Gatineau Ottawa Daycare Outing: 5 Sensory Experiences to Enjoy on the Farm
For young children, learning is largely done through experience.
Touching, listening, observing, smelling and manipulating allow us to discover the world in a way other than through an image or a story.
That's why a daycare outing to a farm in Gatineau can become a real sensory exploration ground for little ones.
Here are five very simple experiences to do with a daycare or CPE group.
1. Observe the animals very closely
Seeing an animal in a book and finding yourself face to face with it are two completely different experiences.
At the farm, children can observe:
its size;
the color of its fur;
her ears;
its paws;
the way it moves;
what he eats.
The educators can accompany this observation with a few simple questions.
"Is he taller than you?"
"How many legs do you see?"
"Is its fur long or short?"
"What is he doing right now?"
No need for a long explanation. At this age, simply observing carefully is already a skill to be learned.
2. Discover different textures
The farm offers a huge variety of natural textures to compare.
Hay doesn't feel the same as wood.
An animal's coat can be soft, woolly, or coarser.
Dry soil is very different from wet soil.
A leaf can be smooth while bark is rough.
Just ask:
"Is it soft or rough?"
"Does it sting a little?"
"What is the sweetest?"
These small comparisons allow children to enrich their vocabulary while discovering their environment.
3. Listen to the sounds of the farm
An outing can also become a little listening game.
For a few seconds, ask the children not to talk and to listen to what is happening around them.
They might hear:
an animal;
a bird;
the wind;
leaves;
steps;
other children;
a vehicle in the distance.
Then ask the question:
"What did you hear?"
This very simple activity encourages children to slow down and pay attention to sounds they would otherwise ignore.
4. Feed an animal gently
Feeding an animal is often one of the most memorable moments of a visit.
For young children, this experience also allows them to work on several skills.
Wait your turn.
Listen to instructions.
Approach slowly.
Observe the animal's reaction.
Keep calm.
Children thus discover that an animal is a living being with its own behavior and that its rhythm must be respected.
For some children, reaching out to an animal even requires a little courage.
5. Create after observing
A sensory experience can then become an artistic activity.
After meeting the animals, the children can draw their favorite or choose colors that remind them of their visit.
A ceramic painting activity also allows the experience to be extended.
Painting a small animal after observing it in real life creates an interesting link between discovery and creation.
The child can then remember:
"My pet had ears like that."
"He was dark-haired."
"His wool was white."
The creative process becomes a way of recounting what he has just experienced.
Some simple questions to ask during the outing
With toddlers, there is no need to prepare a complicated questionnaire.
A few open-ended questions are enough:
Which animal do you prefer?
Which one is the largest?
Which animal is the gentlest?
What sound did you hear?
What do you see?
What can you feel?
What color do you see the most?
What animal would you like to draw after the visit?
These questions can also be revisited upon returning to daycare.
After the visit: extend the experience at the CPE
An outing does not necessarily have to end when the bus leaves again.
In the following days, the children can:
draw their favorite animal;
look at the photos taken during the visit;
tell the group a memory;
to reproduce the sounds of animals;
classify pictures of animals;
create a small farm with blocks;
read an animal picture book;
review the vocabulary learned during the outing.
Photos taken on site also become an excellent medium to encourage children to talk about what they experienced.
An outing suitable for nursery groups
At Ferme Éco des Champs in Aylmer, we welcome daycares and CPEs to discover the farm and meet the animals.
Groups can feed the animals, enjoy the farm and have a space for their snack or dinner depending on the package booked.
It is also possible to add a ceramic painting activity.
Our workshop bus can accommodate up to 15 children at a time.
For a larger group, a rotational formula works very well: while one small group paints, the other discovers the animals, then the groups change activities.
This allows children to enjoy each experience in a smaller, calmer group.
An outing where children can truly explore
For young children, the simplest experiences are often the ones they still talk about several days later.
Touch the hay.
To hear an animal.
Hold a few grains of food in your hand.
Observe an alpaca up close.
Paint your little pet.
A trip to the farm simply gives children the opportunity to discover with their whole body and all their senses.
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