Ruby Ranch Barn

09/01/2026

🍂 FLACKETS + FLANNELS IS BACK! 🍂

And somehow we’re already celebrating the 5TH ANNUAL Flackets + Flannels on Saturday, October 3rd from 6:00-10:30pm!

Consider this your official invitation to find your favorite flannel, text the group chat, pack the cooler and get yourself to Ruby Ranch for one seriously fun 21+ night on the farm. No kids. No bedtime routines. No cutting anyone else’s food. Just grown-ups having a really good time.

HERE’S THE PLAN:

🎶 LIVE MUSIC sponsored by

Stacy K from 6:00–8:00 PM
Brandon Grady from 8:30-10:30 PM

🔥 Bonfires + s’mores
🚜 Tractor rides under the fall sky
🪓 Hammerschlagen, Beersbee, Bags and More!
🐐 Farm animals
🍂 Fall nights at the Ranch
🥤 BYOB: bring your own drinks!

And come hungry. Dinner is only: $15
Locally grown pulled pork + mac & cheese, coleslaw and sides.

But you know us. We couldn't just stop there.

THE ONLINE AUCTION IS GOING BIG.
This year we're bringing our auction ONLINE through Givebutter, which means you can browse, bid and keep an eye on your favorites right from your phone. And the donations coming in this year are GOOD.

🧊 A Yeti Hard-Sided Cooler... Filled with Cash!
🥃 Napoleon Brandy in a horse-shaped decanter
🏒 Gophers vs. Badgers men's hockey tickets
🏒 Minnesota Frost WNHL tickets
🎃 Screamtown tickets
🕵️ Dinner Detective tickets
🌊 Bunker Beach
🐟 Great Lakes Aquarium tickets
🍂 Sever's Fall Festival tickets
🔐 Escape room experiences
🎁 And SO. MUCH. MORE.

🎟️ $5 Raffle Baskets are Back too! Because sometimes $5 and a little bit of luck are all you need.

We'll have incredible raffle baskets available throughout the evening. Grab a ticket (or several), drop them into the drawings you want and cross your fingers.

Calling all Flackets + Flannels alumni! If you've attended in the past, we have a little challenge for you: BRING NEW PEOPLE. GET ENTRIES. WIN A NORTH FACE.

For every person you refer who has never attended Flackets + Flannels before, you'll receive an entry to win a North Face expedition-weight down jacket valued at up to $450, generously donated by Mankato Clinic Nephrology.

1 new friend = 1 entry
5 new friends = 5 entries
10 new friends = we respect the hustle.

Your new guests simply need to enter your first + last name as their referral when registering.

So round up your favorite people. Stack the cooler. Pull out the flannel. Come hungry. Stay awhile. Bid on something you absolutely do not need but suddenly MUST have.

And most importantly, know that while we're having one heck of a night, we're also raising money to support the kids and programs of Ruby Ranch + Little Rubies. ❤️

Our school is growing. Our field trips are growing. Our summer camps are growing. And this fundraiser helps us keep growing right along with them.

🎟️ Tickets available NOW on our website!

Come for the cause. Stay for the music. Leave with a YETI full of cash if the universe is feeling particularly generous.

LET'S MAKE YEAR FIVE OUR BIGGEST ONE YET!

08/28/2026

☀️ THE GREAT SUMMER SEND-OFF! 🎉

If summer had to end, this was a pretty great way to send it off.

We went BIG for our final camp day!

Campers climbed, bounced, raced, and flew through giant inflatables, challenged new friends to classic yard games, gathered around the fire to cook, created some final pieces of summer art, and spent one more day running around Ruby Ranch simply enjoying being kids.

There was laughter.
There were new friendships.
There were tired legs, messy clothes, big smiles, and a whole lot of “Can we do it again?!”

And just like that…Summer camp 2026 is a wrap. ☀️

What a summer it has been.

So many kids walked onto the group tarp this year ready for an adventure. They climbed, created, built, explored, solved mysteries, cared for animals, tried new things, made new friends, got incredibly dirty, and hopefully went home with stories they’ll remember for a very long time.

This was one last chance to soak it all in.

One more campfire.
One more adventure.
One more day with friends.
One more really great day to be a kid.

To every family who trusted us with your children this summer: thank you. And to all of our campers, you made this summer pretty awesome.

That’s a wrap, summer. We sure had fun!

08/15/2026

🌈 Color Outside the Lines! 🎨☀️

What a beautifully colorful day at Ruby Ranch!

Sunshine overhead, paint-covered hands, and kids creating everywhere you looked. Campers spent the day making outdoor canvas art, Frisbee art, painted rocks, colorful God’s Eyes, and even headed into the woods to add some washable color to our forts!

No perfect lines. No perfect projects. Just imagination, nature, friendship, and the freedom to CREATE.

And somehow… we’re here.

☀️ ONE. CAMP. DAY. LEFT. ☀️

Our final summer camp is August 19, and then we officially close the book on another incredible camp season.

From muddy shoes and campfires to woodland adventures, new friendships, big ideas, and LOTS of paint…

What a beautifully colorful summer this has been. 🌈💚

We’re not quite ready to say goodbye to summer yet. One more adventure. Let’s make it count. ☀️🌿

08/12/2026

What if more of what our kids need is simply outside?

