Reception

Do Cows Drink Milk?

Old Macdonald had a farm, e-i-e-i-o! Do cows drink milk? What are baby pigs called? It’s time to find out more about life on a farm and the animals that live there. This half term, we would have liked to visit a local farm to take in the sights, sounds and smells. We would have hoped that the children would have had the opportunity to observe the different farm animals, crops and vehicles, and maybe even take a ride on a tractor! Due to the Pandemic, this will not be possible, but we will have access to some farms pre-recorded live cam sessions that we will be able to explore and discuss with the children to support their learning.

Back in the classroom, we will monitor beans and cress as they grow, noting how they change. In our literacy lessons, we will make predictions about stories and try out some farmyard rhymes. We will write funny farmyard stories and discuss what we have learned. We will create songs about the farm to sing as we shake our homemade seed shakers to the rhythm. In our mathematics lessons, we will use an animal ‘baa chart’ to estimate the number of popular farmyard animals, and we’ll use addition and subtraction to help Little Bo Peep count her sheep. Getting creative, we will use coloured play dough and clay to create farmyard scenarios.

How to help at home

Farms are fantastic! Why not explore your kitchen cupboards together and talk about where different foods come from? Do you have any local farm produce? If you took any photographs of a previous visit to a local farm or petting zoo, you could share this on Mini Mash or with the class. Alternatively, take toy tractors, spades, and trowels outside to dig together in the mud. Add water to the soil for extra muddiness – don’t forget your wellies!