Fredrick Meijer Gardens

We had a fantastic trip to the Meijer Gardens on Wednesday!  After a long bus ride, we began our day at the Lena Meijer Farm area.  This farm was modeled after Lena's childhood farm, with many artifacts that were brought to Meijer Gardens from her actual farm and rebuilt!  We participated in a 'Then and Now' program run by the volunteer staff there.

There were three stations at the farm.  One station was the barn area, where the children reviewed some rhyming words using a farm animal book.  We would then find the statue of the farm animals in the book.

Listening to the rhyming farm animal book

Another part of our time on the farm consisted of touring the grounds to learn about chores Lena did as a child, as well as animals she had on her farm, and other outdoor buildings and objects.

This is the actual windmill taken right from Lena's childhood farm.  Our guide told us that Lena's mother often allowed Lena to climb to the top of the windmill and sit on the platform to eat her lunch!  YIKES!

We learned about various animals using different pens with statues of animals in them.  We also saw some gardens, and were told in the summer, they grow many of the crops and flowers that Lena's family grew on their farm.

Replica of an outhouse found on Lena's childhood farm.

The third part of our program involved going inside the replica farmhouse that Lena grew up in.  There, a volunteer asked the children to put pictures in sequence for baking bread and also planting a garden in the olden days.  The children were then asked to pretend to do those things using children's toy items.

Using toy objects to show the sequence to bake bread.

Using pictures to show the sequence of baking bread.

A different group showing the sequence of baking bread.

Using objects to show the sequence to plant a garden.

Using photos to show the sequence to wash clothes in the olden days.

Showing the sequence for planting a garden.

Sequencing the baking of bread.

Pretending to wash clothes using a washboard.

After the farm, we made our way back to the main building, but stopped at a giant-sized statue of a horse!  We took a moment to check it out and also take a class photo!

After we ate lunch, we split up into groups of 5-6 with a chaperone mom or myself.  There were several areas to check out, but the MAIN attractions was the butterfly garden!  We will be observing the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly in our classroom in a week or so, which is the biggest reason we went on this field trip!  Check out the awesome photos!

Monarch caterpillar eating milkweed leaves

Monarch butterfly chrysalis'

This is what the chrysalis looks like after the butterfly comes out!

Milkweed plant after a Monarch caterpillar ate!

There were multiple types of butterflies in the garden!

Feeding station

Dominick and Seth checking out a butterfly (and hoping it would land on them!)

There was a showcase with all kinds of butterfly and moth chrysalis' and cocoons inside.  Each type was labeled, and there were some butterflies and moths that emerged recently, which will later be taken into the garden.

This little guy was resting on the sidewalk.  The boys kept a careful watch on it until it flew into a nearby plant.

Learning about the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly

SOOOO hot and humid in the butterfly garden!  :)

 Other activities the groups visited included a fun play structure area, and old fashioned cabin, with olden day toys, old fashioned rag dolls, brooms, a puppet theater with butterfly and animal puppets, and a puzzle station of various butterflies.  

Putting on a puppet show in the miniature log cabin.

Butterfly puzzle table

Old fashioned toy

Another old fashioned toy

There were also several statues around the park to enjoy and pose by!

Here are a few other pictures and activities of the day!

A 'telephone' tube!  We made our own telephones in Science in March using string and paper cups.  This was a neat review of that concept using a long tube that curved and even went underground!  The kids tried it out and could speak to and hear each other very easily!

There was a dress-up area where kids could put on 'wings' and 'antennae' and look at themselves in a large mirror!

Fun in the lunch room!

Two groups of boys enjoying their visit!

Posing for the camera!

Did you know that Hillary Clinton was visiting the Meijer Gardens the same day? We caught a very brief glimpse of her on our way down to the lunch room!  Actually, the kids were much more excited about eating, as they worked up a big appetite and didn't have snack time!

We had a wonderful day at the Fredrick Meijer Gardens!  The blog post just wouldn't be the same without...  THE FUNNY ONE!