Ohio’s Slate Run Farm
At A Grade Ahead, we provide superior academic enrichment for our students. Time spent in our classrooms is vital to academic growth. While classroom time is important, time spent outside the classroom can also be a great learning opportunity. A Grade Ahead knows that learning happens everywhere. With spring in the air and warm weather just around the corner, we are excited to head outside for fun and learning. In this article we will travel southeast of our Central Ohio headquarters to visit Slate Run Living Historical Farm.
Enjoying the History
Do you like history? At Slate Run, you can travel through time to experience life on an 1880s Ohio farm. Walk through the farmhouse to see what a living room, a parlor, and a kitchen were like 140 years ago. Head outside to visit the farm animals including horses, pigs, turkeys, geese, and more. Pump water from the well to feel the difference between then and now. Throughout the property, you will notice the staff and volunteers wearing period costumes as they complete daily chores. Slate Run offers guests the opportunity to truly appreciate the hard work and hands-on beauty of the past.
Would you like your child to take an active interest in history? Call or visit an A Grade Ahead Academy near you and see if they are offering Time Traveler Tales, or one of our other enrichment camps, in your area!
Located in Canal Winchester, Slate Run Farm is the perfect place to involve kids in local history. Entering the grounds is like stepping into the past. Families will love this time warp as it sparks everyone’s curiosity to learn about 19th century life. Just past the entrance, guests walk down a dirt road surrounded by beautiful pastures. As they approach the farmhouse, visitors will notice the poultry yard, vegetable garden, and orchards along the path. The farmhouse is a great place to really start exploring. You will likely find some farmhands tending to chores in and around the house. These folks will be happy to divulge information about life on the farm. They might even ask guests to help with a chore or two! There may also be a scavenger hunt or other fun activity for children to complete during their visit.
Farmhouse Games
In front of the farmhouse, families can play with old-fashioned lawn games including ring toss, hoop rolling, and stilts. These games are a great way for kids to unplug from current day technology and practice gross motor skills. Out back, kids will love using the antique water pump. Guests can hand-pump the water into wooden buckets and then head to the garden to water the vegetables. Surrounding the farmhouse, visitors can explore the summer kitchen, the woodshed, the root cellar, and the smokehouse. These rustic structures are full of fascinating facts about the work that was necessary to survive on the farm. Do not forget to check out the privy: kids will get a kick out of the olden-day outhouse! After learning and possibly pitching in with some chores, kids can relax on the tree swing in the side yard.
Beyond the farmhouse, guests can walk to the back of the property with the barn and various sheds. Animal lovers will favor this area filled with farm creatures including horses, sheep, chickens, turkeys, pigs, and more. There may also be a barn cat or two roaming the area. The costumed farmhands can tell you all about the animals and explain the function of the windmill and farm equipment. The machine shed is a great place to observe and learn about the mechanics of farm tools. What a great opportunity to engage your child in physical science!
Did you know A Grade Ahead offers year-round academic enrichment in science, math, and English? Click here to get a curriculum sample, or take a free assessment to get started!
At A Grade Ahead, we love the idea of engaging with history, science, and the outdoors at Slate Run Farm. Will you and your family plan an educational outing to Slate Run? Have you been there before? What was your favorite part? Let us know in the comments below!
Author: Amanda Hutson, Curriculum Assistant at A Grade Ahead
