Savvy Toddler Mom

Alright, so this post is a bit late… it’s been a busy week!

The Utah State Fair didn’t disappoint this year–and SavvyDad got a third place ribbon!  Yay!

The toot had a great time… he saw/petted all the animals (sheep, cows, horses, pigs, chickens, rabbits, etc.), rode a pony ($3.50), went through the “Little Hands on the Farm” interactive exhibit, and shared a funnel cake with mom and dad (yum, but $5.50).

“Little Hands on the Farm” was really quite clever.  It takes your little farmhand through the farming process and bringing grocery items to market.  When we were there, it was pretty crowded and getting dark, so I didn’t get many good pics. 

To give you an idea, though, the kids start out with putting on an apron and picking up a basket.  They move through several stations where they perform different activities: picking an apple from a tree, getting an egg from a chicken, planting a seed and harvesting a crop, feeding corn to a cow, milking the cow, etc., etc.  There are quite a few! (All fake, of course.)

The little farmers then take their basket of goods to the market, sell their wares, and get money!  They can then use their money to buy a treat at the general store.

It is all very, very cute and the toot (at almost 3-years-old) was able to perform most of the tasks on his own.  Although he did need a little reigning-in after he got his hands on the trowel!  I think kids get a kick out of the “process” and most of the children around us were having a great time and following the program.

There was a considerable back-up where they were supposed to put a mini bale of hay on a tricycle and ride it around in a circle… we skipped that part entirely.  I think that was the hardest part and the toot (and certainly younger children) hasn’t quite mastered pedaling a bike yet.

Hats off to the fair for having a fun, interactive activity for children that is FREE, educational and doesn’t involve going round-and-round, up-and-down.  If you get a chance, take your little farmhand!  The fair runs through September 16th.  You can get $6 fair tickets (regular adult price is $8) at Smith’s.  Children 5 and under are free.

Hats off also to Questar… they subsidized the opening day entrance fee down to $2, BUT as we approached the ticket booth, Therm, the Energy Wise Guy was there to hand us some free tickets!!!  Thanks, Therm!  As a marketer, I got a real kick out of their web site and marketing campaign… www.thermwise.com.  By the way, he’s a lot taller than we thought he was.

And a final hats off to SavvyDad for another awesome year in the photo contest.  Way to go, hon!  I’m so proud of you.