Field Trip: The Farm

This past week we took a field trip to a local farm.  The children got to go on a hayride pulled by a tractor.  They got to see peacocks, mules, horses, chickens, and donkeys.  We also got to have a picnic lunch and take home pumpkins from the farm.  

Health and Safety Activity: Hand Washing

Our health & safety activity for this past week was hand washing.  We put some hot cocoa mix on a plate to represent germs.  We asked the kids to rub their hand in the cocoa mix to simulate playing outside.  Next we asked the children to hold a piece of bread as if they were eating lunch.  The children got to see the germ transferred to the bread.  We hoped that this activity would show the children how germs are spread.  We also showed the children the proper technique for washing hands to remove germs.

Science Activity: Nature Feely Box

We cut a hole in a shoe box and asked the children to reach inside to feel around.  The children were asked to describe the items that they felt.  Was it hard or soft, was it rough or smooth, etc..  The items placed in the shoe box were all item you would find outside, such as leaves, twigs, and acorns.

Art Activity: Tissue Paper Pumpkins

We gave the children pumpkin shaped paper, orange tissue paper, and glue sticks at the art table.  The children used the glue and tissue paper to cover their pumpkins.  The children used their fine motor skills to tear the paper and apply the glue.

Story Book for October 10, 2008

Our story book for October 10 was And the Cow Said Moo by Mildred Phillips.  This story is about the animal sounds you would hear on a farm.

Language Activity: Farm Stories

The children told farm stories today.  They first drew a picture of what they might see on a farm.  Next they told the teacher their farm story.  The teacher wrote down each child's story for them.

Science Activity: Leaf Blowing

One of the science activities we did this past week was leaf blowing.  The children were given straws and were instructed to try to move a leaf across the table by blowing air through the straw.  This activity showed the children how air can move objects.  This activity also demonstrates cause and effect for the children.  

Art Activity: Scrubby Pad Painting

We gave the children scrubby pads, paper, and various colors of paint at the art table.  The scrubby pads made some interesting prints, and gave the children something new to use as a painting tool.

Art Activity: Tree Rubbings

We gave the children crayons, paper, and logs to let them do tree rubbings at the art table.  The children laid their paper on top of the logs and then rubbed their crayons across the paper.  The textures of the bark on the logs made for some interesting patterns.

Story Book for October 3, 2008

Our story book for October 3rd was Ten Sleepy Sheep by Phyllis Root.    This is the story of 10 lambs who aren't ready for bedtime, but who slowly fall asleep one by one.  This is also a counting book that counts backwards from 10 to 1.

Story Book for October 2, 2008

Our story book for October 2nd was Up, Up, Up!  It's Apple-picking Time by Jody Fickes Shapiro.

This is the story of a family that visits their Grandparent's farm to help pick apples.  The children in the story help pick apples, make apple cider, and sell apples at a roadside fruit stand.

Story Book for October 1, 2008

Our story book for October 1st was Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson.  This is the story of a young fox, Fletcher, who believes his favorite tree is sick because it's leaves are falling off.  

Cooking Activity: Fruit Cups

For our cooking activity this week we had the children make fruit cups.  The children used plastic knives to cut up apples, strawberries, pineapples, blue berries, grapes, and bananas.  This was a delicious and nutritious cooking activity.

Art Activity: Farm Animal Stamps

We gave the children some farm animal rubber stamps, construction paper and various colors of ink pads.  The children used these materials to make a picture any way they desired.  This was a good fine motor activity, and the children had to learn how to put equal pressure on all part of the stamp for the picture to be seen.

Story Book for September 30, 2008

Our story book for September 30th was Tractor Day by Candice Ransom.  This is a story of a girl who get to help her father do work on their farm.  She gets to ride along with her father on the tractor all day long.