An activity farm park is a brilliant choice for a school or nursery day out as it provides educators with an opportunity to teach important parts of the curriculum in a stimulating and engaging environment. Farm parks also provide excellent value for money with many offering discounts for group bookings and school visits.
A farm park is a good setting in which to teach young children, particularly those in Key Stage 1 and 2. This is because the farm allows children to actively take part in physical tasks and demonstrations as opposed to being told about them or simply shown them. It is proven that allowing children to be ‘hands-on’ when learning will aid them in remembering the lessons they are being taught. This could include identifying animals, learning about the life-cycle of animal, discovering mini-beasts and seeing first-hand the daily life of a farm and all of the important ways farmers contribute to society. Activity farms usually collaborate with school teachers to develop a bespoke plan of action for the day which will include a mixture of educational workshops and fun activities.
Teaching children the importance of maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is very important and a farm park is the ideal place to do this. Educators can show children the interesting journey of crops, fruit and vegetables. Including planting, harvesting and how they ultimately end up on the children’s dinner plates! This also provides a great lead in to discussing healthy meal choices with children and encouraging them to take an active interest in the foods they eat.
In addition to eating healthily, children should also get at least one hour of physical activity a day to remain fit and well. Activity farms feature many energetic exercises that encourage children to keep active outside. Many of these activities are also team based which helps children to develop their social and personal skills, and teach them the importance of team-working.
There are many agricultural and rural affairs that affect the running of farms and their produce. Taking children outside of the classroom to a farm itself helps teachers to introduce children to these issues and create a forum for discussion and education. There are also a range of careers available within the farming industry which may not be immediately apparent to children and their families, so a visit to a farm encourages children to think about these careers as a future option.
A school trip to an activity farm provides a well-rounded day of education, fun and discovery!