If you haven’t made your way to Belle Meade Plantation yet, it really is a lovely way to spend your day. It’s full of history and beauty. Plus, with this great weather rolling in, it makes for a wonderful way to spend your day outside.
If you’re anything like me, you are unsure that spending time at Belle Meade Planation is really “kid-friendly”. Will they understand the history? Will they just be bored? Will they destroy the artifacts? Will they be too loud and rowdy?
Well, there’s a solution for those problems- The Adventure Backpack.
The Adventure Backpack is a program that Belle Meade Plantation came up with to help connect children, toddlers to age 10, to the history that surrounds them on the Plantation. The best way I can describe it is a treasure hunt. When you arrive to the Plantation, you can check out a backpack. Inside of the backpack you’ll find a parent’s manual, a key and a map. You’ll also find books, paper, markers, color sheets, and other fun things to make the day more interactive and enjoyable.
As you work your way around the Plantation, your children will enjoy locating the treasure chests and unlocking them. There are 6 hidden around the Plantation. Each chest has various things inside that relate to that particular building. The kids can touch and play with the items which makes learning very hands-on. The parent’s manual also has extra facts and other things that you can tell your kids about each building.
Let the kids take their time and explore all of the items in each treasure chest. We even sat down to do some coloring and rest for a bit.
Our thoughts/tips:
- The Plantation is stroller-friendly for the most part. We had an umbrella stroller and it was fine, but I would suggest a more heavy-duty stroller to make life easier. You could also just let the kids run around. It isn’t that far of a walk.
- If the kiddos get tired, enjoy some time relaxing in the giant fields under the trees!
- Get a Visitor’s Guide to go with the kids’ map. There aren’t any labels on their map and if you haven’t been before, it can get a little confusing.
- The backpack is sort of heavy, so you’ll probably have to carry it.
- The backpacks definitely suit a wide range of ages. My 4-year-old really enjoyed this, but I didn’t delve too deeply into the history. The parent’s manual had a lot of cool facts and info that older children would enjoy.
- Take your camera. The photo ops are excellent!
- We didn’t go inside of the Mansion. I don’t think it would be a great fit for my younger children. Maybe when they get a bit older.
- Plan for at least 2 hours to get through all of the treasure chests. Maybe more if your child really wants to stay and play with each chest.
Backpacks are available to rent Monday-Saturday from 9am-5pm. You can find more information about Belle Meade Plantation on their website.
Have you been to the Belle Meade Plantation before? What do you love about it?
Heather says
What a fun, unique activity. Thank you for sharing! How much is a backpack rental, Lindsey?
Amy says
Thank you for your wonderful review Lindsey! Heather, the backpack rental is $10 for the whole family!
– Amy, Belle Meade Plantation
Mary says
Great idea! This is the perfect time of year for this fun adventure.