February Vacation Week on the Farm

 Though the winter may freeze the soil, there are still tiny creatures busy at work. Children will have fun learning about these little critters that turn garbage into 'gold,' nurturing our soil, and helping our crops to grow. They will dig in and sift through looking for life, eyes wide with amazement with each discovery and even by the heat that these decomposers create as they work. And not only is this life in the farm’s compost piles but also in the woods. Children will also listen to stories, play winter games, and take home a project to remember their experiences.

Not only are many of the animals out and about during the winter, but so are the local fairies and gnomes. Children will explore the farm, woods, and meadows in search of traces of these elusive and magical creatures. Maybe they will find footprints, a home, or even catch a glimpse of one skipping or flitting through the trees. Then children will build cozy homes for the magical creatures that live closer to them. Children will also listen to stories, play winter games, and take home a project to remember their experiences.

 Through a combination of written clues, identification traits, and other natural signs, children will try to gather as many scavenger hunt items and specimens as possible, They will then design their own scavenger hunts for others to follow and solve.

Our farm animals always find ways to have fun and stay warm in the winter. But what warms them the most is having children visit and help take care of them. And there are many other animals to discover in the habitats around us, playing in the frosty air or simply looking for food. The joy of these visits and the discovery of scurrying, bounding, flitting, and soaring wildlife (or the tracks they left behind) will fill this winter morning at the farm. Children will also listen to stories, play games, and take home a project to remember their experiences.