In one spot - kids were able to work in a construction site, feed farm animals, and build equipment.
The John Deere Pavilion held its 8th Annual Learn and Play Day on Saturday, July 18th, 2015.
The free event included plenty of hands-on activities, such as a batter-powered Gator obstacle course, a pedal-powered tractor pull, and a construction zone to test toy equipment in sand.
"We started doing this to teach children what all John Deere does for their customers as far as agriculture, construction, forestry, and lawns and gardens so we want kids to understand how they're linked to the land as well," said Kristen Veto, Assistant Manager of the John Deere Pavilion.
There was also Little Johnny's Farm, where kids could do some farm "chores" like milking a fake cow and feeding fake chickens. For real animals, there was petting zoo. There was also blacksmith demonstrations and informational booths from the Rock Island Farm Bureau, Rock Island 4H & Extension, Fischer's Honey Farm, and Country Corner.
"A lot of hands-on stuff so the kids are learning, but they're having fun so they don't know that they're learning at the same time and that's what we want to do," said Veto. "We want it to be interactive for the kids and their parents as well."
Veto said they had a great turn-out despite the heat, as well as a lot of families from out of town.
"We have a lot of local support, but we have also talked to families today from Indianapolis, from Cincinnati that have come to our area today just for this."