Down on the Farm
Early Years pupils were invited to explore Claxby Grange Farm this week.
Farmer Andrew and Farmer Sarah welcomed the pupils to their farm in Market Rasen along with Verity from The Country Trust.
The children had a fruit snack to start the day and changed into their wellies, ready to explore the outdoors around the farm.
Verity had previously provided a ‘Farm in a Bag’ to Theddlethorpe Academy to allow the pupils to learn a little more about the smells and textures found on a farm before the visit.
Farmer Andrew spoke to the children about what types of things they grow on the farm and they were very good at identifying wheat and sugar beet.
The children were then asked if they could help find the friend of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’, the much-loved children’s book by Eric Carle that they read in class.
Pupils were very good at spotting the animals on the farm including birds like a robin and an owl. We even found the home of the resident barn owl which lives on the farm.
They also found creepy crawlies such as a ladybird and Mr Spider, and of course the woodland creatures like a deer, a squirrel and a hedgehog.
After they found all of the caterpillars’ friends, Verity suggested they look for the caterpillar himself, so all the children took part in a ‘bug hunt’ in the woodland area of the farm.
The children found all sorts of wildlife including wiggly worms, soldier beetles, slugs, millipedes and a violet beetle.
Farmer Andrew then led everyone back to the outdoor classroom for lunch where the children watched a video on the growing and harvesting of potatoes that takes place on the farm.
The day ended with lots of fun activities such as dressing up, sitting in Farmer Andrew’s tractor, planting sunflower seeds and making flour from grain from the farm.
We would like to thank Verity Chappell and The Country Trust for the trip and of course to Farmer Andrew and Farmer Sarah for allowing us to explore their farm.
Miss Marrows said: “From the beginning of the process, Verity has been amazing! From supplying us with our ‘Farm in a Bag’, to inviting me along for a health and safety visit to meet Andrew and Sarah and discuss the desired outcome for the trip.
As soon as the children got off the coach, everyone was so welcoming and caring. They tailored the day to support our current topic, Nature Detectives, by including a wildlife hunt, nature hunt, sunflower planting, flour making and observing the tractor.
It has been a truly wonderful experience for the children and we send our gratitude.”
