Farm theme week 1

This year, in addition to his math and language textbooks, I have decided to do a unit study approach to homeschooling with my 2nd grade son (Ryder). My little one (Colton) is also going to be doing a preschool level of these unit studies alongside him.

My 5/6th grade daughter (Willow) will be doing Teaching Textbooks as well as the Prairie Primer curriculum which is based on the Little House on the Prairie book series. She is excited about doing all the pioneer type activities. So am I to be honest. I loved the show as a girl and, as a mother, I really appreciate their good, wholesomeness that you don't see much of these days.

So, we began our school year with a farm theme. With this unit my focus has been on trying to teach my boys where their food originally comes from and how it gets on our table. Ryder still mixes up his meat, calling his beef chicken and vice versa, but I'm hoping for him to have a clearer understanding after this two week farm study. As always, if we go over time or under I'm not going to be concerned. I want this to last as long as their interest level does. So I will try to remain patiently flexible.

Here are a few highlights from our first week :)

I set out little trays for Colton with things related to our theme. He got to enjoy decorating his cow picture with his new dabber pens.

Colton LOVES to cut. He isn't quite ready to cut anything more than straight lines.

Ryder did a few language worksheets.

Coloring pages come in handy whenever I need a quiet minute with Ryder to read or talk with him about something in his math. Colton did a quick scribble on this then proceeded to cut it into bits so there won't be any 'after' image!

I made a few fun file folder games for Colton and Ryder and was pleasantly surprised by how well this one went over. 

More scissor practice. I had him say the farm animal's name once he cut all the way up to it. Once he got to an animal he didnt know, he got mad and cut the paper up! Sigh.

I downloaded these free from the internet somewhere as well as some other farm related sequence cards. I then laminated and cut them out. The kids put them in the corrected order and actually got stumped on a few!

The kids created a farm scene using farm animal stamps.

Ryder doing his Math text book (non-farm related).

I remembered the rolled up farm mat we've had upstairs forever and had the kids get it down. Then I gave them a Toob set of farm animals I had and they had fun playing on the mat with them. My big girl couldn't resist joining in too and even made it more educational by bringing in some pretend money 'to buy land from the bank'. 

We made butter in mason jars. LOTS of fun. This was also part of Willow's PP (Prairie Primer). 

Though shaking the cream to get it to turn into butter can be quite tiring apparently. 

Always so dramatic lol.

We took a quick trip to a very local little farm to see their baby calf and goats. After feeding them one bag of grain and discovering the sand area with all it's trucks, the boys quickly lost interest and went to play over there!

Willow, on the other hand, was thrilled and spent a good hour feeding corn husks to the animals. She loved it and claimed she wanted to be a farmer when she is older! And a bunny breeder.

We also went to visit at a neighbor's goat farm just down the road from us. What a blessing! She went over and above teaching the kids everything about goats. In the above pics they are weighing a goat named Amy who she was fattening up for breeding.  

Willow walking Amy. 

Quick shot of kids with the farm dog. 

Our neighbor helping the boys pick apples to feed the goats and sheep. 

Part of Willow's PP activities were to make her own cornbread using bacon fat to go with dinner. We found a recipe that used butter instead and she made this all by herself. Learning how to not overmix, how to seperate eggs, why you fold instead of mixing in the egg whites etc. 

She was very proud of herself and the whole thing got gobbled up because it was utterly delicious (especially when topped with homemade butter and real maple syrup!).

 Some of our other activities:

 Working with daddy on our new rabbit hutch.

 Working in the garden (great lessons in where our food comes from). 

 New building toys to create with. 

'lets see what happens if we pour water through them, Mom!'

Boys were proud of their creations and wanting pictures. A very rare request around here so I was happy to oblige!

 Ryder's organized drawer.  

Nature walk through the trails.

Drawing in nature journals.

More animals. Colton was fascinated by the bull's horns in the petting zoo at Hopkinton Fair. 

The kids started back at co op this week also. This is Colton in his first class of the day with the other little ones. 

 Ryder's Crazy Concoctions class where they got to blow up a balloon using only the gases from the chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda mixing.

Ryder's balloon was the biggest.

Library fun!

See you next week for week 2 of our farm theme!