Skip to main content

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
 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

4 Year Old M/W/F Class – I Hear…I See…I Wonder…

We began one of our circle discussions with a question for the children, “What would you like to learn, wonder or hear about?” Here is what they said:    “Skateboarding, Soccer, Perches” (Connor) “Bikes” (Taylor) “Going outside to see if I left my toy” (Jun)  “The Sun” (Jack) “Rollerskating and Swimming” (Daniella)"Skating” (Noel) “Ball” (Sofie) “Scooter and Tricycle” (Masaki) “Shoes” (Ashlan) “When you put something under a pillow you can find it” (Tia) “Soccer” (Kyle) From my list I noticed quite a few of the children were interested in wheels, so at our next circle discussion we looked closely at a scooter and a pair of roller skates – as well as the wheels on a long board. The conversation brought up more questions and answers, which the children confidently discussed amongst themselves. One of the questions was “What makes this a scooter?” The conversation followed with “The scooter has a handle and a brake” and “I know how to ride a long board.” ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Social Responsibility: Down to the Core

Social responsibility- a term that has now become quite common in the field of education and has the potential to lose its meaning if we are not careful. As an early childhood educator, I have always placed great importance on the need to develop this way of thinking in young children. It is for this reason that we engage in activities that benefit others, such as volunteering at our local food bank, adopting an owl, or raising money for Variety Club. With the recent catastrophe in the Philippines, my mind was suddenly thrown into its own typhoon. I found myself asking questions around social responsibility and what it really means. What does it mean to me? What does it mean to my preschoolers? How far does it extend into the world around us? Can four year old children grasp these deep and complex concepts? What can they understand about their world? How can we teach them about being socially responsible to: ones self; ones family; ones community; ones province; ones country; ones worl...
6 comments
Read more

And We Begin

This week marks a new beginning for all of us. And, with all new beginnings, it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the past and think about what is to come. I have been going to yoga a lot this past while and one of the things the instructors mention at the onset of each class is to create an intention for your practice.  I thought a lot about this concept and decided that it would be interesting and important to apply it to my teaching on a deeper level than in the past. So, as I move into the year, I am hoping to set intentions, which I believe are different than goals. For me personally, goals are more structured and outcome driven. Intentions imply more of a journey. Balancing intentions with flexibility and openness will be the challenge.  I also want to explore the idea of children setting their own intentions. Can this work? Will they understand? Can we help support this idea without creating comparisons or pressure? I am really not sure. And so we begin...
4 comments
Read more