Farms for City Children

farmsforcitychildren.org
facebook.com/farmsforcitychildren
01392 276 381

Description of typical day on farm visit

We offer a very practical, hands on and authentic experience of farming and growing. Children are actively engaged with the running of the farm during the week that they spend with us. A typical day starts early with children checking on livestock, feeding and topping up water and collecting eggs, all before they have their own breakfast. Activities throughout the day include harvesting, preparing, and cooking for their peers, mucking out stables, watering and weeding in the kitchen garden, developing woodland skills, working with livestock and spending time with our commercial partner farms all help our visitors to understand more about life on a working farm. Evenings focus on bringing the animals in and ensuring they have everything they need for the night. After that, preparing for dinner and an evening activity such as star gazing or stories around the log burner bring the day to a close.

Outline of the benefits of farm visit for the children

We know that time spent at Farms for City Children has a long-lasting positive impact in many areas of our beneficiaries lives, both in the short term and longer term. As well as a very practical knowledge and understanding of farming and food production, children develop self-esteem & confidence. They develop core teamwork skills, empathy for their peers and the importance of recognising one another’s strengths when problem solving. The life skills gained during a visit are invaluable and we often hear from individuals, sometimes decades after their visit, detailing the impact their farm visit had on their lives.

How visit links to curriculum

A residential visit to one of our farms offers very real opportunities to link practical hands on tasks to curriculum objectives, however most of our visiting groups choose to focus on opportunities to develop social, emotional and mental health whilst on the farm, and to draw out the curriculum links once back at school. We do have a classroom on each site, and there is time in the day for teachers to use this resource should they wish to do so.

Any other benefits of visit e.g. health & wellbeing?

The impact of fresh air and exercise on children’s mental health has been widely researched and reported on. Farms for City Children believe that embedding the benefit of the great outdoors at a young age along with building strong foundations of knowledge, as to where our food comes from and the journey from field to fork, is crucial in helping children make informed healthy decisions and lifestyle choices that will stay with them forever.