I had a really lovely afternoon with a group of ‘nuture hub’ pupils from a local primary school. We spent a very relaxed afternoon on an autumn farm walk, collecting items from nature. It was a great opportunity for the children to learn whilst doing, take the activity at their own pace and have time away from the confines and busy atmosphere of school. The staff attending took the opportunity to observe the children in a new environment with an unknown adult (me!). 

The lovely early years and reception children from Dormer House School, came out to Sandfield Farm today. The weather was perfect. The children were very good when it came to thinking of ideas of what might be dangerous on a real farm. We had a lovely walk, through the long grass to look at the wild bird mix cover crop. The children were very good at finding small seeds for the small birds and large seeds for the large birds. We then walked through the wheat stubble and heard the sound of the stubble crunching underneath are feet. 

The children were fascinated by the hole dug by the badgers looking for beetles, worms and slugs. Later in the day we found another hole made by the badgers for their latrine! Once in the field with the calves, the children were excellent at standing still and quietly, they loved the challenge of seeing how close the calves would come to them. The children found it hard to believe that the animals infront of them were only calves, rather than fully grown cows. 

As the weather was so wonderful we thought we would see which creatures we could catch in the pond. Most of the mini beasts caught in the pond were waterboatmen. As we walked back for lunch we looked at the different berries in the autumn hedgerow. 

The children loved the mud in the playwood after lunch. 

Today has been a busy day with the Year 3 and 4 children from Gretton school. Our topic today was Stoneage. The children told me lots of things they have already learnt in class. We then went outside and discovered how difficult it is to grind wheat to make flour by only using two large stones. Some of the children were very dedicated to this job and made some very fine flour, however, not enough to make a loaf of bread. 

The children then used the large stones to grind up charcoal from my campfire. The charcoal was then put into plastic pots and then mixed into a paste using oil. The children then used either small sticks or their fingers to draw stone age cave paintings on the cow shed walls. 

Then we moved onto chalk drawings and drew hunting story boards on the silage bales. 

The children then became Hunter-Gatherers and whilst on a farm walk the children filled their pots with seeds, flowers and berries. The Autumn hedgerow is an ideal time for this activity. Later the contents of the pots were fed to the chickens which they loved. 

Whilst on the farm walk I explained to the children that stone age man would often eat insects and so we went down to the pond and dipped for creatures. Strangely none of the children liked the idea of eating a water boatman! 

After lunch the children had a lovely time in the ‘play wood’ 

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The lovely children from Broadway Tower View Playschool put on their overalls and headed into the woods today. The children spent the whole day exploring the playwood. They remembered how to carry sticks safely and not to touch bird berries or mushrooms/fungi. 

As there is a lack of mud in the muddy puddles, I rigged up a hose so the children could fill their watering cans and fill up the muddy puddle. An old baking tray turned out to be the perfect mud sleigh. 

The children learnt about campfire safety and enjoyed eating crumpets and marshmallows toasted on the fire. 

They left the farm nearly as muddy as the pigs their saw having their mud bath. 

What a wonderful day I have had with the very lovely children, staff and parent helpers from Holy Apostles school in Cheltenham. The children were brilliant from the moment they stepped off the coach. Fly Dog had a fantastic day too playing ball with the children even though it is very hot! 

Our topic today was Into The Wild which meant we considered farm animals and crops and wild animals and plants. The children told me the names of farm animals and then they thought of lots of animals which may live on my farm. Later on we went pond dipping to find out which wild creatures live in the pond. On our way back for lunch we looked at some badger poo!

The children also walked through a wheat field and picked an ear of wheat to see if it was ripe enough for harvesting. Today the flour inside the wheat seeds is more of a white cream than a powder.  The children also learnt that farmers like some wild plants around the edge of their fields, so that the ladybirds and beetles can have a home by the wheat and eat the naughty aphids.  

The children learnt that the wild plants in the pond and the wild life area by the pond, were all put there by nature. 

After lunch the children went into the shade of the playwood and had a great time finding mud, whilst I continued building the new mud kitchen.