The Kids Corral at the Oklahoma City National Stockyards during the Stockyard Stampede is helping children learn more about agriculture, food production, and the importance of the industry through hands-on activities. Emily Ague with Ag in the Classroom spoke with associate farm reporter Carli Davenport about the educational opportunities available to families and why introducing children to agriculture is important.
Kids Corral Offers Hands-On Agricultural Education
The Kids Corral brings together several educational activities designed to introduce children to different aspects of agriculture. Ague said the event provides an opportunity to reach families who may not have much direct experience with the industry. “This is a great time during the Stockyard Stampede down here at the Stockyards,” Ague said. “The Kids Corral is a great way to bring a crowd in that may not know a whole lot about agriculture.”
The event also benefits from the activity surrounding the Stockyards. After watching the Longhorns travel down Main Street, visitors can explore the booths and participate in activities focused on agriculture. “So right now we have a huge crowd and a lot of interaction with the booths down here, and a lot of these are about agriculture,” Ague said.
Children can participate in a variety of educational and interactive experiences throughout the Kids Corral. The History Center offers a game that challenges students to identify different agricultural products, while Ag in the Classroom provides a Plinko board featuring agricultural trivia questions.
Other activities include a petting zoo and pony rides. Ague also highlighted activities offered by Southwest Dairy Farm Bureau. “So there's just a ton of great stuff, and there's a lot more people than what I just mentioned,” Ague said.
Connecting Urban Children With Agriculture
For children growing up in urban areas, opportunities to see agricultural activities firsthand may be limited. Ague said helping students understand where their food and other agricultural products originate is an important part of agricultural education. “We want all students to understand where their food comes from, where their fiber comes from,” Ague said.
She explained that children may not encounter agriculture in their everyday lives, making events like the Kids Corral valuable opportunities to see and experience parts of the industry they might otherwise miss.
“They may not see all these things in their regular life on a daily basis because they do live in an urban area,” Ague said. “But it's important for them to be able to see and experience some of this, so that way they have a little bit of knowledge moving forward.”
Through interactive games and activities, the event gives children a chance to connect agricultural products with the people and processes behind them.
Sharing What They Learn Beyond the Stockyards
Ague hopes children leave the Kids Corral with new information they can carry into their daily lives. Even learning a few new facts about agriculture can help students better understand the industry and share that knowledge with others. “Hopefully, a few things they didn't know before coming here,” Ague said. “So you just hope for them to gain a little bit of knowledge, so that way they can maybe share with their family or share with their friends at school.”
Ultimately, Ague said the goal is for every child to leave the Kids Corral with something new they learned about agriculture. “So hopefully they're just walking away with something new they learned,” Ague said.
