Kids have ‘fair’ time out of school
Posted on Saturday, September 15, 2007
BENTON COUNTY — Friday was a good day to be a kid in Benton County.
The county’s younger population was treated to a free morning at the Benton County Fair for the annual Kids’ Day. Besides having several midway rides to themselves, children were given prizes and a chance to see animals up close in a way they might not during the regular fair times.
“ I liked being able to see the animals, ” said third-grader Megan Williams of Ozark Adventist School in Gentry.
Her twin sister, Melody Williams, said she enjoyed the chance to attend the fair with a group of her friends.
Another perk of Kids’ Day ?
“ If we came at night (with our parents ) it would cost money but right now it’s free, ” said Emily Ruiz, another Ozark third-grader.
The twins’ mother, Lisa Williams, helped drive on the school’s field trip to the fair. She also appreciated her daughters and their friends getting the chance to talk with 4-H students. The 4-H students took extra time to talk with the children about their projects.
“ The kids in 4-H catered to them, ” Lisa Williams said.
There were also many home-schooled children at the fair.
Brother and sister Caleb and Hannah Talarski of Rogers said they enjoyed the rides and being able to pet the chicks. Their mother, Bobbi Talarski, said she enjoyed being able to bring her children to learn more about the animals. She agreed that having the Kids’ Day was a good idea because it created a better atmosphere for having large amounts of children at the fair.
“ It’s more relaxed, ” she said. “ The whole fair isn’t open so it’s also more contained. ”
Another advantage to being at the fair during the day instead of night-time was the weather.
“ It’s warmer usually during the day, ” said Elizabeth Janes, a home-school student from Rogers.
Not all the children taking advantage of Kids’ Day were school-age. Members of the local Moms Offering Moms Support group, which is for stay-at-home-mothers, brought their children to the fair.
“ The kids get to see the animals and go on the rides, ” said Joan Miller of Bentonville. “ They’re getting to see something they normally don’t get to see. ”
Miller added that if the families come at night, it causes interruptions to the younger children’s bed-time routines.
The children attending Kids’ Day were not the only ones getting an education. The students who were showing animals also got to learn from each other.
Chelse Collins, Kayle Blaine and Adriana Martinez are all three freshmen at Gentry High School and are in Future Farmers of America. They showed their goats and agreed it was fun to teach the younger children about their animals. They also agreed it was a good experience to learn about other types of animals.
The idea of Kids’ Day has been around for many years but it’s changed over time, said Janice Shofner, extension agent for 4-H. Many years ago, all the area schools would let out for Kids’ Day and the students would head to the fair after the Fair Parade.
The schools no longer let out class for the day, however, although many school groups take a field trip to the fair for the morning. It was because of this change that the Fair Parade was changed to Saturday, she said.
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