Pumpkins

We spent the past two weeks learning about farms, farm animals, and pumpkins.  We read several books about farms including The Big Red Barn, and The Perfect Day.  We also read several books and poems about pumpkins including Apples and Pumpkins, and Five Little Pumpkins sitting on a Gate. Below is the link to Five Little Pumpkins in case you want to sing it at home.  The kids love this one!!

Five Little Pumpkins

The kids had fun bringing in show and tell items that were related to farms.  We had various types of farm tractors, pictures of pumpkins in a field, and different types of toy farm animals including horses, pigs, cows, and goats.  We also had several books about farms and farm animals that the kids shared with each other.

We had our first extended day this past week.  Seven students stayed to eat lunch at school and have some extra time to play with their friends both inside and out!

The highlight of the past two weeks was our trip to the Pumpkin Farm!  All of us had an opportunity to go for a very muddy  hayride to the pumpkin patch and choose a pumpkin!  Mrs. Chyko and I picked up a pie pumpkin while we were there and last week we cut it open at school and baked it!

Mrs. Jenkins brought in different instruments to show us during music class including a guitar and a drum!  We each had a chance to play one of the instruments she shared with us.

Mrs. Willer brought in lots of outdoor equipment for us to have an extended outdoor movement time!

During activity time some of the things we've been working with include floor puzzles, aqua doodle mats, creating giant train tracks on the floor with our train sets, playing with play dough, painting on bubble wrap to create textured apples, using our Little People Farm set and tractor, and using our imagination to create things with bunchems.

The Maple Leafers at the Pumpkin Farm!

Trying out some of Mrs. Jenkins instruments.

Activity time, playdough is on the big table, painting at the rainbow table, and various other activities around the room.

On orange day we cut open an orange pumpkin and baked it in the oven!

We saved the seeds to toast and try next week!

Our completed apple art.  The kids painted on bubble wrap and then pressed the apple shape on top.  We used red, yellow and green paint since apples come in those colors.

While the pumpkin was baking we played outside.  It smelled good when we came back inside!

Our baked pumpkins!! Mrs. Gould scooped out the soft part inside and pureed it at home.  We'll be using it to make pumpkin bread next week!

Play dough is one of the kids favorite activities!