Summer Days at Valley Hill Farm 2011

My big activity each summer is to to take all the groups from our three schools to Valley Hill Farm for horseback riding, hayrides, picnics and farm fun.  Each Friday, I take a different group.  On every trip, we're met at the barn by Chipper, the Valley Hill greeter and mascot.

The first part of the trip is always spent taking turns riding horses.

Even the teachers get a turn to ride. (Yep, that's me!)

In between turns, there's time for a few games in the dirt. The teacher drew letters and shapes and the kids guessed what she had drawn.

Then the kids took turns writing the letter or drawing the shapes.

After everyone had several turns to ride, the tractor arrived to take us on a hayride to explore the rest of the farm.

We saw bunnies...

and chicks

and a few freshly laid eggs.

Big dogs .....

And little dogs....

And horses of every kind and color.....

We saw horses with new baby foals,

and cows with new calves. The little guy in front is blind but seems to do just fine!

We saw mama goats and  their kids..... (and played a little tag!)

These kids playing on a little hill reminded me of the 3 Billy Goats Gruff.

We saw pigs

and piglets.

Isn't this guy too cute?

One of my favorite activities is near the end of the hayride, we stop for a drink out of the garden hose. The water is so fresh and sweet because it's well water and runs nice and cold. Most of the kids have never tried to drink from a garden hose, so it can be a bit of a challenge to get them started without soaking themselves (hence, no pictures ;). It always amazes me how the generations have changed ~ the idea that we have to "teach" them to drink form the hose surprises me every trip!

After the hayride, Mr. Tommy parked the wagon under the shade of a large tree. As we ate,  the girls that ride and board their horses there practiced some jumping for us.

Happy Trails!