Autumn Adventure: Children’s Education Center Students Enjoy Wheatley Farms & Arts Center Fall Festival
Approximately 160 Children’s Education Center students celebrated the fall season while building on the lessons from the classroom during a lively fall festival at Wheatley Farms & Arts Center on October 22 and 23.
“The sensory bins, pumpkin decorating, and animal feeding incorporate so many of the lessons our students learn in class, such as sequencing, matching, and counting,” said Denise Gaughan, Director of the Children’s Education Center. “All the while, the students were having a fun day outdoors with their classmates and people they don’t typically see every day.”
Leading the students through farm tours and activity stations were people supported by AHRC Nassau’s Program Without Walls (PWW) at Wheatley Farms, as well as Bellmore-Merrick High School students participating in the Direct Support Professional (DSP) Pathways program.
Music from Kidz Bop played as students explored the farm, experiencing all the activities the farm offered. Sensory bins full of materials like popcorn kernels, and strings invited students to search for toy trucks, cars, and even eyeballs.
“When you get all the items, you get to look through all the prizes and pick one,” said Sophie Hoffman, who attends the PWW at Wheatley Farms. Asked if the students have been enjoying the sensory bin, Sophie said, “Yes, especially the preschoolers, and first and second graders.”
In a pumpkin patch, students picked their favorite pumpkin and made it their own, painting with their favorite colors and adding silly facial features.
While on the farm, students also fed and petted the animals, enjoyed face-painting, temporary tattoos, and seasonal treats like apple cider.
“It was great to see the people supported by the Program Without Walls lead our students in the many activity stations and tours around the farm,” said Denise. “Everyone just had a wonderful fall day on the farm.