We were all looking forward to heading to the farm. We had not been in two whole weeks so we were all experiencing farm deprivation disorder! We craved outdoor time, running on the paths, and checking out our favourite spots. We had no particular agenda- nothing to plant, nothing to weed, nothing to harvest and literally nothing to do! Perfect!! Actually, we did have one special thing happening there but I will get to that in a moment.
The children could not get off the bus fast enough, bounding down the tall stairs. Jackets on, zipped up, hats and mitts on, ready to face the chill of December. The children tossed their knapsacks onto the picnic table with abandon, and began to run around the courtyard area, obediently staying on the paths
( finally, four months later they have learnt to stay out of the garden beds). They shouted, they chased and fell down! Once our initial burst of energy was out (only slightly), we walked over to the compost to see what the worms were eating- mostly apples, an orange peel and maybe squash. Time to go check out our fava beans, the ones we planted with our Dixon buddies. Would they be poking up? Indeed, they were! Questions arose like "I wonder how fast they will grow?" and "Do they like their blanket?" (referring to the straw mulch)
Some of us marvelled at this.... this........this... carrot! Zev tasted the green "fuzzies" and said "Yummy. They taste yummy!".
I suggested we go look at our own garden and check on our garlic. Since the fava beans were poking out from the straw, would our garlic be doing the same? Alas, it was! The children were happy to see the tops of the garlic and Bryn was relieved that our own fava beans were still growing strong.
Since our last visit I had laid down bags and bags of dried leaves to protect the few crops that are sill in the garden. I wondered if the children remembered the purpose of mulching as we discussed it on our last visit. I was elated to discover that they not only remembered but understood the concept of mulching. Hooray!
Last time we were at the farm we ended up playing around the Parson's House. They had loved it so much so I asked them if they would like to walk towards it again. Claps, cheers and squeals of delight ensued so I took that as a "yes" and we began our journey. The lovely thing about having a good staff ratio is that we can walk in small groups at different paces. Really, it is so wonderful to enjoy these moments; listening to the children, sharing ideas, being silent and relishing freedom.
Jackets off, mitts in pockets, hats stuffed into hoods... their bodies warm from running,. How healthy..inhaling this beautiful Terra Nova air!
We arrived at the house, in staggered groups, and again I found myself smiling with joy as so many children remembered the history of the house and who had lived there. I love seeing their growth, in terms of making connections. They are so clever, so intuitive and so ready to take information in. Games of hide n' seek, tag, and leaf pile jumping followed until we realized that our special event did need some time and we best do a reality check and wander back to the barn. This was an important event. And what was the event you ask. Well, it goes like this...
I think I might have already mentioned that Luca has a very special stuffed animal named Penguino. And, it was a result of Penguino, that our class embarked on the explorations of penguins, eggs, birthing, families and genetics- wow, talk about a domino effect! Well, according to Luca, Penguino's birthday was on Tuesday ( I have since learnt that he has many many birthdays but this is irrelevant). I thought it would be fun to celebrate Penguino's birthday in class because as a group we are all very intrigued with Penguino. I asked Luca if this would interest him and he said without heistation, yes!. I spoke to his mom and asked if she could ask Luca to bring Penguino to school on Wednesday so we could celebrate together. I was going to pick up a treat but his mom kindly offered to send a snack. Luca entered the preschool room with a huge bag filled with Penguino and a tuppperware filled with rice krispie squares.
At greeting time, we talked about our special celebration and all the children were absolutely jubilant about Penguino's birthday. We planned to sing and eat at the farm and this is exactly what we did. A few of the girls planned out a song and dance which was to follow our happy birthday song.
I was completely enchanted with the group as they took on Luca's adoration of Peguino and made it their own. I was impressed that they supported each other, supported Luca and adopted Penguino into their life. They did not pass judgement nor did they make an attempt to dismiss the idea. I think we can learn a lot from this event. We have the power to believe in what we want, we can suspend our disbelief and go on a fantastical journey. Find your own journey... today.
Emily
The children could not get off the bus fast enough, bounding down the tall stairs. Jackets on, zipped up, hats and mitts on, ready to face the chill of December. The children tossed their knapsacks onto the picnic table with abandon, and began to run around the courtyard area, obediently staying on the paths
( finally, four months later they have learnt to stay out of the garden beds). They shouted, they chased and fell down! Once our initial burst of energy was out (only slightly), we walked over to the compost to see what the worms were eating- mostly apples, an orange peel and maybe squash. Time to go check out our fava beans, the ones we planted with our Dixon buddies. Would they be poking up? Indeed, they were! Questions arose like "I wonder how fast they will grow?" and "Do they like their blanket?" (referring to the straw mulch)
I suggested we go look at our own garden and check on our garlic. Since the fava beans were poking out from the straw, would our garlic be doing the same? Alas, it was! The children were happy to see the tops of the garlic and Bryn was relieved that our own fava beans were still growing strong.
 |
| Garlic under its blanket |
Last time we were at the farm we ended up playing around the Parson's House. They had loved it so much so I asked them if they would like to walk towards it again. Claps, cheers and squeals of delight ensued so I took that as a "yes" and we began our journey. The lovely thing about having a good staff ratio is that we can walk in small groups at different paces. Really, it is so wonderful to enjoy these moments; listening to the children, sharing ideas, being silent and relishing freedom.
 |
| Throwing rocks in the water-look at the pattern it makes! |
We arrived at the house, in staggered groups, and again I found myself smiling with joy as so many children remembered the history of the house and who had lived there. I love seeing their growth, in terms of making connections. They are so clever, so intuitive and so ready to take information in. Games of hide n' seek, tag, and leaf pile jumping followed until we realized that our special event did need some time and we best do a reality check and wander back to the barn. This was an important event. And what was the event you ask. Well, it goes like this...
I think I might have already mentioned that Luca has a very special stuffed animal named Penguino. And, it was a result of Penguino, that our class embarked on the explorations of penguins, eggs, birthing, families and genetics- wow, talk about a domino effect! Well, according to Luca, Penguino's birthday was on Tuesday ( I have since learnt that he has many many birthdays but this is irrelevant). I thought it would be fun to celebrate Penguino's birthday in class because as a group we are all very intrigued with Penguino. I asked Luca if this would interest him and he said without heistation, yes!. I spoke to his mom and asked if she could ask Luca to bring Penguino to school on Wednesday so we could celebrate together. I was going to pick up a treat but his mom kindly offered to send a snack. Luca entered the preschool room with a huge bag filled with Penguino and a tuppperware filled with rice krispie squares.
At greeting time, we talked about our special celebration and all the children were absolutely jubilant about Penguino's birthday. We planned to sing and eat at the farm and this is exactly what we did. A few of the girls planned out a song and dance which was to follow our happy birthday song.
I was completely enchanted with the group as they took on Luca's adoration of Peguino and made it their own. I was impressed that they supported each other, supported Luca and adopted Penguino into their life. They did not pass judgement nor did they make an attempt to dismiss the idea. I think we can learn a lot from this event. We have the power to believe in what we want, we can suspend our disbelief and go on a fantastical journey. Find your own journey... today.
Emily
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