Maxwell Wildlife Refuge

I haven't posted in forever......the days just get away from us and we've been going to the pool lots and just spending time outside!  So, eventually I will get caught up and share some of the fun activities we have been doing.  Hoping one of these days the wind will calm down......we have several activities planned for outside and they have been put on the back burner because of the wind!

My own children love to go out to Maxwell (norh of Canton).....it's just so peaceful and beautiful and if you're lucky, you get to see the buffalo up-close like we did.  It was overcast the day we went out and just a nice day to be out there. We did lots of sight-seeing and walking around taking in the beauty.

We just kind of "drove" through them......they move!  My group of children in my van were asking if they were going to "charge" Nikki's van since it was red!!!!  They thought they were like bulls!!!

Our views from the look-out.

We were way up there!  All the children did really well climbing up and getting back down.....can be a little scary, but they did great!

They just had to climb the fence!

Then we went down to the lake to walk around and find some "treasures"!  The children did lots of rock throwing and flower picking.

We had a picnic lunch down there as well.......we were planning on s'mores but it was way too windy, so we just ate marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers.  The kids didn't care......definitely a fun place to just hang out and to enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. Oh and it's free.....even better!

Botanica Gardens

I have been on a lot of field trips in my day, but I've never been to Botanica Gardens in Wichita......simply beautiful!!!  I wasn't sure if it was going to be too boring for the children or if there was enough to keep their attention since I've never been.  But, let me just say we could have totally stayed longer!  It was very relaxing for myself and the children seemed to have a blast!

 

Here are some of the pictures we took of our trip......lots of the children enjoying the gardens and then some of the flowers.....I would have loved to have taken more pictures of the flowers, but I had to be pushed along to other things!

 

Botanica is broken up into different gardens......this was is the Shakespearean Garden.  This had a stone pathway with different statues and this fountain in the middle.

 

This was the Brosius Rose Garden......a circle of roses.  Here are just a few of the children's favorites.

The Butterfly House was a favorite......I think they could have spent all day in there.

And then on to the Downing Children's Garden......so....much....fun!!!  Everything was colorful and just perfect for the children.

A fun little playhouse to pretend in.  There is also a barn where they had a craft going on......some of the children made paper pinwheels. 

I want this windmill!!!  I don't know what it is, but I have always wanted a windmill. 

Perfect stools for these 3 boys! 

There were paint brushes to dip in the water and "paint."  

AWESOME tree house! 

 You could climb up or down this.....was connected to the bridge and tree house.

Music Garden 

Sally Stone Sensory Garden 

This was like a giant kaleidoscope and you could spin the bowl of flowers while looking through it......pretty cool. 

Feeding the fish. 

Woodland Bird Garden.....lots of squirrels along with different birds. 

Beverly Blue Teaching Garden 

 

Such a fun place to explore and just walk around and look at all the beauty of the gardens.