A hidden Indiana Staycation for the family!
My family and I spent St. Patrick’s Day visiting Fair Oaks Farm in Fair Oaks Indiana. This agritourism farm is located in Northern Indiana, just north of Lafayette, Indiana. There is plenty of fun for the whole family. The huge slide in the Cow barn was a hit for everyone in our family, my husband and myself included!
We were very well aware that there are many more activities during the summer but we needed to get away for a quick family fun time and that is exactly what happened! We took two days to discover the grounds of the farm. We could have done it all within 1 long day if we planned our tours ahead of time. But we decided to split it into two days and enjoy the hotel. And let me tell you, the hotel was PERFECT for our family. Click here for more information on their hotel, we even used our Marriott points!
So many pigs and cow cutouts for the family to rest their legs and get some photo ops.
Dairy Adventure
We started the day with the Dairy Adventure. We got into the air-controlled bus. My 5-year-old didn’t like the smell of the bus but it didn’t smell like farm animals so I was so happy.
It didn’t smell bad, promise, it’s just a kid being super sensitive to the smell of the hermetically sealed bus. This is to keep the farm scents out and to keep their cows healthy from the public.
We learned so many cool things. We even drove into one of the barns and got up close to see the cows.
Then we went into the milking parlor. We learned about how the cows have learned to get to each area and that their tags will make sure they get the nutrients they need for the day.
Pork Barn
After we finished our tour we headed to the Pork Barn for some fun on the ropes course. Each one of our kids could participate if they wanted to, but the toddler was super interested in the bacon slide (not pictured) so we didn’t offer the ropes course to him. Our 7-year-old was the only one tall enough to do the taller ropes course. This disappointed our 5-year old that enjoys climbing more than anything. But we had so much fun inside this barn!
After we completed the course, we went to get ice cream. It was so delicious I didn’t even have time to take photos. But we went back the next day to get some more and satisfy mine and my kids’ sweet tooth. The milkshakes were amazing, the sundaes were so rich, and the kids loved the simple ice cream cones. It was a win-win for all of us.
Over the course of 2 days, we could walk into the Birthing Barn and see a calf being born. We didn’t have to wait very long at all! Our kids didn’t have much of an attention span so we probably were in the barn a total of 20 minutes while we were there and say 2 calves being born! We could have seen a third but the kids were excited to move on.
Birthing Barn
Our last self-guided tour was in the Crop Adventure and we learned about the past, the present, and the future of farming. There were so many activities to keep the kids busy while my husband and I could read and learn more about farming. Yes, even a farmer had lots to learn.
Crop Adventure
Pork Adventure
Our last tour was to the buildings with the piggies! We are hog farmers so we already had experience with seeing farm pigs up close, however, this tour still captivated my kids’ attention. (Except for the toddler, it was his nap time and the bus ride made him more sleepy.) We saw a midwife assisting the birth of baby pigs in the pens, we learned about how the gilts are fed twice a day at the same time, and more about the AI that is involved with their pig operations.
Hotel and Pool
We had an amazing time exploring the grounds, the animals, and learning about farming. But I think the main attraction for the kids was the hotel! I was very impressed with our stay as well! The hotel room we stayed in had a king-sized bed and a pull-out couch but the best part was the “kids area” to our room with a twin over twin bunk bed with a very large tv! There was lots of storage! I think our family of 6 could stay comfortably for a few nights.
We spent a good amount of time in the pool area. There was a double kids slide that was VERY kid-friendly. We have a very active toddler and he loved going down the slide with his siblings. There was also a zero-entry area so the toddler could splash and play in very shallow water. It was incredibly toddler friendly. My kids loved the indoor/outdoor hot tub and to be honest, I did too. It was so perfect to relax in.
We ended up buying a membership to Fair Oaks and we will be stopping again this summer when we take a family trip to Chicago. It will be a nice spot to stop, stretch our legs, play on the outside activities, and then load up on more ice cream!
