Winter on the Farm: Educational resources for all ages!

Are you ready to check out for winter break? I know I am! There is a weird 3 or so weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas that seems sort of in limbo. We need to wrap up the year, but we also want to find a good stopping place before next semester begins. There are usually a few days towards the end of December where you just want to keep the kids busy! Let us help you with fun and educational ideas! We have compiled a list of our 10 favorite winter activities. These resources can be modified for most grades and are easy to prep! Join us as we sled down our favorite hill!

1) Fun Coloring Sheet! Download and use during transitions, holiday parties, indoor recess, etc!

2) Tree FarmChat Video Tour a Christmas tree farm with a local farmer, Rick Wyffels.

3) Managing a Christmas Tree Farm Lesson Plan

-Ages 6th-8th

-Students will understand some of the jobs and roles involved in operating and supporting a Christmas tree farm. Students will apply math concepts to make Christmas tree farm management decisions.

4) Engineering with Christmas Trees Lesson Plan

-Ages 3rd-5th

-Engineer ways to recycle real Christmas (conifer) trees by gathering insights on the issue of Christmas trees in landfills.

5) Evergreen Trees Video

Head to Saybrook, Illinois, in McLean County, to visit Helmig's Tree Farm!

6) Seasons! Illinois is very close to Iowa when it comes to seasons! Learn about growing seasons through the eyes of another state! Download here

7) Day in the Life of a Cattle Farmer (Winter Edition): Have your students explore what chores look like on a farm during the winter season. Compare and contrast to different types of farms or compare to how it might look different living in town. The blog post can be found here.

8) All about Trees Winter is a great time to incorporate tree activities into your curriculum. Not only do learning about trees tie in perfectly with Iowa core standards but students can take advantage of the winter months to easily observe the differences between bare deciduous tree and green needled conifers. Resource links

9) Time for Cranberries: Students will explore the production of cranberries while enjoying a taste test!

10) LAST BUT NOT LEAST: 12 Days of Ag Activities

-The 12 days will include entertaining lessons that teach the whole family about agriculture. For example, STEM sugar cookies, scavenger hunt, Christmas corn paint, homemade snow, etc!