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Pumpkin Patch Trip - 4 Hour Class

As Thanksgiving approached, we asked the children what they were thankful for. We listed each child’s comment on our board out front. I hope you had a chance to take a look. There was one common thread for sure and it was that we were all thankful for our families, friends and pets. We also made cranberry sauce which made our classroom smell so fall like with the cinnamon in the air. The children were very proud to take it home to share with you all.

On Wednesday, after the long weekend, we hopped on the school bus and headed to Westham Island Herb Farm in Ladner. We had perfect pumpkin patch weather with the sun shining that day. Once we arrived at the farm, we went on a tour of the farm and met some of the farm animals. The first animal we met was, Gracie, the Sicilian donkey. The tour guide fed Gracie an apple and she devoured it quickly. The goats were next, and there were plenty of them. The children enjoyed watching the goats running energetically in their pen. Then, we were off to see the hens and a snowy owl in the barn. But the most fun the children had was watching the family of pigs. The pigs were all so excited to see the children and came right towards them along the fence. The children laughed because of the funny noises the pigs made and their snouts were poking through the fence.



 
 
Then we went inside another barn to learn a bit about what is harvested on this farm besides pumpkins. We found out that artichokes have a beautiful purple flower that grows on the top. We also discovered that pumpkins are fruits and not a vegetable. We were also shown other vegetables that are harvested on the farm.


We then went out to the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin to take home. The children were all very particular in which pumpkin they wanted to take home. They took their time and checked out many pumpkins to find the "one". Some picked round ones, long ones, small one and even white ones. I do believe this was their favourite part of our trip, of course. After making big decisions, the children were all so very hungry and we had a picnic to enjoy our snacks before heading back to class. It was another successful outing for our class. We would also like to thank Sofia’s Mommy and Alvis’s Mommy for joining us and helping out.

After the pumpkin patch field trip, we have been following the children’s curiosity with pumpkins and have been further discovering more about them. During one of our circle times, we passed a pumpkin around and each child got to touch, smell and observe it. Here are some of the comments that they had:

 * feels hard
 * orange
 * smooth
 * smells like chocolate/ brownies
 * smells like bananas
 * heavy
 * has lines
 * slippery
 * smells like nothing
 * round

Next, we will cut open the pumpkin and let the children discover the inside of it. This will be interesting as it will become a sensory activity. We will also be baking pumpkin chocolate muffins to further our pumpkin interest.

Besides our pumpkin exploration, the children have been busy making lanterns for our Lantern Festival on October 20, here at West Richmond Community Centre. We hope you and your families were able to join us. Also, we will be having a Halloween party on Monday, October 31. There will be more details in the coming days.


Take care and until next time,

Deanna
 

 

 

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