January—April
Enjoy fun on the farm in winter! Read & Explore is a fun and educational program that combines hands-on activities with listening to a story. This hands-on educational program is a great cure for cabin fever and a way to stay connected to the farm during the winter months.
Parents/guardians and young children (ages preschool to 8 years) are welcome.
Each program costs $12 per participating child and includes the materials for the activity.
The programs are on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and last about one hour.
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
We have a wonderful lineup of Read & Explore programs planned for 2024, so if you are looking for a cure for your kids’ cabin fever, check them out:
Read & Explore: Gingerbread Man
January 20, 2024, 10 a.m.
January 23, 2024, 10 a.m.
We will read “The Gingerbread Man” and then each child will decorate a big gingerbread man cookie to take home. Kids will be amazed at how many gingerbread man ingredients come from farms.
Read & Explore: Animal Tracks
February 6, 2024, 10 a.m.
February 10, 2024, 10 a.m.
We will read books about animals in winter and talk about wintertime in nature. After story time, we will make bird feeders with wild bird seed for everyone to take home and help the birds through winter. Weather permitting, we’ll visit our farm animals and see if we can match tracks to each.
Read & Explore: Fur, Feathers & Fluff: Keeping Warm in Winter
February 27, 2024, 10 a.m.
March 2, 2024, 10 a.m.
Learn about how animals keep themselves warm in winter. We will read two stories about animals and explore the sense of touch with wool, feathers, etc. Each child will make a paper bag animal to take home with lots of “fluff.”
Read & Explore: Birds, Nesting & Birdhouses
March 12, 2024, 10 a.m.
March 16, 2024, 10 a.m.
Birds are starting to think about making homes for their babies. We will read stories about birds. Each child will make a birdhouse and get some nesting material to take home.
Read & Explore: Getting Ready for Spring
April 2, 2024, 10 a.m.
April 6, 2024, 10 a.m.
We will get ready to wake up from winter and prepare to start gardening. As St. Patrick’s Day is the traditional day to plant peas and spinach and get the garden ready, we will start our gardens too! Our reading is a selection from “Frog and Toad Are Friends.” Each child will plant seeds to take home.
Read & Explore: Composting
April 16, 2024, 10 a.m.
April 20, 2024, 10 a.m.
Learn about turning our “garbage” back into soil. We’ll read stories about worms and compost. Each child will make a compost container to take home.