Field Tripping

It's only mid October, but Joy School has been full of field trips!  So far we've made visits to Apple Hill, the fish hatchery, a pet store, and the pumpkin patch.  Getting out with these kids to explore and learn is always a fun time.  We joined up with another joy school group to visit High Hill Ranch at Apple Hill.  Look at all of these cute almost kindergartners! (and a few siblings as well.)

We lucked out that the field trip was on the one and only cool day in September.  Trading shorts and t-shirts for jackets and jeans, even just for the morning, felt so good!  Those jackets came in handy when we got to go in the huge warehouse where all of the apples are stored.  The kids loved seeing their breath, and I loved learning that they can keep apples fresh for a year in there.  Amazing.

I call this guy my seventh joy schooler.

So far I've taught four weeks of joy school, and he's fit right in. What a difference a year makes.  Instead of trying to get my attention, he's sitting on the carpet and raising his hand to participate.  It's just darling.

A few more Apple Hill pics:

 

For the past month two of our joy schoolers have been out of town.  It's made taking a quick field trip really easy.  Wendy took the kids to the fish hatchery, and for our 'all about animals' lesson, the kids and I took a thirty minute walk around the pet store. 

Just this week, we took a trip to Zittle's Pumpkin Patch.  Look at those pink cheeks.  It was way too hot for October.  Oh Fall, where are you???  Fifteen minutes into our walk around the pumpkin patch both boys were asking when we would be done.  I kind of felt the same way.  Could we please just get out of there?  But we lasted through a tour, hay ride and choosing a pumpkin to take home.  And I even squeezed a smile out of these guys before they headed to the car without hesitation.