Homeschool Field Trip: Apple Orchard
We’ve completed week two of our new homeschool year!
Things were business as usual for most of the week — but on Thursday we had our first field trip of the homeschool year, and the very first with our two newest students in tow! I thought I might be getting myself in over my head with this adventure, but it went well and we had a great time. We tagged along with a new homeschool group in the area. It was a budget-friendly trip, too, because going with a group allowed us the “field trip rate” of $5 per person. I found it amusing that we were hanging out with a crew of other homeschool kids and parents on the day I posted about socialization!
Pig Racing!
The kids had an assortment of “firsts” on this trip, but I’d experienced most of these things before. However, one experience in particular was new to me: pig racing! {Because this is Georgia, y’all!}
Click photo to watch the video clip!
It was hilarious. The pigs race for Oreo cookies. I think the kids’ loved it because they got to yell “suey” as loud as possible the whole race!
What are eggs made of?
We’ve had a lot of discussion around here that led me to realize these kids needed to get to a farm! Questions along the lines of, “Mama, are eggs made of wheat?”
On this field trip to an apple orchard, we learned surprisingly little about apples, but we did get meet (and milk!) Buttercup the cow. The kids practiced first on a fake cow. (No photos of actual cow milking because I was busy helping herd kids so everyone got a turn.)
We listened to an animated bull head tell us about milk production, went on a wagon ride, shelled corn to feed the animals, toured a [creepy] farmhouse museum, tasted apple cider, and visited a petting zoo area where the kids got to feed goats, pet a 12-day-old calf, and hold a baby chick. Though I’d say the trip was geared for elementary ages, Kathryn and I enjoyed the day, too. Any day I get to play with goats is a fun day for me!
After all that fun, we ate a picnic lunch and the kids played on slides and a little zip-line before heading home.
Next time we do an apple orchard field trip, I’ll try a different one, but we did have a great time, and the cider slushie and fried apple pies I bought were delicious!
I’m linking up with these lovely ladies:
– Mary’s Collage Friday at Home Grown Learners
– Kris’ Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers
Wife, mom, J-ma. Introvert who enjoys good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand – unless it’s lost yet again in the microwave. Read more »
What a fun field trip! I think the pig racing might just have been my favorite:)
And you are never too young to call the hogs (at least here in Arkansas anyway;)
Sounds like fun!
I had to laugh when you mentioned that the field trip was on the same day as your blog about socialization for homeschool kids. I loved that post as well.
I wonder if that’s the same group that did pig racing when Jay and I went up to Frisco, CO this summer. The group that we saw came from North Carolina, I believe. It was a lot of fun to watch and yes, the kids loved yelling, “Suey!” Glad you’re having fun with the learning!
My favourite is the delightful look of wonder and joy on Jem’s face, while he holds that chick. So precious!
I loved the pig racing. I was raised a city boy but I lived for a time in a much more rural area. Up there I got to play cow patty bingo. Basically you bought a square on a map. Then they released a cow into a pasture with lines marking out the squares. Then you wait… I found it hilarious being from the city I had never heard of such a thing. I also would never have imagined racing pigs.
I’ve never heard of cow patty bingo, but that’s hilarious! It does sound a bit more adult in nature in that it would be pretty boring for kids to wait until the cow decided to go. I wonder if the farmer keeps those pigs just for racing because I can’t imagine they’d produce much pork if they raced very often! So did the kids find out where eggs come from? Sounds like a very fun day!
I can imagine it being more adult but in this case there were a lot of kids with squares yelling at the cow. You can pretty much imagine what they were yelling although with parent right there it was still only PG. It was at a family oriented fundraiser but I can’t remember the cause.
That sounds like a fun field trip. I had never seen a pig race until we went to a farm this summer in England.
I totally knew which orchard that was as you were describing it. We went there years ago when Brianna was 7 or 8. It was kind of lame…but if I’d known you were going, I’d have gotten you to pick up an apple fritter for me. Yum!
What a great time on that field trip! That pig racing is SOO funny! Enjoy your school this week!