{"id":5711,"date":"2016-10-28T08:22:17","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T12:22:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/?p=5711"},"modified":"2016-11-04T09:02:31","modified_gmt":"2016-11-04T13:02:31","slug":"pre-kindergarteners-enjoy-sights-sounds-fall-farm-field-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/pre-kindergarteners-enjoy-sights-sounds-fall-farm-field-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Pre-kindergarteners enjoy sights and sounds of fall with farm field trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

As each yellow school bus arrived at Hunt Club Farm, curious eyes peered through windowpanes to see what awaited outside.<\/p>\n

Horses and hay bales. Pigs and pumpkins. Goats and geese.<\/p>\n

Oh my!<\/p>\n

\"picture-1-school-bus\"<\/p>\n

It was the first field trip of the school year for pre-kindergarten students as part of their classroom studies on the changing seasons, living animals and life processes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was chosen as part of the seasonal change but also because it gives them opportunities to use their five senses to investigate and explore things that they can relate to and that they enjoy learning about,\u201d said Korrina Duprey, Title I\/pre-kindergarten instructional specialist. \u201cThey\u2019re just in awe and asking questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The day of awe and wonder began with hayride through the farm\u2019s grounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh my gosh! That\u2019s the biggest wheel!\u201d remarked one pre-kindergartener passing the tractor that would lead them through the farm.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan I get everybody to get really squishy?\u201d encouraged one of the farm\u2019s guides. \u201cGet real cozy. It\u2019s a little cool today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"picture-2-squishy\"<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s have your bottoms on the bales,\u201d said another guide preparing riders for the tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cHave fun, everybody! Enjoy the sights, sounds and smells<\/em> Hunt Club Farm has to offer. Tractor driver, they\u2019re all yours.\u201d<\/p>\n

With their bottoms on the bales, the pre-kindergarteners sat wide-eyed as the tractor pulled two carts of riders down a dirt road.<\/p>\n

It did not take long to reach the first highlight.<\/p>\n

\u201cHorsies!\u201d the 4 year olds exclaimed and pointed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi, horsies!\u201d they waved and shouted.<\/p>\n

\"picture-3-horsies\"<\/p>\n

The unbridled enthusiasm did not surprise Michelle Schoemaker, Parkway Elementary School prekindergarten teacher. They had been preparing students for weeks for this day.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is their first field trip. It\u2019s big time!\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe art teacher did a lesson with pumpkins,\u201d continued Shoemaker. \u201cWe did work with the alphabet letters and what kinds of things we might see on the farm. The music teacher has been doing farm animals with them since the beginning of school. We read the story Too Many Tamales<\/em> and talked about corn and did a popping corn experiment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Corn and pumpkins were discussed at the next stop on the tractor-led tour. A Hunt Club Farm employee at a station not far from the horses showed and talked about hay, straw, gourds, corn and popcorn before revealing one final item.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is the most popular thing we\u2019re here to talk about today?\u201d asked the guide.<\/p>\n

\u201cPumpkins!\u201d shouted the pre-kindergarteners.<\/p>\n

\u201cPumpkins! Yes!\u201d exclaimed the guide. \u201cI\u2019m getting ready to hold up a great big pumpkin so hold on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"picture-4-pumpkins\"<\/p>\n

\u201cPumpkins can be little, little and pumpkins can be ginormous, mighty large,\u201d said the guide. \u201cAnd pumpkins come in different colors, too. Look at this one!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa!!\u201d said the 4 year olds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not a pumpkin!\u201d shouted one student.<\/p>\n

The guide talked about peanut pumpkins, heirloom pumpkins and more pumpkins than anyone on the tour knew existed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you ready to go see our animals and get your pumpkins?\u201d asked the guide after telling students their next stop was the petting zoo and pumpkin patch.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes!\u201d was the unanimous response.<\/p>\n

The mention of animals sparked spontaneous singing inspired by music lessons from the past month.<\/p>\n

\u201cOld MacDonald had a farm. E-I-E-I-O,\u201d sang pre-kindergarteners as the tractor pulled them back to the front of the farm.<\/p>\n

Being within arm\u2019s reach of animals requires some ground rules, which a Hunt Club Farm employee shared with students with help from her pet dogs.<\/p>\n

No running, pushing or shoving. <\/em><\/p>\n

When we go to pet the animals today, please don\u2019t put your hands in their faces.<\/em><\/p>\n

When we feed animals, feed with an open palm – that minimizes your risk of being nibbled on. <\/em><\/p>\n

\"picture-5-ground-rules\"<\/p>\n

\u201cDo not feed the ponies, pigs, zebras or donkeys,\u201d said the guide. \u201cYes, we do have a zebra. Her name is Zoe. We also have a brand new baby donkey named Charlie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way to see the farm today,\u201d she added, \u201cis to start at the goat walk and go clockwise. Next are baby goats, exotic birds, llamas, zebras, donkeys and pigs. You\u2019ll see the aviary from the outside, then Charlie the baby donkey, chickens, goats and then off to the pumpkin patch.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a reminder to \u201calways be kind,\u201d the guide released the pre-kindergarteners and field trip chaperones to explore on their own.<\/p>\n

\"picture-6-exploration\"<\/p>\n

They poked their heads through fences and peered into smaller cages to get a closer look.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are eggs!\u201d announced one student observing chickens.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re going to crack soon!\u201d remarked the classmate by her side.<\/p>\n

Another animal was spotted nearby<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go see the camel!\u201d called out a student.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a llama,\u201d corrected her mom. \u201cLike in the llama books.\u201d<\/p>\n

Llamas were among the animals that could be fed, and pre-kindergarteners cautiously held out open palms of food and were tickled with delight when a llama selected their hand for food.<\/p>\n

\"picture-7-llama\"<\/p>\n

At each new location, students \u201ctalked\u201d with the animals. They crowed like roosters, snorted like pigs and quacked like ducks.<\/p>\n

They also mimicked the animals\u2019 movements.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, it\u2019s eating its lunch on one foot,\u201d said Schoemaker of a long-legged bird. \u201cDo you guys eat your lunch like that? Maybe we should try it today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why wait until lunch?<\/p>\n

Shoemaker\u2019s students tried balancing on one leg while watching the birds eat and bursting into a fit of giggles as they wobbled and lost their balance.<\/p>\n

\"picture-8-one-foot\"<\/p>\n

The pumpkin patch was the last stop before lunch. Students were allowed to choose any pumpkin they wanted to take home.<\/p>\n

Some squatted to get a better look at a pumpkin\u2019s stem. Some lifted one pumpkin after another to find the heaviest one. Others preferred pumpkins that were light and more like them \u2013 small.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got pumpkins!\u201d remarked one student proudly holding her prize from the day.<\/p>\n

\"picture-9-pumpkins\"<\/p>\n

There was no doubt pre-kindergarteners left their first field trip with more than just pumpkins. Wait until their music teacher hears all about the farm. E-I-E-I-O.<\/p>\n

Check out\u00a0more sights and sounds from the pre-kindergarten field trip to Hunt Club Farm in the video below.<\/p>\n