Learning at the PA Farm Show

• Cows and other animals: Count the legs on a cow. Help your child identify what other animals have the same number of legs as a cow. Can you find an animal with two legs?
• Quilting: A quilt can have many different colors. Help your child identify the different colors on a quilt. A quilt can also have different shapes of fabric. Help your child identify the different shapes, like square, rectangle, star, or circle.
• Sheep, Pigs and other items: A sheep may feel soft, while a pig may feel rough. Help your child identify other items that may feel soft (like a blanket) and items that may feel rough (like a piece of wood). What other words can you use to describe items? How about smooth, wet, or cold?
• PA State Police: Police officers are community helpers and help keep us safe. What other types of community helpers are available? (Fire fighters, doctors, nurses, paramedics, teachers, veterinarians, forest rangers, crossing guards, etc.)
• School Bus: Watch or ride the school bus with your child. What color is the school bus? Say hello to the school bus driver. How does the door to the school bus open and close? How many wheels does the school bus have? Are the other vehicles with the same number of wheels as the school bus?

Old MacDonald – Familiar children’s song. Use different farm animals in the traditional version, or use “…on that farm he grew some ________ (mushrooms, apples, pumpkins, etc.)”

Horsing Around – Sit your child in your lap and bounce your knees while saying “Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up Go!”  On “Go”, stop bouncing, move your knees apart and gently lower your child a few inches.  It’s sure to get a giggle!

Here is a Beehive – Here is a beehive, but where are the bees? (clench fist). Hiding away where nobody sees (point to fist). Here they come, crawling out of their hive (open fist, one at a time). One, two, three, four, five!

Animal Antics – Children can imitate the sounds that the animals make.  Adult can prompt them to, “Moo like a cow, neigh like a horse, cluck like a duck, etc.”

Animal Antics – Together with your toddler move/act like animals (hop like a bunny, gallop like a horse, snort like a pig, moo like a cow, flap your arms like a bird).  Ask your toddler, what other animal actions can we do?

Sensory – What did you see, hear, smell, and touch at the Farm Show or your home or community? What surprises did you find?

What do they eat? – Ask your toddler to think about what the different animals eat. Do they eat grass? Do they eat meat? Talk about the differences between carnivores and herbivores.

Shape and Color Identification – Shapes and colors can be found everywhere around the Farm Show, your home or community. Help your toddler look around and identify the different shapes and colors that can be found. 

I Spy – Have an adult or your preschooler describe something that they spy in the environment. Use descriptive words (like round, or tall or blue) and have preschoolers guess what is being described. 

Animal Counting – Have children count how many of the same animal are in one area. 

Sensory – What did you and your preschooler see, hear, smell, and touch at the Farm Show or at home or in your community? What surprises did you find?

Comparing Size – Preschoolers can start learning about size differences by comparing the sizes of the animals, tractors, etc. Be sure to use words like: smaller, smallest, bigger, largest, etc.

Growing Food – When exploring the food at the Farm Show at home or in the community, prompt children by asking, “Who grew it? How did it get from the field to our plates? How long does it take to grow the items and then sell the items?” The book lists below also have books that feature foods. Ask your librarian to help you find one of the books to explore.

Scientific Thinking – There are many living and non-living things found at the Farm Show at home or in the community.  Explore the differences between the two and talk about how plants and animals grow and change. The book lists below also have books that feature foods. Ask your librarian to help you find one of the books to explore.

I Spy – Have an adult or your kindergartner describe something that they spy in the environment. Use descriptive words (like round, or tall or blue) and have kindergartners guess what is being described. 

Animal Counting – Have your kindergartner count how many of the same animal are in one area. 

Sensory – What did you and your kindergartner see, hear, smell, and touch at the Farm Show or at home or in your community? What surprises did you find?

Comparing Size – Kindergartners can start learning about size differences by comparing the sizes of the animals, tractors, etc. Be sure to use words like: smaller, smallest, bigger, largest, etc.

Growing Food – When exploring the food at the Farm Show at home or in the community, prompt your kindergartner by asking, “Who grew it? How did it get from the field to our plates? How long does it take to grow the items and then sell the items?” The book lists below also have books that feature foods. Ask your librarian to help you find one of the books to explore.

Scientific Thinking – There are many living and non-living things found at the Farm Show at home or in the community.  Explore the differences between the two and talk about how plants and animals grow and change. The book lists below also have books that feature foods. Ask your librarian to help you find one of the books to explore.