Apple Picking

Fall is in full swing around here in Ohio.  The leaves are turning, and I'm finding more and more in my yard each morning.  The weather is definitely much cooler (the highs have been in the low to mid 50s the last couple days), and apples and pumpkins are everywhere!

Yesterday the students on our team (there are 4 K teachers per team; 3 K teams in our building) had the opportunity to meet us at the apple orchard.  The orchard we went to is about 10 miles out of town with a kid-friendly staff.  Parents were responsible for purchasing their own apples, their own transportation and the supervision of their child.  The orchard is very accommodating in respect to purchasing apples- they offer a smaller bag for $3, which is the perfect size for kindergartners.  Many families took advantage of the larger bags as well.

The orchard staff gave a quick presentation sharing what they grow at the farm and asking for and answering questions for kiddos and families.  Our tour guide then took us out to see the 4 types of apples we could pick, showed us the giant heads of cabbage they grow and showed us the pumpkin patch.

After the presentation, kiddos and families were free to pick apples and pumpkins.  Teachers were around to help pick, chat and take pictures (that was just me on the pictures).

This is the 8th year I've done this trip, many times with different staff joining me.  Each year the kids love it, and I've had quite a few families tell me they've gone back in other years because their kids liked it so much.  That makes this a win in my book; giving kids experiences that they may not otherwise get.  Happy Fall!

How do you celebrate fall in (or out of) your classroom?