Mountain Lake ECFE kicks off fall season by bringing ‘down on the farm’ to city park
Mountain Lake ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) kicked off its fall season “down on the farm” – in Mountain Lake City Park – with a Barnyard Fun Night tonight (Tuesday, September 20) for all area families with a preschool child. Close to 80 children and parents participated in the night’s activities.
The event included games, crafts, a snack – a variety of farm animals and pets to pet – along with a free book – all centered around a “farming” theme. POET had their corn wagon on hand, full of corn kernels in which to play; Jerry Haberman and Larry Bot of Midway Implement pulled in a Massey-Ferguson; Sarah Roach led the kids in making their own butter; the preschoolers (plus mom or dad) put together “Rocky the Rooster” using a hand tracing as the fowl’s comb – and there were rabbits and chickens and ducks and a St. Bernard, and a miniature pony . . . and an apple slice-eating goat.
Barnyard Fun Night was sponsored by the Mountain Lake ECI (Early Childhood Initiative), with co-sponsors, Mountain Lake ECFE and Head Start – in partnership with SWIF (Southwest Initiative Foundation).
Below is a photo gallery from the event:
ETHAN PETTY, LEFT, and his sister, Olivia Petty, right, share tractor-driving duties as only siblings can.
JAYDA LOUANGSAPHAKDY, LEFT, quickly discovers that Tipper, a “fainting goat” owned by Amber Hughes, right, certainly does enjoy slices of apple. “Fainting goats” draw attention directly because of their special trait – they faint. When startled, the goats’ muscles freeze, causing them to collapse – stiff as a board. Officially known as Myotonic goats, the fainting is due to a genetic disorder. It doesn’t hurt the goats; it is completely muscular and doesn’t affect any other system.
THIS BANTAM CORNISH, center, meets and greets Angel Fentanez, second from right and Cooper James, right. Its skilled handler is Alyssa Cowell, left.
THE RAMIREZ SIBLINGS, Bryseida, at center and her brother, Brandon, right, enjoy petting the soft fur of this rabbit.
ALSO HAVING A fun time of discovery of what petting a rabbit feels like is Addison Lessmeier, center, along with her mom, Katie Lessmeier, left and her dad, Kyle Lessmeier, right.
KEATON KHEMPHOMMA IS having a great time playing in the golden kernels of the POET corn wagon.
HALI JANZEN LIKES the feel of the many, many kernels of shelled corn on her bare feet.
POPPY THE MINI-pony responds quickly when Avery Lessmeier, left, drops a handful of feed (grass) to the ground, to the delight of Poppy’s handler, Alyssa Cowell, right.
ROSCOE THE ST. Bernard is really lovin’ the scratchin’ behind his head. The canine certainly did not lack for attention at Barnyard Fun Night.
IVY SMITH IS hard at work cutting out “pretend cookies” at the event’s play table. She is able to roll out the Play-Doh, and then use different shapes of cookie cutters in the play – and learning – activity.
CANDICE BARTEL, STANDING, gives an assist to daughters, Tenley, seated left and Cambrie, seated right, in the pair’s work in creating “Rocky the Rooster.” The girls each traced a hand on red paper to use as Rocky’s comb. Add two black circles for eyes, a yellow triangle for a beak and a red squiggly shape for the wattle – and Rocky is ready.
QUESTION – WHAT CAN one do with a container of thick whipping cream? Answer – Conduct a very practical – and delicious – science experiment.
SARAH ROACH, RIGHT, leads Naomi Simon, left, in turning the heavy whipping cream into spreadable butter. Put the lid on the cream – and shake, shake, shake away. Eventually, the “churning” thickens the cream into butter that is ready to use.
AND THEN, NAOMI Simon gleefully spreads the homemade butter on bread in the shape of cows or pigs for a fun snack.
DEB WARWICK IS at the Book Table, handing out a brand new book – each with a barnyard or farming theme – to the kids attending the event.
THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT, Jean Haberman, armed with her iPad, took a photograph of each of the young participants, and then printed the “shots” out as photo stickers.
