You’re probably sick of me talking about the Wake County Junior Naturalist Program, but man is it doing a great job of getting us to explore new parks in the area and take part in great educational programs for the kids! We stopped by Historic Yates Mill County Park on Lake Wheeler Road and took part in a great Apple Seed program there led by staff.
Before class started we had some time to explore the grounds and see the old mill. The walking trails here are very nice and wide, and perfect for strollers! It’s only a short walk to the mill and my one year old was able to walk it just fine. I also loved that they placed some historic artifacts from the mill along the trail for viewing. There was also a picnic table that we stopped at on the way back to eat our snack.
The Historic Mill
The mill itself is a beautiful location next to a pond and it has a nice, somewhat enclosed field for the kids to run and play. We had a picnic here and blew some bubbles for entertainment. You can’t actually go inside the mill on a regular day, but they do offer mill tours on certain Saturdays. See the schedule here.
You can follow a somewhat steep, slippery trail down behind the mill down to a sort of waterfall over the dam. I was able to get down fine, but my 3 and 1 year old both slipped on the way down and I had to carry them. It’s a pretty area where some people were taking pictures, but watch out for snakes!
The Education Center
After we were done exploring the outside, we made our way inside to the education center. There you can view exhibits on how the mill makes corn meal and wheat. There’s an educational video and working demonstrations. My kids loved pushing the buttons to make the various machines work. There’s also a pet turtle in a large aquarium that fascinated all of the kids that walked in.
Indoor Play Area
There’s also a small kids play area, which I was thankful for! They had a dress up station containing historic clothes that people would have worn during the time the mill was in operation. They also had coloring sheets, blocks, and play food for the kids to explore. There was a great rocking chair seating area overlooking the play area too, so mommy took a break while the kids played! It was a similar play area to Historic Oak View and it’s great on a rainy day!
Free Park Programs
For our Apple Seed program, we headed back to the classroom in the back of the building. We started with a story time about Johnny Appleseed and then went outside for a couple of apple themed games that talked about the life cycle of an Apple Tree. After our game, we went back inside to participate in some apple-themed crafts. Everyone’s favorite activity was gluing colored apple seeds in a mosaic pattern! You can register for events online for free!
I definitely recommend checking out Historic Yates Mill if you haven’t already! It’s a beautiful place and you can definitely spend some time there exploring!
For 2019, be sure to check out their upcoming Fall Harvest Celebration on September 21st from 11am-3pm!