If you want to entertain and educate your children this summer, take them for a day out shopping at local farms. Shopping with children is not always easy to do, and many parents stick with online ordering to keep things simple. For children as well as adults, visiting local farms is a unique experience that is well worth it.

Why Shopping At Local Farms Is Good For Children To Do

For years, I’ve imagined pulling over the car to shop at small farms near my home, but I always came up with reasons to keep driving. Recently, I went on a spontaneous adventure shopping at several different farms with my children. While visiting farms is relaxing for adults, it is also a valuable activity for children.

1. Farms give children space to run.

When children grow up in a suburban area or a city, having wide open space to run and play is beneficial.

During our visit to a lavender farm, the first thing my children wanted to do was play tag in the open fields. Although they were interested in the crops and amused by the delightful scent of the lavender, simply having the opportunity to run around gave them a sense of freedom that they don’t get in our small yard.

2. Being in nature means quality time with parents free from distractions.

Visiting a farm means that you have to put away technology and spend time together. My children were delighted that we brought a picnic blanket and snacks. Sitting together and overlooking the wide open land helped us remember how much we appreciate our time together.

We don’t do this often enough at home. Sharing a bottle of raspberry lemonade, some carrots, and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches became one of our favorite memories from the summer.

3. Children can realize how much work it is to harvest farm goods.

Whether your children will one day own a farm or not, they should know the value of working hard. Seeing how much work goes into making the products you buy at the store teaches children to be respectful about food and where it comes from, while helping them understand that they shouldn’t waste food.

When we stopped at a corn stand and bought a dozen ears of corn, my children realized how difficult carrying the corn was.

4. Children can learn where food comes from at a farm.

With so many snacks having artificial ingredients, it is useful to be able to identify natural products. Although a tour of a farm is the ideal way to learn the process of making the food, you can still learn a lot by looking at the products on their shelf.

My children already knew that ice cream is made from milk and that milk comes from cows, but they had no idea that the process takes place at a creamery.

5. Seeing the types of food sold teaches about the local economy.

Visiting farms shows children what types of products are grown and which animals are raised locally. Not only did we see fruit, vegetables, lavender, and beef, but we also saw blue crab products.

After seeing the products on the shelves, we could discuss the various jobs people have in order to make these goods. From harvesting crabs to creating the salsa and putting it on the shelf, one container helped create many local jobs.

Do you take your children shopping at local farms and farmer’s markets, shop at grocery stores, or order groceries online? Share in the comments!

For more parenting tips, follow Theresa’s Reviews on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube.