Trares
The throng of kindergartners pushed forward, crowding in to get a better look.
A Conner Prairie volunteer sat on a bench inside a historic barn, holding a dark gray bunny tightly in her hands. In an instant, both became the center of attention.
My son’s school held their spring field trip last week. We received the flyer describing the trip in late March — their destination was the living history museum in Fishers. Anthony and his classmates would have the opportunity to go on a nature hike, see live farm animals and explore aspects of early Indiana history.
The final paragraph on the permission slip flyer said: “Any parents who would like to chaperone, please let us know.”
Even though this is Anthony’s first year of regular school, we had already gone through the field trip routine in the fall, when they took a harvest-themed excursion to a local pumpkin patch. My wife had excitedly signed up as a chaperone for that one; seeing the kids’ faces as they met goats and chickens, and their joy when they picked out the perfect miniature pumpkin from the patch, was heartwarming, she told me afterwards.
If they do another trip this year, you should chaperone it yourself, she added.
Here was my opportunity.
After signing up and providing the school with my background info, I was ready to wrangle however many over-excited kids I needed to.
All of the parents were asked to meet the class at Conner Prairie, and we all stood around on the unseasonably cold April morning, waiting to catch sight of the big yellow buses. Even when they pulled up, you could hear the shouts and screams of “Mommy!” and “Daddy!” as the kids recognized their parents.
The students practically leapt off the bus, ready to start their morning learning about Indiana history and agriculture. Because enough parents had signed up to help, I was only responsible for watching over Anthony and another of his friends.
Off we went, traveling back through time to the mid-1800s. We were shown Conner Prairie’s iconic hot air balloon, which would travel 400 feet above central Indiana in nice weather.
“How do you get back down?” one concerned student asked. Don’t worry, the volunteer guide told us, all of these ropes keep it safe.
The students were able to tour the home of William Conner, founder of Hamilton County, where they saw pioneer-style beds, learned how early settlers cooked for their large families and how Conner worked with Native Americans living in the area. Of course, the touch-screen video games were the most popular feature.
Inside the antique barn on the property, the class encountered animals such as sheep, goats and baby chicks. They giddily moved from animal to animal, petting them carefully — museum volunteers had taught them to be gentle — even as the excitement beamed from their faces.
The field trip ended in Conner Prairie’s Treetop Outpost, an interactive area featuring rope bridges, treehouses, playground forts and sand pits. All of that energy spent being on good behavior up to that point exploded once the students were set loose.
Anthony and his buddy sprinted across bridges, up stairs and peered over the railings at the adults below. They clamored through tunnels, twisted down slides and discovered a secret library.
By the time we all had to make our way back to the buses, everyone was tired out. Kids were dragging their feet as if they just finished crossing the Sahara. I can only imagine how quiet that bus ride back to school was.
But even as they trudged into their seats, Anthony and all of the other students summoned the energy to bang on the windows and wave their parent chaperones.
Field trip was a success.