More dirt on their hands.
More trees overhead.
More room to move, wonder, experiment and play.

Research continues to connect meaningful experiences in nature with children’s well-being. And watching these little moments unfold at Ruby Ranch is such a beautiful reminder of why we choose to make the outdoors part of the classroom.

Here, learning doesn’t stop when we walk outside. Outside IS the classroom. Last minute enrollment openings for Little Rubies 2026–27

🐞 Preschool | Ages 3–4 ( (Licensed El. Education Degree + Early Childhood Degree)
7:1 ratio • FULL

🌻 Pre-K | Ages 4–5 (Licensed El. Education Degree + Early Childhood Degree)
10:1 ratio • FULL

🌲 Kindergarten (2 Licensed El. Education teachers)
15:1 ratio • 2 SPOTS AVAILABLE and one .5 M/W spot. Potentially a great fit for a homeschool family looking to add two days of hands-on, nature-rich learning each week.

🍎 First Grade (1 Licensed El. Education)
15:1 ratio • One M/W spot now available! Potentially a great fit for a homeschool family looking to add two days of hands-on, nature-rich learning each week.

If you’ve been looking for a kindergarten experience where childhood, academics, nature, animals, play and curiosity can all belong in the same place, come grow with us. 🌿

🎧 Podcast audio: therandallcarlson speaking on Shawn Ryan Show

MankatoMN MinnesotaKids LearningOutside ChildhoodUnplugged NatureSchool

08/12/2026

🕵️ Clue Camp Day 2 🔎

Another case. Another incredible group of new detectives. CASE SOLVED! 💎🚨

Our campers spent the morning building their detective toolkit: getting fingerprinted, exploring investigation tools, asking questions, taking notes, and learning skills they’d need when the real mystery began.

Because by afternoon… the Ruby Ranch Rubies were missing again!

This group had to observe carefully, communicate, decode clues, and work together to follow the evidence. They brought out the drone for an aerial view, but this time there was another piece of technology helping crack the case…the Ruby Ranch surveillance cameras!

Campers reviewed the footage, pieced together what happened, followed the clues, and worked as a team to recover the missing rubies.

Clue Camp may have looked like one giant mystery, but underneath all the fun, these kids were practicing observation, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and learning more about the people and tools that help keep a community safe.

A huge thank you to again to the Mankato Public Safety for spending the day with our campers. Their patience, enthusiasm, and willingness to let kids ask questions, explore, and learn made this experience so much more meaningful!

Thanks to this crew of Junior Detectives, the Ruby Ranch Rubies are safe and we think our community has a few more excellent problem-solvers ready to lend a hand.

08/08/2026

🕵️ CASE CLOSED: Clue Camp Day 1

Clue Camp started with a question: Do you have what it takes to be a detective?

Our campers certainly did.

In the morning, detectives received their own clue kits and learned how to use invisible ink, decoder wheels, notebooks, fingerprinting tools, and other investigative skills alongside the incredible team from Mankato Public Safety.

Then things got suspicious. Ruby Ranch Rubies were MISSING.
Suddenly, everything they’d learned that morning mattered.

Campers searched for clues, documented evidence, worked together, and cracked a coded message that told them their final clue could only be solved from above.

Enter the drone.

With Mankato Public Safety flying overhead, our detectives studied the live camera footage until they spotted something suspicious near the woods.

And then…80 little detectives TOOK OFF. (You’ll have to wait for the reel to see this footage!)

They raced across the Ranch, followed the evidence, and recovered the missing rubies!

This camp was teamwork, problem-solving, technology, observation, communication, and a whole lot of childhood adventure rolled into one unforgettable mystery.

A HUGE thank you to Mankato Public Safety for making this experience possible. Their team was patient, engaging, incredibly kind with our campers, and willing to answer approximately 7,492 questions! We are so grateful for community partners who invest their time in kids.

Swipe through to watch the case unfold. ➡️🔎

08/01/2026

07/30/2026

It takes a village to create unforgettable childhood memories. 💙 We’re so thankful for the incredible partnerships we’ve built with our community and local businesses this summer! Thank you, City of Mankato and Mankato Department of Public Safety, for making Clue Camp so special!

07/29/2026

🎯 Elevate Camp: Day 2 🏹

From the moment these campers arrived, this group showed what Elevate Camp is all about. They were respectful, calm, encouraging, and always willing to support one another.

Of course, there was plenty of adventure too! Campers built marshmallow shooters and warrior sticks, tested their aim with archery and BB guns, and practiced using flint and steel. learning that patience and perseverance often lead to the greatest rewards.

What made today special wasn’t just the activities. It was watching campers celebrate one another’s successes, offer a helping hand, and encourage friends to keep trying.

Sometimes the greatest target we can hit isn’t the bullseye—it’s becoming someone who builds others up.

A huge thank you to MEI for sponsoring and volunteering at this event and our all our wonderful volunteers from LAD Archery in St. Clair and Brandon from St. Clair for sharing your time and talents with our campers. Because of you, these kids experienced a day they’ll remember for years to come.

Thank you to this amazing group of young adventurers for reminding us that confidence, kindness, and courage are always worth aiming for!

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