On Tuesday, June 17, my workday as an Auxiliary Services intern looked like this: ate ice cream, check, met a baby cow, check, played duck duck goose, check! All the while, I was taking photos and videos to promote the IU Indianapolis Center for Young Children as Indianapolis’s premier daycare. The CYC’s Multi-Age classes were visiting Traders Point Creamery to learn about local dairy production, and as the CYC’s social media manager, I was invited to ride along. It was a great day. I always love hanging out with the CYC classes, and Traders Point was the perfect place for them to get outside, explore, and have fun. Along with some photos I took, here are 5 things we did on our trip!
1. We toured the dairy farm.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about preschoolers, it’s that nothing fascinates them quite like a tractor. They were captivated. The whole class had to get a picture next to it. We also saw a new barn under construction, which would be to house the nursing mother cows at night. The workers had finished the frame and were laying the beginnings of a roof, and a couple of them waved at the kids from way up high. Our tour guide taught the kids some cow facts—did you know a cow has four stomachs?—and informed us that the farm also has bees, chickens, and a garden. Then, we checked the chicken coop to see if anyone was home, but it was too early in the morning for the chickens to be out. We also passed by The Loft, a restaurant where Traders Point Creamery serves their vegetables and dairy products in a farm-to-table experience. I was amazed at the size of the farm. I wish I could have captured it in a picture. There was just green and blue, grass and sky, as far as the eye could see.
2. We visited the chef’s garden.
In addition to dairy production, Traders Point also grows their own vegetables to serve at The Loft. Their garden is beautiful and diverse, and our tour guide gave the kids a few minutes to walk through the aisles and look at all the different plants. They saw lettuce, strawberries, and peppers, often crouching down to take a closer look. Then, our tour guide handed out sugar snap peas for the kids to try. I could tell a few were a little wary at first, but after a moment of silent crunching, everyone was asking for seconds. As a former farm kid, I thought this was a good call. Sugar snap peas are always a winner.
Our tour guide also picked a carrot to show the kids how they grow underground. The kids marveled at the way an unsuspecting plant could hide one of their favorite vegetables. Before we knew it, one little boy had uprooted two more carrots, holding one in each fist with a victorious grin. I don’t think he was supposed to do that, but the pictures turned out hilarious. I guess visitors at The Loft just had some extra carrots that week.
3. We met some baby cows.
What’s a trip to the dairy farm without meeting the stars of the show? While most of the Traders Point dairy cows were out in the distant pasture, our tour guide took us into the nursery barn to visit some calves. These guys were only a few months old. Some were very calm and sleepy, but one was really excited to see us, bouncing all around his pen. The kids were ecstatic. A patient few were approached by the calves and got to pet them. Parent chaperones got tons of cute pictures of their kids cheesing with baby cows. I had a harder time since everyone was moving around so much, but it was fun to be in the middle of all the action.
I especially loved seeing how much the kids wanted to connect with the animals. It was endearing. One little boy waited several minutes, arms reaching through the gate, for a calf to wander within arm’s reach. Finally, one did. When he felt the soft fur under his hand, his eyes lit up. “Hi, cow,” he said.
It was so cute, I forgot to take the picture.
4. We ate ice cream!
At the end of our tour, the kids got to sample some delicious Traders Point homemade ice cream. While we were waiting for our ice cream cups, I taught the four-year-old student next to me how to clink spoons. It was a fun game. Then, our ice cream arrived, and it was time to dig in. My scoop of vanilla was the most flavorful I’ve ever had. It was very dense and reminded me a little bit of raw cookie dough. I was so engrossed in it, I almost forgot to take photos of everyone. But I think the pictures turned out great! It was a barn full of sticky fingers and big smiles.
Here is a testament to how good the ice cream was. While I was snapping pictures, the girl next to me finished about half the cup and then put the lid back on. “I’m saving it for later,” she explained.
“But it will melt,” I said.
She considered this. “Oh,” she said. “Okay.” And finished the rest.
With ice cream this delicious, anything else would have been a crime.
5. We frolicked.
After their ice cream, the kids had some playtime in the grass area outside the loft. They picked flowers, played freeze tag, and rolled down the hill, at least until the chaperones saw their grass-stained pants and put an end to that particular activity. The kids’ favorite playmate was a teacher who picked the kids up and swung them around before setting them back down on the grass. I could hear their maniacal laughter from my shady spot at the bottom of the hill. A few kids showed me the clover or dandelion they picked, or how fast they could run. I think these were my favorite pictures of the day. It’s fun to just be outside in a beautiful place in warm weather. While we saw lots of fascinating and exciting things at Traders Point, that was the heart of our day there. Soaking up the Indiana summer with good friends in a great community.
One of my favorite things about the CYC is how it encourages students to get outside and experience their community. We walk to baseball games and schedule field trips to local museums and farms like Traders Point. It reminds me that there’s always something new to discover in my own backyard. I’ve lived in central Indiana my whole life, and I had no idea we had such a historic dairy farm so close by.
The relationship that Auxiliary Services has with the greater community inspires me to keep building my knowledge and network within this area. It’s strengthened my love for my home and helped me see it in a new light. When I say my Aux internship has helped me grow, this is what I mean—not just getting seriously adorable photos of kids holding little flowers. But that definitely helps too. Like, seriously, what employer is going to say no to that portfolio?
To keep up with all the amazing things going on at the CYC, visit their Instagram or Facebook page!
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