by CoombeMill
12 May 2012 09:00
Who sabotaged the Tractor Feed Run?
This past week we have had quite a few regular guests with school age children. I know it isn't the school holidays but many have made the long weekend at the last minute or taken a few days off school to make it the week. Either way we had a lovely group of boys aged about 7 - 12 who had a ball with the freedom of the farm.
Too old for tractor Rides?
While Clio has been joining in and helping our out younger guests with feeding the animals, my triplet boys, Guy and Jed together with their older brother Theo have been thick as thieves with the other boys staying. They have formed a real boy gang taking great delight in not joining in on the feed run, but instead stalking and ambushing from a distance. With Tree climbing, hiding and plotting obstructions, they have been having a wild time, of cause under the assumption that we had no idea what they were up to. Ahem, boys, with that din, we could hear you coming a mile away!
We saw this one in the making whilst we were busy feeding the lambs and Dotty our pregnant pig, it seemed a shame to spoil their fun so all the parents and I played along with their game until the tractor was coming, then it really did have to be dismantled before an accident happened!
It is lovely to see the children, who might in another setting have found a farm a little to young for them , actually forgetting their grown up persona at home, leaving behind the trendy gear and gadgets and just being like kids of old and enjoying some good old country play.
Country Kids is for everyone
I love to see what others have been up to and to share outdoor play ideas, so please join in, grab the badge and link up your adventures anywhere from the garden to the beach.
by CoombeMill
13 February 2012 20:30
A chance encounter
I was running along the camel trail late last year when I bumped into the year 5 / 6 primary teacher from our children's local village school. When I asked her what she was up to peering along the river bank she explained she was looking for a good place to come with the children as a day trip to bring their study of river and ponds to life. "Why not bring them down to Coombe Mill" I suggested, we have lakes, streams and the river Camel.
A school trip was developed
It was the perfect answer, we exchanged worksheets, the children continued with their study in class then out went the letters for a trip to Coombe Mill to see how much they could really discover. They arrived armed with clip boards and descriptions of beasties to identify, homemade nets from cane, tights and wire and yoghurt pots to capture their wildlife.
They were rewarded with plenty of pond skaters and dragon flies together with unknown beasties which they draw on their clip boards to identify back at school. The focus of their time was around the top end of the old trout lake which turned out to be perfect.
The mishaps
Well it wouldn't be a school trip without one managing to fall in!
After completing the pond work Farmer Nick added to the morning with a trip around the farm on the tractor. They all had a magical morning up close with the animals.
I love the way the hands go up as Farmer Nick takes over as teacher. It could only be a school trip!
See the rest of their farm adventures on video here. They really were a pleasure to take round
Back at the house it was relays to the bathroom and utility for hand washing before they tucked into my homemade cookies and fruit in our kitchen whist discussing all they had experienced here at Coombe Mill.
It must have made an impact on the children as now after any school cooking class, they safe all the vegetable scraps for Dotty and her piglets to enjoy and hand them to me to take at the end of the day.
I have a feeling it won't be the last school trip we host!
You can find plenty of helpful worksheets on the education page of our web site from foundation stage through to Key stage 2, including the pond life sheets the children were working on and how to make the dipping nets they used here on the lake. http://www.coombemill.com/education
by CoombeMill
10 December 2011 17:30
Farm Magic
Weekends are precious and when we are alone here on the farm we like to turn feeding the animals into a family affair. We can happily while away a morning on the farm, feeding and petting the animals, chatting and catching up on any little jobs that need doing along the way.
Driving Lessons
The children have been keen for Daddy to teach them how to drive the tractor. Today it was Theo's turn. All our younger guests have a "pretend" go, sitting on Farmer Nick or Ted's knee and helping at the wheel. Theo decided he wanted to be like his big brothers and really take control. Pretty good for a first try, though at age 9 he is still not strong enough to apply the brakes!
Some highlights from our morning
The animals are all very hungry now that winter is here and delighted to see us with their daily rations!
Daddy had his tool kit on hand for a spot of repairing in Jurassic Park (the Chicken, Duck and Wallaby enclosure). A few slats had fallen off the chicken shelters and they are an essential now that the weather is turning for winter. They will be all cosy again now and we may even find an egg or two for our breakfast in there!
The children rode back to the house in style as Daddy allowed them a somewhat unconventional ride on the tractor!
Please come and share your snaps of the children enjoying outdoor play. Active minds and bodies make for healthy kids.