SCHOOL TOURS
Cultivating Curiosity, Planting knowledge
We Nurture Fertile Minds
A child’s curiosity can be endless. It is this curiosity that we cultivate in our school tour program - reinforcing the vital link between what’s happening on the farm to the children’s daily lives in what they eat, drink and use everyday.
We provide students (preschool to grade 5) with the opportunity to experience and explore agriculture on a real working farm using their five senses. They are encouraged to do so through a mix of songs, hands on activities and experiences that are adapted to their age and comprehension level.
Our tours are structured to meet the requirements of the Ontario Science and Technology curriculum and the Language curriculum.
Preschool/ Primary Groups
Tours are available mid April through to the first week in November. Our spring and fall tours have 3 components which you can mix and match to customize your tour-
- Farm Animals – children will meet and feed the animals, learn about who they are, their characteristics and needs and the changes as they grow, as well as how we care for them and why we have them.
- Field Activities – These change with the season. Springtime children plant a strawberry plant which they will take home to nurture, hopefully producing some yummy strawberries. In the fall they will pick their own pumpkin to take home with them. With these activities the growth cycle of the plants is stressed along with parts of the plant and the importance of soil.
- Forest – story time in our Enchanted Forest full of fairy tales emphasizes language or See, Smell, Hear, Touch and sometimes Taste as children discover nature and what resides in our forest Our tours would not be complete without a wagon ride which gives the children a sense of the scope of farming and how it compares to the backyard garden. Play time in our farm related playgrounds helps the children experience the fun side of farms.
Tours can be 2, 3 or 4 hours in length.
Summer tours are ideal for camps and daycares with children up to 12 years old. They focus on fun and encouraging exercise; emphasizing games and activities that allow the children to experience agriculture through a variety of farm related themes. Check out our Summer Fun Tours.
Grades 3 – 5
Science in Agriculture Workshops
We have 4 hour workshops that focus on one concept in the Ontario Science and Technology curriculum for grades 3 to 5 that is relevant to and important for farmers to understand to enable them to have successful, productive farms.
- Grade 3 Soil and Composting
- Grade 4 Habitats and Communities
- Grade 5 Weather and the Water Cycle
KNOW, DO, APPLY The children spend the day filled with fun, informative activities focusing on these individual concepts. Through hands on experience, the students progress beyond a basic understanding of these concepts to applying this understanding to their daily lives.
Workshops are available September, early November and mid April to mid June.
BOOK YOUR TOUR
CALL LESLIE OR MYRNA AT (905) 887-1086
for more information on
current rates and tour dates available
Depending on the season and outside chores that need to be done, we are not always able to answer the phone. May through to October 31st you may fax your TOUR INFORMATION REQUEST sheet to Myrna at
(905) 887-9713.
For a faster response time November through to April please phone (905) 887-1086 to leave a request.
For our most recent newsletter, please click here.
A great source for agricultural related classroom resources can be found at www.oafe.org
No Smoking, No Outside Food and No Dogs