The Nature Detectives launched into a busy and exciting week as they got to explore some new corners of Woodend on our hikes. After all the rainfall we’ve had lately we explored along the creek to see what it looked like now that most of the water had emptied out of the creek and into the pond. While exploring the kids got to see lots of animal tracks, find some new places to climb and explore, and clear out some fallen brush from the storms.

 

We also made our first trek out to a favorite spot at Woodend, the Ultimate Climber!  The Ultimate Climber is a section of the woods with a bunch of fallen logs that are fun for the kids to climb and balance on. The area also offers up some good log-rolling opportunities, and some other fun things to explore.

 

On Tuesday, the PM class took advantage of the sunny weather and had an all outside day! They had lots of fun having snack on the stage, making farm animal masks and turning various areas of the playground and outdoor classroom into outside versions of our classroom! The AM Class came across an Eastern Box Turtle in the meadow one morning as well and had fun watching it move around.

The highlight of the week was definitely our trip to Homestead Farm! The kids had a great time seeing all the farm animals, taking a hay ride, and picking out pumpkins!  Thank you to all the chaperones and parent volunteers that helped to make the trip a big success!

 

News From the Classroom:

In the classroom, we introduced some new learning areas and continued to keep the farm theme going. In the block area the kids made block barns for the farm animal toys, while in the dramatic play area the barn tent and farm animal costumes were back for more fun!

We introduced another kid-favorite learning area, the light table, as the kids got to build and make colorful designs with the Magnatiles. During our meeting time, the kids made estimates as to how many seeds were in the pumpkins we picked up from the farm. Later, we carved them open to see for ourselves how many seeds were inside! Then we toasted up some of the seeds and got to snack on them!

 

Each class capped off their trip to Homestead Farm by creating their own class books about the trip! We printed out photos from the trip and each child got to decorate a page and share a favorite memory or two (or five in some cases!) about their trip! Later during story time we read the book and we’ll keep the books in our book-nook for the kids to enjoy throughout the year!

 

Books We Read:

Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell

Senses on the Farm by Shelly Rotner

Our Trip to Homestead Farm by the Nature Detectives

 

 

Weekly Top Hits:

The Rules Song 

Farmer Ben Had a Farm (Tune: Old MacDonald)

Take Me Out to the Barnyard (Tune: Take Me Out to the Ballgame)

Take me out to the barnyard

Take me out there right now

Show me some pigs and a horse and a cow

I hear an oink and a neigh and a moo

There are chickens laying their eggs

If they don’t lay its a shame

Cuz it’s one, two, three eggs today

and I’m glad I came!

 

Spoiler Alert:

Next week we’ll turn our dramatic play area into a farm store!