We spent the late afternoon today at a fall festival at the Nature Center’s DeLano Homestead Farm. I remember loving the old farmhouse (built in 1858) full of period furniture and household goods when I was little; it felt like the perfect place to weave an imaginative tale and “play house” (although I don’t recall being able to touch any of the things or even enter all of the rooms). When we went in with the kids today I was surprised to be able to walk into every room and interact with things. The festival was far from full-scale agrotainment, but the kids seemed to enjoy a couple of relaxed hours traveling back in time.

I’m obsessed with the light in this room, and also reminded that sometimes all it takes are a few toys from the late 1800s to keep kids completely engrossed.

The twins were pretty enamored with the animals, and clung to the fence quite a bit.