Field trip : Pumpkin Patch

We set our sights on early October for our pumpkin patch visit in order to try to avoid a cold, miserable experience. And it worked, we had lovely sunny, but cool weather. Liisa was in town and able to join us.
Farm Wife Julie's daughter was the one to give us our lesson this year.

There was a hayride out to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins.

Everyone loved the pumpkin doughnuts and playing on the swings.

Nature Walk

We met some friends at the Audubon Trail for a little nature study. The kids climbed trees and logs, listened for birds when they managed to be quiet, and looked around.

We stopped for some sketching in our nature journals.

After our walk we had a picnic lunch in the park and all the children threw rocks in the river.

Robot

Mark got a Lego Mindstorms robot kit for the kids.

They've built a couple of the configurations and had a lot of fun thinking of things for it to do and recording their own voices for it to use. Henry likes helping to put the the robot together and they've all learned a little about robotics and computer programming, as well as the frustrations of technology.

Math circus

 They look so focused.

I wish I had taken a video instead of pictures, because you really need sound to get the full effect of math time here. Nora and Henry work on their fact sheets while I try to keep an eye on both of them and answer questions. Penny and Helena get to play with the extra manipulatives and are not quiet. Millie watches the operation from the living room.

 It feels a little chaotic, but they seem to be learning!

Field trip: Fire station

We went back to the fire station we visited two years ago. This time they took us around the ladder engine and showed us its features. We saw the small compartments where extra air tanks are stored and the different tool lockers. The jaws of life look heavy. One of the firemen turned out in his gear. When a call comes in they aim to leave within a minute and a half and that includes getting on the 70 lb. suit. They drove the engine out and extended the ladder for us. It is 105 ft. long! The truck has four stabilizing legs that come out before the ladder goes up. We also got to hear the siren.

Drawing

On Fridays for penmanship we draw something out of Draw Write Now. Today's subject was the cow. I drew the outline of the barn in Henry's picture, but everything else is his work. Nora's cow is being led by the hired girl.

Field trip : Goat farm

I bought some eggs at our Farmers' Market from a family that has a modern homestead. They were willing to let us come see their animals. It was a fun and educational morning. Did you know that goats use their horns to regulate their body temperature?
We met and petted chickens
and pigsand goats. Isn't he an impressive fellow?And then we enjoyed a picnic in the park. Likely the last one of the year.

Field trip : Apple Orchard

We met some friends at a local orchard for a field trip.
We were given instructions about how to pick the apples and what to avoid. Everyone filled a bucket.We headed back and everyone munched on apples while the farmer talked to us about the trees and bees and answered our questions. It was a lovely morning.
And we had an apple crisp for dessert tonight.