Back at Ambury Farm

After having our gathering time at the farm and singing Nau mai Kautou to the new children who joined us at the farm for the first time we went off to have morning tea.

Then Janine came by and told us she was off to work the horses if we wanted to come and watch. Then Garry arrived to tell us the truck was coming to pick up some cattle so we had a choice of what to do!! The children organised themselves to play 'Duck,duck, goose' and then we heard the truck rumbling in the gate.

 

 WE raced off to wait at the fence until the truck was in position, then went and sat on our viewing place to watch them load the cattle. Some had to go up the ramp to the top floor so it was very interesting watching them go on.

 Then it was off to watch Janine lunge the horses. they are learning at the farm too. They are learning to follow instructions and be able to pull a wagon or a plough. They are huge Clydesdales called Colin and Connor and they like having work to do.

On our walk through the paddocks we found a dead rabbit last term and we have been watching it decompose. There is only some skin and fur left now and we can see the bones appearing. It has created a lot of discussion with the children about what happened to it.

 Finally we get to admire the amazing view back over the farm as we climb our ladder and wander down the walkway, past our very productive community garden. Back at kindergarten in time for lunch.

Kindergarten Awareness week Day 1- Keeping Ambury Farm clean and rubbish free.

Today is the first day of Kindergarten Awareness Week and the focus is "Sustainable communities".
Ambury Farm is very much a part of our community  and today we took the rubbish bags and went through the areas where there had been enjoying the farm barbecue and play areas to make sure there was no rubbish left. Ambury Farm is a regional farm park and visitors must "Pack in and Pack out" i.e. take their rubbish with them but some hadn't and we found a big black bag of rubbish.

Early on we watched the truck come and take the lambs away to be food!!This is a working farm so sometimes the questions and events are hard to answer!!especially for city kids who think meat comes from the supermarket.

Then there was just time for  a juicie on the rocks before we walked back to kindergarten. 
We found after such a hot sunny day we really needed to water our garden too.

An enduring game - the bird game

The bird game began last year when we noticed different birds at the farm and wondered what they might be. We researched and found they were oyster catchers and then Janine from the farm gave us the 'birds of Ambury" pictures and we started to add to the them. We put them on the board, take some away and the thinking begins! "which birds are gone" the person hiding the birds asks and everyone tries to guess. Sam and Paddy have become masters at the game and help others by giving clues - very good clues like  - it has a colour round it's eye - for a wax or silver eye. Today they wanted to add a bald eagle and a New Zealand falcon as these are Paddy's favourites and then he told us we should have a Moa too - but they are extinct.
So we made the new birds and added them to the game and it was time to play again.We must have 30 or 40 birds that some avid players know the names of now. We are creating 'enviro kids' that know our local birds and we hope they will think carefully about taking care of them too.

First Day Back at Ambury Farm

It was clear and hot for our first day back at Ambury Farm. We did a round of the animals to check out any new arrivals.

We had a look in the hutches of the chickens for eggs but no luck. Then we went to see MR Big and Baby G. Mr Big was very disappointed we didn't have food!! but it really looks like he doesn't need any more.

Lastly there was time for morning tea before we began our walk back to kindergarten. On the way we saw Caitlyn driving the tractor with the manure spreader - it helps the grass grow. She's a great tractor driver.

We had enough time for a juicie - in the shade, not on our usual stopping place at the rockpile and a play in the paddock then across the ladder and back to kindergarten for lunch. We were all pretty tired after our big day at the farm.

Kindergarten at the farm - Bird Hide

It was wet wet wet today when we assembled at the farm but had reduced to drizzle by the time we walked along the back track to the Bird Hide. The weather is fairly important each day when we are at the farm as we go there rain or shine. The children become much more aware of the weather; of rain, wind and cold and this is an important part of our learning in this environment.

We admired this amazing big puddle as we went past - and watched the ducks happily swimming.
Then down the track to the Bird Hide we went.

The Bird Hide overlooks the Dotterel nesting area so we got out the binoculars to see what we could see!

There was just time for a splash in the mud - always a BIG treat puddles of either water or mud.

Then it was time to walk back through the paddocks to kindergarten. Another interesting, exciting, fun day at the farm.

Kindergarten at the farm - the Rocky Shore

Create your own photo album

Roger the Rooster arrives

Robyn called in this afternoon with our very own copy of Roger the Rooster of Ambury Farm. The book is in print and we were happy to be able to purchase some copies for use at the kindergarten. Copies will be available through major bookshops - and from Robyn at her email address.
robyn@rogertherooster.co.nz

Back at the Farm - the first time this term

We love being at the farm and today was our first day back after the holidays. We had lots of children with us who have just joined the morning session and for them this was the first time at Kindergarten on the Farm. We needed to learn the rules at the farm and the children who are old hands were happy to help the new children learn:
No chasing animals
Wait at the gate till an adult comes
Don't touch the electric fence!!!
No climbing on fences, gates or rock walls.
Great remembering everyone.
First we checked out the sheep yards where Garry was organising to sort the sheep and drench them too.

We really like watching the everyday jobs around the farm and this time we learnt about wool too as Janine was taking some bales away. The wool was a bit smelly but will make great jumpers, scarves or socks the children thought.

Once we had had mat-time we went off for a bit of an explore in the bush area close by. It is a fun place to find bugs or climb trees.

Next stop we wandered off to the animals to check out pigs (and give Sou E a scratch), turkeys - the babies Skywalker and Talula have grown since we were here - and then into the chickens to wonder if we could see any eggs. No luck today.

While we walked along suddenly there was a rainbow above us. It looked stunning and one of the children suggested we could slide down it. It did look that close.

Lastly there was just time for a scramble over the rocks on our way home through the paddocks. Rock climbing is a highlight of the walk home. It's tricky climbing with a bag on your back but it's good balancing practice too.

The walk home is just part of being at the farm now and we have fabulous walkers who amble along chatting and playing and ENJOYING the walk.

A visit from Robyn Murray author of her new book Roger the Rooster

What a surprise, today Robyn Murray dropped in to show us her new book about Roger the Rooster at Ambury Farm. Robyn had heard about our special affinity with Ambury Farm and thought we might be interested to hear her story. It was just at mat-time too so we invited Robyn in and she read her new book to us. She tells us it will be published very soon ( just like ours) and she will bring a copy back for us to purchase as soon as it is ready.
What a great story - we love the animals at our farm and so this will be a special book for us. Her book is available by contacting Robyn at:
robyn@rogertherooster.co.nz

A special farm day - a visit to Ambury Park centre for riding therapy

Our friend Janine from Ambury Farm had organised a special day for us - a visit to the Riding Therapy centre at the other end of Ambury farm. We had mat-time as usual, looked and smelt and felt the day and then we had a long long walk to the centre.

When we walked past the big trees Zinnie called "look Carol the trees are dying" and when Carol asked why he said" cos its getting cold now and nearly winter".
Being out in the natural environment is a great way for children to gain understandings of the natural world and in this case of the seasons passing.

The trees are in our favourite farm paddock "the Lost Gardens". we like it there and often spend time there exploring.

When we got to the centre we had morning tea together under the trees.

Then we went off to the stables and we were lucky enough to see the farrier working putting new shoes on the horse.

We walked along and patted the horses - they were very patient and coped well with so many small children. The children were very calm and quiet and got to pat the noses of the horses.

Then we had another morning tea and went to meet the pony club horses who came over to see us. By then it was time for us to go back to kindergarten, another big walk. The children are very good at walking now and wander along checking out things in their path and having a chat. It is fun and very sociable.

A very very big thankyou to the Therapy Centre for hosting our visit.