The family and I had a wonderful adventure at The Oasis Camel Dairy recently . Yes you heard me correctly we went to a camel dairy. It is a relatively small operation here in Southern California. We had a chance to ride a camel, get up close and pet them. There were horses and sheep, and a whole menagerie of birds and we got to learn all about the animals from the farms owners. It was a very interesting day for all of us and I think we all learned something new and I am all about educational experiences not only for Cutes Patoots but also myself and Papasaurusrex. (Just because we are adults doesn't mean we know everything despite what we tell her.) If you live anywhere near I highly recommend joining their email list to find out when they are having a public tour date (as I said this is a smaller operation and it is an actual WORKING camel dairy, not just a tourist spot. So they are only open for public tours on select days.)
This is not our first family field trip.We frequently go to zoos, marine parks, aquariums, and museums. I love to take her to these places. Some people probably think I am a little crazy because what are the chances she will remember any of this? Honestly slim and I know it, however I feel that by exposing her to these things early she is much more predisposed to enjoy them later. You know during those teenage years when kids hate everything? I am hoping that by instilling a love of these field trips now we can still bond over them later. We use these family field trips as a chance to unwind from the daily grind but they are also amazing family bonding time. We are not focused on work, school, the never ending list of chores, but instead we are focused on each other and enjoying something interesting and new together. At the end of the day we ask questions like "what was your favorite part of the day?" "Did you learn anything you didn't know?" While Cutes is too young to really answer most of these questions with any sort of depth she often replies with one or two words or a whole slew of rapid fire toddler verbiage we struggle to keep up with. Our field trips end up sparking some rather interesting conversations and help us reconnect.
Something we like to do that encourages conversastion for days afterwards is to pay for some of the "upgrades" at these various places. I know I lost half of you right there as you think about the hundreds of dollars that must cost. I promise you it doesn't have to. When we went to the San Diego Zoo recently I did some research in advance and found out that for $10 you can feed the giraffes. Get in line early to buy a ticket to feed them though as they only sell a very limited number of tickets. At Sea World we like to feed the rays. When we went to the camel dairy this weekend I paid the $15 for me and Cutes to ride the camel. It doesn't always take a lot of extra money to add something special to a trip. It does however require a bit of research in advance. Usually when you get to a park or zoo they really promote their most expensive packages. I always like to visit our destinations website and use their "Plan You Trip" tools.Generally speaking the parks have some sort of experience that is under $20 if you look for it. Are they necessary to have a good time? No. We have been to plenty of places and not paid for upgrades as well but I have never been disappointed when we have had that little extra. I think with a toddler it also makes the experience more exciting than just looking at a bunch of stuff. They can look at stuff in their own yard. They don't get to do things like feed giraffes. Toddlers are a hands on bunch and being allowed to touch and interact makes the whole trip more real in their minds. Weeks later and Cutes is still cuddling her "camoo" and still "wikes camoos."
Overall the camel dairy was a great day. We got to experience the camels and then drove up a little ways and got pie and cider while we basked in the afterglow of the day. I really love where we live because their are so many options for cultural, social, and other educational experiences. But you don't have to live in a big city to find stuff like this. A simple Google search for "things to do with kinds in (your town)" will reveal the various offering in and around your area. With a little planning and a little research you can have your own family field trips with lasting memories.
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