NC State Farm Days

I'm pretty sure this event only comes around once a year, but I wanted to include it on the blog because it was so much fun. Everyone should definitely remember it and check it out next year!

What it is: NC State Farm Days are a free activity that NC State University hosts on their farmland. They have many animals out for children to see and, in some cases, touch. While we were there this year we saw turkeys, cows, horses, goats, pigs, and sheep. We were able to hold a baby chick and pet some rabbits, and I know that they also had some baby goats or sheep for kids to pet as well. In addition to all of the animals, they have a cattle scale and a bunch of tractors out for kids to investigate, stand on, and sit in. At the end of our animal exploration, we were able enjoy some free ice cream before heading back home.

What we liked: It was a great opportunity for my toddler to get to see some animals up close. Holding and petting the animals was definitely a unique experience for him, and I liked how they had many strategically placed hand washing stations around so all the parents wouldn't have to worry. One of the other really nice aspects of the Farm Days was the fact that they were free! It's hard to find free activities for toddlers in the area and it was so nice for them to open their doors to the community at no cost.

What we would change: The one hard part for us was the tractor viewing, and that was solely because of my child's young age. There were lines to sit in all of the tractors, and that really frustrated my toddler. Even thought the line was not long, he was frustrated that he had to wait in line and then only got a couple of seconds to sit in the tractor. This probably won't be a problem for most people though.

Website and other important information: NC State Farm Days was located off of Lake Wheeler Rd. south of Raleigh. It was about a 30 min. drive from the Southpoint area of Durham.

Website: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/farmanimaldays/

Address: NC State University, Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory, 3720 Lake Wheeler Road

Phone Number: 919.515.4467

2010 Dates: March 24, 25, 26

Photos:



1. The view from our parking spot



2. A cow sits patiently as toddlers stroll by



3. One of the tractors out for exhibit



4. A great view as we enjoyed our ice cream