Staff and volunteers turned the school grounds behind Blackmore Elementary into a Pumpkin Patch full of fun learning opportunities for students on October 18.
Classes took turns going outside and rotating around the various stations. Each stop included information and a hands-on experience of some sort.
Students were able to pet the goats as they learned about how much milk a goat can produce, products made with goat milk, and a little bit about different types of goats.
A bull named Olaf and cow named Memphis provided an up-close look at how big cows really are. Many students were surprised at how much a full-grown cow weighs and how soft Memphis’ fur was.
There were chickens and a rooster that were helping to carve pumpkins, and a table where students learned more about chickens and the eggs they produce.
Mrs. Varner’s husband talked to students about farm equipment and allowed students to climb into the driver’s seat of a big tractor.
There was a station that taught about soil and the role worms play in helping the soil allow things to grow.
There was a station with rabbits, another one with high school students teaching students how to lasso, sensory tables, and an art station that allowed students to paint using apples.
There were two team-building stations set up as relay races. One required students to use a straw-bristled broom to sweep miniature pumpkins across the grass and the other was a sack race.
At the end of their class time in the pumpkin patch, students were able to select a pumpkin to take home and grab some popcorn and apple juice or apple cider.
Classrooms designed fun creations for a scarecrow decorating contest, which were on display in the Pumpkin Patch.
At the end of the day, there was a pumpkin drop contest. Each class was provided a pumpkin and students had to decide how they would keep it safe when dropped from the roof of the school.