The wonderful Year 4 and 5 children from Cropthorne with Charlton school made their second visit to the farm this school year. It was lovely to see how excited they were about being back on the farm. 

We didn’t have a specific topic to cover and so it was decided that a team activity would be a fun way to spend the morning. In groups of three, the children were asked to build a raft for a rubber duck and include a rope to pull the raft through the water. The children did a really good job using natural materials in the wood and didn’t seem to notice the rain pouring down. We walked to the pond to launch the rafts. The pond is very full and lapping at the bottom of the island bridge.

After a run through two fields we went to see the calves which looked very cute sleeping in the straw. The one year old calves were very happy to be fed some silage. 

After lunch the children had a great time in the play wood. 

It was really lovely to see Year 4 children from Sedgeberrow C of E First School. The topic of the day was Super Heroes, which isn’t perhaps the most obvious for a farm trip. We started the day discussing milk processing and how Louis Pasteur invented Pasteurization which prolongs the life span of milk. 

We then moved onto the book ‘Super-Worm’ which then lead on to me explaining how farmers love worms and the role worms have to play in nutrient release and providing air and water channels. I measured out a cubic metre and asked the children to guess how many worms live in a healthy soil of that size. Answer 740. 

We then went outside and looked at the pile of farmyard manure which the worms will be breaking down later in the Spring. Then we went to see the calves and the source of the farmyard manure. 

The children were keen to see the pond and how deep it is after the very wet winter. Although we looked hard we could see very little life in the pond. I think the water is still cold and much of the pond life is living deep in the mud.  

Our walk took us to the western side of the farm. I gave the children trowels to dig up the soil. They found plenty of worms

 

and decided to make the sticky soil into clay balls and pots. On our way back for lunch we stopped under the pylon to discuss sound and electricity. 

As ever the children loved the wood.

This week I have had the pleasure of meeting all the reception children from St Richards C of E First School. Our topic was Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The children remembered the traditional tales that they had been working on in class. They told me about making gingerbread men which sounded delicious. I put out clues and the children had to tell me which traditional tale I was thinking of…

The children then helped me to remember the story of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ by finding the correct picture for my story board. After snack we walked up to the little wood, via the calf pens and muddy puddles. 

In the little wood I gave each group a ‘Goldiducks and the Three Brown Pine Cones’. I asked the children to build a bear house, a bowl of porridge, a chair and a bed. Although some children were less used to the great outdoors than others, it was a very positive experience for all. 

After lunch some of the children found my muddy puddles!  

Year 3 from Sedgeberrow C of E First School came out on a cold and muddy day. The children had a great time learning the best way to walk through mud without loosing their wellies. 

Our topic today was ‘plants’, I had expected to be showing the children lush green grass and the odd spring flower. Sadly the weather this winter has meant that everything is delayed by a few weeks. The children were able to tell me about the experiments they had conducted in school and knew what a plant needed for growth. I added to their list by reminding them that farmers often add plant food and showed them the bags of fertilizer and the huge smelly pile of farm yard manure. 

As we walked past the older calves in the field, the children could see how much damage the calves had made to the wet ground. I explained that we are struggling to find good grass for the calves to eat because the ground is too wet and cold for the grass to grow.  

During our walk we went past the wild bird mix plantation and thought about the different ways seeds are spread. We also looked at the bee hives in the orchard but decided it was too cold to see any bees. Hopefully when the blossom comes out in the orchard we will see lots of bees drinking nectar and spreading pollen. 

Towards the end of our walk the children were given a trowel and asked to dig up a wheat plant and have a look at the different parts of the plant. They also pulled up sunflower plants and looked at the size of the roots.