Discovery Trail: The Great Plains Museum

This one was right next to the Comanche Cultural Center. I wrote about that a few days ago, here. So we were able to walk right on over (blowing the whistles the nice ladies gave the kiddos the whole way. . .wasn't that a swell trinket?--typed with clinched teeth) to the museum. This one wasn't free, but it was affordable.Here are the kiddos in front of the steam engine. There were two portions to the museum, one outside and the other indoors. There is typically a guide outside to answer questions and give a tour. Unfortunately he was at lunch when we stopped by.

That was okay though. The kiddos had a great time exploring the trading post, black smith shop, and the rest of the fort. We've studied history pretty extensively, so for them they weren't so interested in stories. They were happy to pose for pictures and just explore on their own.

Since it was a little toasty outside, we decided to head into the comfort of air conditioning. Now this is where the kiddos had a blast. They spent over an hour playing dress up. The Civil War Soldier Uniforms kept it fun for The General, while Princess and Bubby were happy to be pioneers. Doesn't Bubby look like the little boy from those "Been Farmin' Long" posters that were popular back in the 70's or 80's?Every wagon train needs a to stop for supper. The General was such a trooper to play along. I'm so proud of him when he does this stuff. Most preteens are "too cool" for this kind of fun. I'm soaking it up, and appreciating this stage and his personality.

My friend's girls at the bank. Along with the wagon, there was a main street.

While dress up and pretend were by far the favorite activity, we also enjoyed looking at the Dust Bowl photos display. Since we have been studying The Great Depression in history, it was a nice surprise on the field trip. We came home and promptly watched "The Grapes of Wrath." Oh, how I love it when curriculum and real life field trips come together so nicely.