The Farm that Kindergarten Built

An early morning visit to the kindergarten on Friday was a chance for a guided tour of the farm. It’s a magnificent project now complete – a capstone to a year of exploration, research, discovery and creation. And the children are proud to show their work and point out their individual contributions.

And a grand farm it is too with barns and sheds, plenty of animals, and a house with  garden and a greenhouse.

And of course – since this is Sprout Creek Farm –  it has a river flowing through the pastures.

This farm was built with effort, perseverance and attention

Look at the details of the fences and roofs. Admire the abundance of animals in the fields, the glass on the greenhouse, the accuracy of the layout the imaginative use of materials.

It began with aerial photos of the farm from Google Earth. The children translated them into plans and outlines for the buildings and drawings of what each child chose to re-create with the materials at hand. Blocks of course, plenty of blocks but also all the wealth of construction material available in a well-stocked kindergarten.

And the miracle is – the complete farm was built by individuals working as a part of the group. There’s pride in the personal contribution but also in the whole spread. And think of the problem solving and negotiation that had to occur for this to evolve from concept to creation.

But what am I thinking?

It didn’t begin with Google Earth. It began with a visit from the farmers in September and monthly farm visits by the children who experienced first hand how life and work  at the farm  change through the seasons.

My virtual farm visit was a great way to start the day.

Thank you Robbie and all the children in the kindergarten. I know you all enjoyed building the farm and all your visits to see the farmers and the animals. And I so enjoyed your stories and the model farm you made.

Learning at its best.