Suson Park farm adventure

We are continually looking for new, fun, outdoor activities near to our house to keep us entertained. I think the best way to teach your children about the world around them is to let them explore it themselves. We do this in all different kinds of ways, a simple backyard exploration, collecting sticks in the front yard, going to the zoo, seeing the trains, and our latest fun find Suson Park off Meramec Bottom Road.

I had never heard anyone talk about this park before and I am constantly surrounded by parents of small children and often ask where I should take my son to play. I usually get the standard St. Louis answers, The Magic House, The St. Louis Zoo, Grants Farm, the Transportation Museum, and occasionally the Science Center. We have been to all of these places, and love them all, but recently I have been trying to branch out our options a bit. I heard some mothers talking about petting animals at Suson's park during my most recent tour of the resale shops in town. Of course I didn't actually talk to the lady, I went home and googled it, and much to my delight I found that it was only a couple exits down from us on I-55.

Their are the normal park attractions there, slides, things to climb on, swings, and ponds with ducks and geese. However, their is also a farm their as well. I read a few different articles about it and it apparently it is a farm that a family runs and when the park was built by it they started letting people walk through their barns, pet their animals, and their are volunteers who are there sometimes to take groups on tours and teach them about the animals. It is all free, which was the added bonus.

Saturday, after morning naps, we ventured down to the farm to visit the animals. We saw all Zane's favorites, pigs, cows, horses (of all shapes and sizes), goats, sheep, ducks, geese, a peacock, and his all time favorite chickens! We could pet the horses, which Zane loved, he said hi to them all and patted their noses quite a lot. However, the chickens were pinned up and Zane was really confused as to why he couldn't actually gather the eggs from the nests or chase the chickens, which are his two favorite things to do at Grandma B's. I was confused as to why there was no hay in the chicken house and why their run was divided in half and they were all on the side that the grass was dead and eaten on and didn't go into the green side. Also confusing was why the pigs pin was immaculately clean, without a speck of dirt, let a lone mud. But what do I know. They did have a heating lamp set up for the pigs, which I guess is nice.

Here is Zane petting the big horse, who stood in that corner letting kids pet him all day. What a good sport.

 This is Zane trying to pet/talk to the sleeping pig. The pig was having none of it.

 There were a lot of miniature ponies as well. We petted and chatted with them all.

During our visit Zane learned how to honk like a goose and learned how to say "they mean" after I told him repeatedly not to try to pet a goose because they are mean and will bite you. A good life lesson for sure. I learned the real history of the Turken, which some of you might remember my mother had one of a few years ago. He was named Timmy and I was under the impression that he/she(?) was a mix between a turkey and a chicken. This turns out isn't true, really they are just one gene different from a chicken. The gene that affects feather growth on the neck is altered, giving it a naked neck, like a turkey. Here is a pictures of the full explanation, because I am sure you are all dying to know the difference between a turken and a chicken.

Here is the chicken house, sans hay. Very odd to those of us who have been in real chicken houses.

 And finally, Zane the little farmer!

I found it strange that the play ground was packed and only a few people we wondering around looking at the animals. There weren't volunteers there Saturday talking about the animals, but you could still pet them and see them all. I did notice that most of the people walking around the farm were either there with just their Grandparents or their Grandparents were there with their parents as well. The playground looked like an absolute nightmare, unbelievably crowded with children of all ages, but the farm was very peaceful and just what we needed on a beautiful spring Saturday. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a FREE farm animal experience or just a beautiful day at the park. We will play on the playground during the week sometime, I'm sure it will be fun as well.