Prep Farm Excursion

On the 29th of April, the Prep Learning Community went on an excursion to Animal Land Children’s Farm in Diggers Rest. Learners embarked on the journey at 9:15 a.m. on a double-decker bus.

On arrival, the learners were met by some of the farmers and split us into two groups, and the busy day began. One of the most anticipated activities was the pony rides, which did not disappoint. The Preps also had time to play on the playground. They met and milked the friendly cow ‘Ella’. The milk produced was then placed in a wooden butter churner, and some learners rotated the handle to churn the fresh milk into butter. The farmer also took some time at this point to share and discuss the various dairy products that are made using cow’s milk (e.g. cheese, yoghurt, ice cream), and the Preps then shared if they eat any of the discussed foods.

Following this was a visit to the animal nursery, where learners could hold and pat rabbits and guinea pigs. During lunchtime, the learners tried the butter they made on crackers and it was delicious!

After lunch, learners were lucky enough to go on a tractor ride around the farm, with the farmer stopping several times for the preps to observe the pigs wallowing in the mud, the hens laying on the eggs, and even time to feed the ducks, sheep and alpacas.

Another activity learners had a go at was scooping up the sheep poo with a shovel. This is an important duty that the farmers have to ensure the animals have healthy grazing land. At the end of the day all learners who participated received a certificate from the farm.

It was an engaging and insightful day, and learners had a wonderful time. The knowledge gained from the farm excursion has been applied and extended in the Inquiry unit and through Rich Texts in Literacy. Learners are continuing to deepen their understanding of farm animals (e.g. differentiating between male and female animals and learning about what products come from specific animals, etc), the responsibilities of farmers (e.g. shearing sheep, milking cows, collecting eggs, harvesting crops, maintaining pasture, etc) and the significance that farms have in society, such as providing food (e.g. fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat products, etc) and fibres (e.g cotton and wool). Learners have been creating an ‘Animal Journal’ to display their work related to this unit.