

This play day was made for Jack and Daniel. They were in a truck heaven. Hopefully in a couple of years, Isaac will be enjoying this experience just as much.

There was a skid steer that Jack got to drive (and then ride in the bucket of).

There were tractors to sit on and play with all of the controls (and Daniel gladly patiently answered every question Jack had about every lever and button in every tractor).

There was a backhoe to operate (Daniel was in his mid-twenties before he got to use a backhoe, and may have been a teeny bit jealous).

There was a bucket on the backhoe to ride up in the air in (you just had to trust the operator working the bucket).

There was a Kubota utility vehicle to drive in the back field. Jack had fun steering it any way but in a straight line.

 

 

And of course, there were horse rides again.

This was little boy heaven (and I have two little boys and one big one if you count Daniel).

The Cow Milking day that we attended in May was a fun event, but the Tractor Day is going on our calendars as a family day for the future.

If you missed this week's Tractor Day, they are having another one next Thursday, Sept. 24. The cost to visit the farm is $10 for your first child and $5 for subsequent kids (babies are free). Tractor Day is definitely worth the visit. We had a wonderful time!

Jack gets to help drive a skid steer, then take a ride in the bucket.

Jack and Mommy ride in the Backhoe bucket.


Jack and Daddy play with the dump truck, while Isaac gets up close and personal with the skid steer and Mommy almost has a heart attack.

Hidden Hills Farm Cow Milking Play Day

Ever since all of our company went home and Daniel returned to work, I have been making an effort to get out of the house with my boys. I have done this as a way to try to return to our normal daily routine for Jack, and so that I won't go completely stir crazy. While it isn't the easiest thing in the world to go places with two kids, it is much easier than I anticipated.

Earlier this week while checking Facebook, I saw that a friend was signed up to go to the Hidden Hills Farm Cow Milking Play Day and I thought it looked like fun. I asked her if it was open to the public and then I tentatively decided to take Jack and Isaac.

Friday morning we slept in until 9:40am (I am so glad I have good sleepers), but we needed to leave the house by 10am. Somehow I managed to get both boys up, dressed, fed and in the car by 10:10am. Miraculously, I even fed our dog and managed to make myself a cup of coffee to go.

And so we made our way to Ooltewah to the Hidden Hills Farm and Saddle Club to see what kind of fun we might have. 

There was quite a crowd at this event and we got there about 15 minutes late and had to park in the furthest parking area. Jack was a trooper and walked all the way to the main area of the farm without complaining. I opted to carry Isaac in my Ergo carrier. I also decided to leave everything else in the car (even though it was a walk). I didn't want to be hauling a diaper bag with me and I knew that, worst case scenario, we would just walk back to the car. Overall this was a good decision.

When we first got to the farm I felt a bit overwhelmed. Thankfully it was a small enough area that we found our friends right away. There were lines everywhere and Jack didn't seem very interested in any of the animals. We did check out a calf, but skipped the line to milk the cow... Jack was more interested in digging in the sandbox and playing on the Little Tykes play equipment than participating in farm-related activities.

I let him play and tried not to be annoyed with the lines. After an hour, I sat down under a tree to nurse Isaac and my friend convinced Jack to go feed chickens. The chickens were his gateway to the rest of the farm animals – though I think he was the most interested in just pouring chicken feed from one container to another.

After the chickens, we went back to the sand box and then I noticed that the line to sit on a cow had dwindled to a few people, so I hurried Jack over to the stable to meet the cow. Easter weekend we had attempted to get him to sit on a cow and he refused so I wasn't sure how this would play out. This time he was stoked and got on the cow without batting an eye.

Once the cow sitting was over, Jack said he wanted to ride a horse (especially if he could wear a helmet). So I stood in line while he played. The line was much shorter, but still a good 20 minutes long. While I waited, I noticed that Jack had found some playmates and they were "playing farm." At one point Jack was running across a big grassy area and shouting that he was riding a horse.

The horse that he finally got to ride was named Grand (for Grand Old Lady). She was 30 years old! All of the horses seemed very gentle – they had 4 horses and 1 pony giving kids rides. Jack rode a pony last summer and was terrified. This time he sat on a grown horse and seemed very comfortable.

Overall, we had a great experience but in the future I would consider showing up an hour later to when the crowds have dwindled. The farm has monthly play days and I hope to take the boys back. Next month they are having a "Water" day at the farm and in two months they will have a "Blackberry Picking" day.

The cost is $10 for your first kid and $5 for subsequent children and babies are free. The Ergo carrier worked great for me, but at the end Isaac was getting hot and fussy. I would consider taking my BOB stroller next time, just so I could carry my diaper bag and snacks. However, at 2 hours long this event is doable without the stroller. 

A lot of families brought picnic lunches. We left ours in the car, and opted to picnic in the shade next to where we parked. Overall I would give this experience a thumbs up.

This was Isaac's first trip to a farm. I'm sure he will enjoy future trips more, but I would count this trip as a success!