Our Chicken Play

For the past couple of weeks the children have been playing in our 

chicken coop.

To see the beginning of this project visit Chicken Coop Research.

The day after we painted the coop we added nesting boxes.

Shoe boxes that the children brought in.

We filled them with chicken, duck and rooster stuffies.

There were a few baby chicks too.

Then we added eggs, lots of eggs.

A few baskets were needed for collecting the eggs.

And a bale of hay finished off the feeling of being in a barn.

As the children collected the eggs I thought of a way to extend the play

and interest toddlers in the play.

I brought out the silo we had use for a farm play last year.

The tube was used for feeding the animals

but today it became an egg production tube.

So much fun to send the eggs through the tube

and collect them on the other side.

And repeat, again and again and again.

One day I noticed that someone had taken the coloured rice from the sensory table

and dumped it on the bale of hay.

A mom told me that her little one wanted to feed the chickens.

So I brought out some bird seed and let them take care of that chore.

Next week our real chickens eggs arrive.

Chicken Coop Research

Our latest project - converting our cardboard fire truck into a house for chickens.

For the past week the children have been asked what we would need to do to this box

to make it into a chicken coop.

This morning we visited a local farm to have a first hand look

at a chicken house.

This is what we learned.

The first thing we noticed, other than chickens, was the feeder.

We saw wooden sticks hanging from the wall

for the chickens to perch on.

We saw a group of nesting boxes.

Each of them had a chicken in them.

Shannon, the farmer, showed us how to check under the chickens for eggs.

We found one.

Shannon keeps a basket handy in the coop to collect the eggs.

We saw a small entry with a drop door in the back of the coop

for the chickens to go into a fenced yard.

Then we got to feed the chickens.

We went back in the barn, out of the rain, to record what we saw.

The first thing we drew was the shape of the building,

the children are showing me the shape of the roof

by forming a peak with their hands.

As the children recalled what they saw I made a list.

This is now our plans for what we will need to do back at school.

To finish our tour we were going to make nests but it was quite rainy

so I had made paper bag nests for each child.

In the nest was a plastic egg with a chick inside.

We practiced our poem "Five Eggs".

This afternoon, at school, I set up our documentation

to help us remember what we want to do.

Made a peaked roof on the box and set up for painting.

Pegkin Project Complete

Here is the second half of our Pegkins Project.

It has been so much fun meeting a new Pegkin each day

and hearing their story from the child who created it

Pegkin #11 Peppa

by Talia and Mom

Peppa lives in Talia's backyard and protects the bunny from raccoons.

She has magic dust to spread around.

Peppa only eats berries and she drinks the rain.

Pegkin #11 Serena, The Fairy Godmother

by Delfina

Serena, the Fairy Godmother with her friends Glenda and Celia help children.

She protects them when they need it and also sprinkles magic on them.  Serena's particular assignment is to protect the children of the Comox Valley.

Her favourite things are starry nights, snow and pizza.

Pegkin #12 Cinderella

by Victoria and Mom

Cinderella lives in a tower and castle with a bad witch.

The prince came to save her from the witch.

She likes to eat boiled eggs and apples.

She swings on a swing.

Pegkin #13 Sparkles the Snow Fairy

by Avery and Mom

Sparkles the Snow Fairy was born on the first snow day we had this winter.

She likes to eat foods the same colour as snow; popcorn, vanilla ice cream, yogurt, marshmallows, cauliflower and white chocolate.

She likes to play in the snow making snow angels and snowmen

and sledding down the driveway.

Pegkin #14 Princess Green

by Ayla and Grandma

Princess Green lives in the North Pole.

She is a baker for Santa Claus.

She makes cookies and candies for him to eat.

She's very old with white hair and has been around for a long time.

Princess Green is very nice and sweet.

Pegkin #15 Batman

by Cairo and Mom

Batman rescues people from the bad guy.

He drives the Batmobile really fast.

Batman can fly, run fast and jump big.

Pegkin #16 Maureen

by Kendyl and Mom

Maureen likes gingerbread.

She plays and runs and eats.

Her favourite things to eat are treats.

Maureen lives in a gingerbread house and she took a boat, and a train to her house.

She even does everything.

Pegkin #17 Bill and Ben

by Ben and Grandma and Grandpa

Bill and Ben

Bill and Ben

Bill and Ben

are flowerpot men.

Pegkin #18 BB8

by Emma, Sam and Mom

BB8 lives in Starwars Land.  He loves exploring with his friends and rolling around until he gets dizzy.  He likes to meet new people and his favourite food is Starwars cereal.

Pegkin #19 Elfie

by Meadow and Mom

Elfie is one of Santa's helpers.

He is 77 years old.

He helps Santa with presents and toys.

Elfie's favourite food is popcorn.

Pegkin #20 Grandma Rose

by Charlie and Mom

Grandma Rose is 100 years old.

Her favourite food is pancakes.

She lives in Comox, Vancouver Island and she loves to colour and sing with her grandchildren.

Grandma Rose's favourite time of year is Christmas so she can build a snowman and make cookies.

A last minute pegkin was created by Jordyn.

She used materials from the craft shelf and surprised us with 

Pegkin #21 Nutmeg

by Jordyn and Mom

Nutmeg lives in a gingerbread house.

He goes to work at the military to make his family money.

His wife is called Nutgirl, his son is Nutboy and his two girls are Nutwoman and Nutwoman.

When he's not working he likes to play with his 3 kids and build a snowman.

Pegkin #22 Gingie

by Maureen

Gingie has traveled the world.

She saw wonderful places and met a lot of fun people.

She would like to thank everyone who helped send her post cards back to StrongStart.

Merry Christmas