Educational Opportunities for Kids at Your Local Fair
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Summer in the United States seems to mean County Fair time. When I think of local fairs, I envision Ferris wheels and fried Twinkies. There is so much more to fairs, though! Fairs can actually be a great place to learn! The trick to learning at local events, such as the fair, is to be open to new experiences. Check out things that are unfamiliar.
Making the Local Fair Educational
Visit the 4H area
The 4H area is full of a variety of animals and kids that are very knowledgeable about their animals. We saw dogs, a variety of birds, and a TON of bunnies. Our 4H area also had booths about growing plants. 4H areas are usually adorned with educational posters that were made by the 4H participants.
Check out the petting zoo
Being able to touch a new animal can help kids connect information. My kids noticed how warm the sheep’s wool felt and commented that must be why sweaters are made from wool. It can also encourage kids to take care of the planet to protect the animals. We had seen many of the animals before, but never so close up. The petting zoo we visited had an awesome variety of animals – cows, deer, alpacas, llamas, pigs, wallabies, chickens, and goats.
Enter a contest
Fairs have contests for everyone. Our local fair has contests for crafts such as painting, sculpting, sewing, embroidery, quilting, cake decorating, and Lego building. We are starting to think about what contests we would like to enter next year.
If you are more of a spur-of-the-moment person, there were bubble gum blowing contests, egg toss contests, and pie eating contests that could be entered just a few minutes before the competition began. Participating in contests is a great way to foster good sportsmanship.
Try a small sample of farm life
We have a small garden, but that is likely as close as we will get to owning a farm. I am thankful for the section of the farm that gave my kids a chance to collect eggs, milk a cow, and harvest potatoes. That is a learning experience that I can’t give my kids at home.
Observe new skills
We own an axe, but honestly, our kids have never seen us use it. They probably thought that firewood was mass-produced in a firewood factory before it was delivered to 7-11. At our local fair, we were able to introduce them to professional lumberjacks. They watched lumberjacks use axes, chainsaws, and a two-person manual saw.
Explore different cultures
We live nowhere near Mexico, but we had the opportunity to see authentic Aztec Indian dancers perform at our local fair. The presenter explained a bit about the purpose of their traditional dances and the symbolism of their costumes. It was an amazing experience.
To make the most of your local fair experience
- Plan ahead and buy advance tickets and ride wristbands early. You can likely save a good bit of money and will be able to skip a few lines.
- Intersperse educational activities with rides. There is room for all kinds of fun at the fair.
- Go early in the day! The lines will be shorter, the weather won’t be as hot, and everyone will have more patience.
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