Kids learning about ranch chores by cleaning out the horse stalls at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve/NPS

Come to Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas for Memorial Day weekend and enjoy three fun-filled days of family activities geared toward learning and making memories. Bring a picnic lunch and spend the day. All activities are free of charge.

On Saturday, May 26, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., children have the opportunity to experience life on a working ranch and learn about life as a child in the 1880s. Living history interpreters will assist children in doing such authentic ranch chores as gathering eggs, feeding the chickens, milking the goats, and currying the horse. After completing each chore, children will collect sticker tokens and earn a Spring Hill Ranch certificate for all their hard work.

From noon until 4 p.m., visitors can experience the prairie grasses and wide open spaces with a horse-drawn wagon ride, while learning about modes of transportation in the 1880s. Wagon rides are given approximately every 20 minutes, and cowboys will be available to answer questions as they go about their daily tasks. 

The fun continues on Sunday, May 27, with the program Birding for Kids Workshop from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the visitor center. Kids will use a handy device called the Identiflyer Tool to listen to bird calls, then learn about birds and flight dynamics by making paper airplanes. 

On Monday, May 28, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., take a bus ride into the bison pasture and learn about the resident bison herd. To round out the fun, kids may compete in a Bison Chip Throwing Contest to see who can throw the farthest chip. Please wear appropriate clothing for getting dirty. Winner will receive their very own, official Tallgrass Prairie bison chip trophy. Please call the preserve at 620-273-8494 (hit 0) to make a free reservation for Monday’s activity. 

To complete the holiday weekend, hike one or more of the more than 40 miles of trails at the preserve. Trail maps are available at the visitor center. If hiking through the bison pasture, please heed all warning signs and keep at least a football field’s length between you and the animal. Bison are wild animals and will react aggressively if provoked. You may also hike around the bison pasture to reach your destination. Information is available at the visitor center kiosk and at each pasture gate. Please be safe during your visit to the preserve and come back often. 

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located two miles north of Strong City on Kansas State Highway 177 (the Flint Hills National Scenic Byway) and is a unique public/private partnership between the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy.