Fun at the Farm... Sanctuary!

Kai loves farm animals.  He talks about goats, chickens, horsies, ducks, and all the rest on a daily basis.  Ask him what a duck says, or a chicken, or a cow, and he clucks, quacks, or moos away.  His favorite songs... Old MacDonald and Baa, Baa Black Sheep. We love taking him places where he can see real, live farm animals. I definitely think the best way to learn is to be out in the real world, seeing and doing, so for this we have discovered the joys of the farm sanctuary. These are wonderful places; safe havens, for farm animals that have been abused, misused, neglected, or abandoned.  Living on a farm sanctuary is their chance to retire and live out their days in peace. Usually these sanctuaries are open to the public as a way to raise the funds necessary to shelter and care for the animals.  Since living in Rhode Island, we have visited two farm sanctuaries, Winslow Farm Animal Sanctuary and Maple Farm Sanctuary.  They are both wonderful places. The animals are always friendly, happy, and well-cared for.  Today we visited the Maple Farm because they were hosting a FarmFest complete with free music, food, crafts, and of course, animal petting. Kai and his best buddy, Parker, had a blast, dancing, chasing chickens, and enjoying a special treat (for the second day in a row...whoops!) of vegan ice cream! So here is my plug for the farm sanctuary: Go find one in your area! A sanctuary is a wonderful place to visit with your family. Children (and adults, too, of course) will love to see and touch the animals.  I really prefer exposing Kai to animals at a sanctuary then say, at the zoo, because I know the animals have been rescued and live happily, rather than forced into captivity and made to live in habitats that are neither big enough nor natural for them. I have a love/hate relationship with zoos these days. Of course I loved visiting the zoo as a child, and I know there are zoos out there that are doing positive things like breeding endangered animals, but I still can't help feeling guilty and sad whenever I see an animal that is meant to roam and run free living cooped up behind a glass wall. So, the next time you are in the mood for some animal viewing, visit a farm sanctuary! This website shows where some (but by no mean all) farm sanctuaries are located around the country.