Apple Hill

(This post has been featured in the Carnival of Homeschooling for Oct 25th, 2011.  I am very excited to be included!  Go check out the rest of the Carnival over at http://deweystreehouse.blogspot.com/2011/10/carnival-of-homeschooling-304.html)

I love field trips!  We took one as a family to Apple Hill and it was very, very fun!

On the car ride there, Hubby asked me if this would actually "count" as a field trip.  As in, would it actually be educational enough.  Of course it would!  Here are all the ways that I can think of that learning happened: 

1. On the drive there, Primus spontaneously started pointing out hills and valleys.  That led to a discussion of mountains vs. hills.  As we got closer, we could even see the mountains way out in the distance.  We also had a discussion of what a foothill is.

2. We picked apples.  This is real-world experience.  Plus, she got to see where the food we eat at the grocery store comes from. 

3. The kids got to run around the little hay-bale maze.  That uses problem solving and critical thinking skills, right?

4. She took a $5 bill with her and the maze cost $3.  So she learned about getting change.  She also learned very quickly that $2 won't buy very much at the Craft fair.

5. We got to see chickens, goats, and a couple calves.

6. When we got home, she helped make apple pie.  Real-world experience, plus counting and measuring skills.

7. We are starting a unit on animals.  So we began a couple days ago with a discussion of living vs. non living things.  On the drive home, she had to draw pictures of living and non-living things that she saw during the trip. 

8. Then after we got home, I had her try and label her pictures all by herself, so she had to practice sounding them out and figuring out the spelling.

Can you think of anything to add to our list?