Where Kids can be Lil' Ranchers

Imagine what life was like in the 1800s before the advent of appliances, electronics and other modern-day conveniences.

Every Tuesday this summer, the Leonis Adobe Museum gives children a chance to step back into that bygone era through its program.

Ranch life

Near the entrance, a hand pump greets the eager li’l ranchers, to illustrate how the ranchers back then manually fetched their water. Several youngsters gave it all their might before declaring it “too hard.”

“We try to have a new ranch experience every week, to keep the interest alive,” said Pat Gylfe, one of the historic interpreters, who greeted the crowd of approximately 200 people that morning. “We had a blacksmith last week, who might be back next Tuesday.”

Some of the activities are geared towards certain age groups. One table had Play Doh tubs for the five-and-under group while another table had craft supplies for making tambourines geared towards the school-age group.

“The theme this week is music,” said Gylfe, pointing out that local musician Craig Newton was also around to serenade the crowd.

The laundry station also attracted a lot of little hands that wanted to give it a try. Volunteer Donna Garrett patiently showed everyone how to soak, rinse and hang up clothes to dry on a clothesline without the use of a washer and dryer.

Over at the roping station, volunteer Stan Levin gamely demonstrated the art of roping cattle in an open area. Gillian, 5, and her sister Brynn, 3, dressed in identical cowgirl costumes, both gave it a try and were fairly successful.

“Did you catch any cows?” asked Levin before both girls ran off to feed some animals. Depending on the children’s ages, Levin said he can customize the difficulty of the roping exercise.

Nearby, Texas longhorns and Merino sheep were fed, photographed and ogled at for the two hours that the program was in session. There were goats, horses, turkeys, chickens and doves too.

To further illustrate how life was more laid-back before the advent of video games, middle-school girls from Girl Scout Troop 477 were on hand to facilitate the fairly simple game of jump rope. There were story-telling sessions too inside the museum.

The joy of anticipation

The youngsters were not the only ones engrossed in the ranch experience. Helene and her daughter Erin, 6, were learning how to knit for the first time. “Hardly anyone knits anymore so I thought it would be cool for my daughter to see this first-hand,” said the mom from West Hills, as she watched volunteers and long-time knitters Paula Russo and Diane Tschekaloff expertly working the knitting needles.

For next week’s cooking theme, the lil' ranchers will try their hand at tortilla making, butter churning and corn grinding. “We want the children to have something to look forward to so we usually don’t reveal all our plans,” said Gylfe.

Lil' Ranchers Round Up is ongoing every Tuesday at the Leonis Adobe Museum, from 9:30 to 11:30 am, until Aug. 16. The summer program is open to all children and their parents. Entrance is free for members and $4 for non-members.