Pumpkins & Piglets: Farm Day in the Early Learning Center

There were lots of small hands to hold as the preschoolers left the Early Learning Center (ELC) in late October and boarded the yellow school buses to Cramer Farm in Lynden. Volunteers and staff were enlisted for a ratio of two kids per adult. The 2:1 ratio worked out great for this group of three- and four-year-olds to be able to fully experience their first field trip.

Assistant director of teaching and learning Dr. Deborah Haney is focused on early childhood education in her role. She helped out on the field trip as one of the staff on hand, and was as thrilled as the kids after they returned. She noted that "the kids were totally engaged in the 1.5 hours they were onsite at the farm." 

Providing experiential learning opportunities like this field trip is a powerful addition to the ELC program this year according to Dr. Haney. The children experienced firsthand (and some for the first time) farm animals such as baby pigs, guinea hens, calves, etc...which gave new insight to the oinks, moos and quacks shared in the ELC classroom. 

ELC teachers Renee Haskell and Sheila Clark started thinking about the possibility of a trip to a farm soon after the school year began. In September, Haskell was able to nab the Cramer Farm date before reservations filled up and arrange the transportation. For about one third of the kids, this was also their first time on a school bus. 

The point of taking the kids?  "We wanted the children to have an experience that would be developmentally appropriate, connected to the current season, and fun!" Haskell shared.

We asked the ELC teachers additional questions about leading the farm entourage that day. 

Why are these kinds of experiences for young children so impactful?

Clark: So much of early childhood education is about capitalizing on the magic and wonder of the seasonal changes happening around us. Going to a farm allowed us to move beyond the changing colors of the leaves. Leaving the classroom allowed some children to share their expertise with their classmates in new ways, and for others, it was their very first time being so close to farm animals and seeing pumpkins growing on the vine. All of the children gained a memorable life experience and came back even more bonded to one another than they had left.

The trip also allowed children to step forward as leaders in a new way. At the very end of our day, my class rode the tractor train. At the end of the ride, Luis jumped out of his car and walked right up to the driver to say thank you. Seeing this, his classmates followed him and began saying thank you, too. It was unprompted, and a reflection of how my kids felt about the day and about who they are.

Haskell: Field trips provide rich learning experiences for our youngest learners. For example, when children wait in line to board a bus, stay seated on the bus, take turns looking at or touching an item during the field trip, and listening to a guest speaker, or answering questions, they are practicing social skills. Visiting a farm provided an opportunity for our learners to learn outside of the classroom. They were able to touch animals, feel the cool air on their skin, smell the farm smells, hear the horses and pigs, and see a different landscape than what they see at school. They learned that pumpkins grow on the ground (not at the grocery store). Field trips are a valuable piece to the whole child’s educational experience.

 Why did you choose a pumpkin patch and a farm?

Clark: We have so many great fall field trip opportunities in Whatcom County. We knew in September that we needed a month or two with our kids, to establish relationships and really get to know them before taking them out in the world, and visiting a pumpkin patch at the end of October seemed like the perfect opportunity. Cramer’s has a really great set up for young children. There is a small playground, farm animals, a wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch, and a tractor train ride. There is a little something for everyone. 

Was this the first time on a bus for some of the kids?

Clark: Yes! I was able to sit with a student on our way to the farm. He is a little boy who joined our group after the school year began and in a busy preschool class it can be tricky to find one-on-one time, to deeply connect. We sat together on the bus and in a mix of English and Spanish, he told me everything he saw out the window, all the way to Lynden! It has transformed our relationship. He knows he is seen and that I really do want to know everything that he has to say.

What were some of the most precious quotes you heard going there, coming back, and back in the classroom about the experience?

Clark: Leading up to the trip, Cecelia’s mom shared, “She dreams of riding that school bus.”

Haskell: “You’re going to ride the bus with me? I love you so much!”

What was your biggest takeaway after the field trip once you were back and the kids had departed for home?

Clark: So much of our work in early childhood is to create a predictable environment with predictable routines and expectations, but stepping away from those routines and out into the world allows us to grow in new and deeper ways. We can paint pumpkins and sing Old McDonald Had a Farm, but it all has significantly deeper meaning for a child after they have picked a pumpkin out of the patch and seen and interacted with the animals we’ve been singing about in person.

Haskell: This trip was absolutely worth every hour of planning, phone calls, ParentSquare messages, and all that went into making it happen.The joy was palpable, and I will carry that with me always. Absolute pure joy!

Congratulations to the ELC staff, the volunteers, and the students on their first ever field trip!

Farm photos courtesy of Deb Haney.

The Early Learning Center in the District Office of Bellingham Public Schools opened in fall 2024 and serves families in Whatcom County looking for quality preschool.