October Harvest Fun
by Adventurous Learning Childcare on 10/22/17
This month we have really dialed in on activities that focus on fall, we have been harvesting veggies that the children grew, learning using apples, taking an educational trip to the pumpkin patch, made a pumpkin volcano an more!
Gardens are a natural area for learning, children love the colors, smells, dirt, and plants. We have also found that when they have a hand in growing vegetables they are much more likely to eat them! We are already looking forward to spring when we can plant our 2018 garden!
In addition to harvesting our garden most of our learning activities have been centered around fall, we have used apples to talk about the 5 senses, made apple stamps to use for art. Kids could count the number of apple stamps they had on their papers, play with patterns and colors, and improve dexterity. We have also made pumpkin projects, paper bag apple trees, applesauce, celebrated birthdays, and we even took a field trip to the pumpkin patch.
Our annual pumpkin patch trip is one of everyone’s favorite days all year. This year we went to a farm that taught us about all the different varieties of pumpkins, animals, and even apples. We are fortunate to live in an area that welcome preschool groups like ours to come and learn. The children all had such a great time and we were lucky enough to come at a time when the weather was nice outside and not too wet or rainy. While at the pumpkin patch we made sure to get a pumpkin for our science project- a pumpkin volcano.
Meet the pumpkin volcano! We were so excited to find this idea on Pinterest and decided it would be the perfect way to incorporate some science into our Halloween fun. The kids enjoyed the process and learned about the reaction that happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar.
When combined, the two active ingredients; sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and Acetic acid (found in the vinegar) combine to form carbonic acid which breaks down to water and carbon dioxide creating an “eruption” of epic proportions, at least it seems epic when you watch it coming out of a pumpkin. Overall the project was a great success and the children had a great time.
I look forward to the next week as we continue with our fall learning and have our harvest party with all the children in their costumes. Check back next month to see how much fun November brings!
