Chloe's Arboretum Field Trip & A Thanksgiving Feast!

Chloe and Evan both have this week off for Thanksgiving break, so this past week they celebrated Thanksgiving with their classes.

I took leave on Wednesday to help chaperone Chloe's class field trip to the Arboretum. Teachers, parents, and grandparents from each of the six Kindergarten classes planned, organized, and created six stations to create a First Thanksgiving experience for the Kindergarten classes.

This happened to be a record-setting day for cold weather. It started off in the high teens, but eventually warmed up into the 50's by lunchtime. The parents dressed up as Pilgrims and Native Americans, like the students. We all dressed in lots of layers:)

At the first station, Chloe's class station, she made "bead"necklaces out of pasta and dyed cloth. Each station led with a presentation that was given by a parent/(s) to explain the activity and how it related to Native American or Early Colonial life.

 

The second station was the "snack time" station. The kids ate popcorn while listening to a story in a teepee. (Sorry, I didn't get a picture of the teepee.)

Afterwards, they had a relay race. The object of this relay wasn't to finish the fastest, but to get the most popcorn into the bucket. I could try to explain the game, but it may be easier to show you the pictures...

The third station was the game station. The students had a pumpkin roll relay race and saw how far they could toss rocks using their feet. I had an active part at this station, so I didn't get very many photos.

However, I did get a picture of the Thankful Circle.

" Handkerchief,  handkerchief, 'round it goes, where it stops, nobody  knows, but when it does, someone will say, what they're thankful for this day!"

At the fourth station, the students danced and made drums and rainsticks.

I spotted a local news station reporting on the event and couldn't resist taking a couple of pictures.

At the fifth station, we learned about the Pilgrims and painted corn. This was the only picture that I took at this station...I was starting to get hungry, so I think I was focused on how much longer we had until lunchtime. Ha!

At the final station, we "rode the Mayflower" and the students learned how to weave.

Then it was time for lunch! We spread out our blankets for a Thanksgiving feast.

The only picture that I managed to get of me and Chloe was a selfie taken with my phone...bad lighting, awkward angle.

The food was blessed....

And, we enjoyed our feast!:)

I have to say that I was very impressed with all the thought and planning that went into this field trip. It turned out to be a very fun and educational day.