A Trip to The Pumpkin "Patch"

What a BUSY day!!  Today we started in our morning circle talking about our Out and About.  When we told the kids we were headed to the pumpkin patch, they were ecstatic! Some of them even said that they had seen the pumpkin patch driving to school this morning!  Lucky for us, no one mentioned that it was not truly a pumpkin patch.....but rather a bunch of pumpkins in a tent in a parking lot!!  When resources are limited.....we work with what we have!! 

During our morning circle we read The Pumpkin Patch by Margaret Macnamara.  We did explain to the children that we wouldn't be able to see the pumpkins where they actually grow, but that the farmer had already picked them and brought them to Charlotte for people to buy. They were fine with that, and I don't think it even tempered their excitement any!

 

Before we headed out on this most beautiful day, Ms. Michelle had some fun things for us to do!  First there was an obstacle course that we completed as we crawled around on our knees.  Over all kinds of barriers, then across a big ball on our bellies!  The kids LOVED it!  Then, Ms. Michelle gave us colored scarves to dance around with. We waved them up and down and side to side.  Lastly, Ms. Michelle had special "soup" for us.  Two kinds!  The first was "meatball soup".  She had a bowl filled with balls of floam.  Each child took one and passed the bowl to their friends.  We made pretend hot dogs, pancakes, meatballs, and noodles.  The next soup was a little messier!  There was a  bag full of real, cooked, noddles, grapes and oranges .  Each child had to put their hands in the bag and add to our soup bowl.  Before they could pass it to their friends.....they had to mix it up.....with their hands.  Our friends who aren't fond of getting messy kindly asked Ms. Michelle for a spoon!!  Everyone is making progress.....now they know that we won't leave them dirty.....we will let them wash clean.....AFTER they complete the activity!!

 

 

 

We left straight from Ms. Michelle out to East Boulevard to find our way to the pumpkin patch!  The kids are starting to get the hang of holding the rope and walking in a line, so we move MUCH faster than our first trip around the block!  Maybe now they realize there is something good waiting, if we can just get where we are going! 

 

As expected we had the pumpkin patch all to ourselves.  We explored little pumpkins, big pumpkins, giant pumpkins, bumpy pumpkins.....orange pumpkins, green pumpkins, even white and yellow pumpkins.  We saw a big scarecrow and bails of hay!  The kids worked together to decide on the PERFECT class pumpkin.  This decision took some negotiation and some convincing.....but we all finally agreed! 

 

 

 

We didn't have time to explore the insides of our pumpkin today.....so we'll save that for tomorrow!  The kids should be extra tired this afternoon.  Crawling and dancing around with Ms. Michelle, walking to and from the pumpkin patch.....there was LOTS of exercise today.  Although on our way out to meet parents at the end of the day there were cries of "OH NO.....we forgot to go to the playground today!!".   Maybe their not as tired as we think they are......