Good evening, friends and family! Today was Chicken Day and Other Feathered Friends at MSU Tollgate Farm, so today the bird is the word.
Steve the Rooster in the coop
The day started off much like any other day with a pepper party. I threw in a couple “moos” to get the party started, and the counselors prepped the little peppers to meet my friends in the coop. Mr. Alan and the counselors had a busy morning for the peppers that started off with very exciting introductions.The peppers met Henrietta the Hen, Steve the Rooster, Lucia the Goose, and Alfrid the Turkey. They learned that chickens start off as an embryo inside an egg and it is able to breathe through the small pores in the egg! The egg isn’t solid at all! There are tiny holes everywhere that are impossible to see. After a period of time the embryo will become a chick which will then grow into a chicken. Meeting new friends was a little scary for some peppers, but we can all appreciate the new friends we made!
Lucia the Goose hanging out in the coop.
In the Garden Kitchen, Ms. Katie showed the peppers how to make Veggie Pinwheels. The pinwheels were made of flour tortillas with a mixture of chopped vegetables, sour cream, cream cheese and a dash of onion and garlic. The peppers wrapped the tortillas in such a way that they actually looked like pinwheels! I bet they were delicious because no one wanted to share with me!
Red Peppers and their newspaper pots.
To end the morning, the peppers spent time in their garden plots. I could see the peppers hard at work weeding their gardens and learning about the different plants that were growing. Ms. Courtney, Ms. Mandy, Ms. Jackie, and Mr.Alex showed the peppers how to construct pots for plants out of newspaper. They are so resourceful! The peppers then prepped them for planting by putting soil in them. I wonder if they’ll let me eat out of their garden when the plants grow…
The Red Peppers building their nests with the help of Mr. Alex.
The afternoon brought even more chicken fun. The peppers spent time making their own egg creations out of natural materials on the farm like grass and mud, just like if they were chickens! The peppers were very creative in creating their nests to protect the eggs. Some peppers made towers out of sticks like a baby’s cradle and others packed the eggs inside a casing of mud and grass. The peppers then put eggs in their nests and dropped them from the sky. Some of the eggs didn’t make it and there was yolk everywhere! The peppers thought it was so funny that I couldn’t help laughing myself. Other eggs made it safely down in the nests built by the peppers. Regardless of whether or not the peppers’ eggs had a successful flight, everyone had a great time.
Orange Peppers and the eggs that survived the nest drop!
In the Garden Kitchen, Ms. Katie showed my friends how to whip up another delicious snack! Peppers made a creamy fruit salad using fruit like cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, and bananas. The fruit salad was creamy because it was made with homemade whipping cream, yum!
Green Pepper smelling the yummy fruit.
Next, it was time for some games! The older peppers played a game called “Predator and Prey.” Peppers learned a rhyme to help them know the difference between the two: “Eyes in front to hunt. Eyes on side to hide.” The peppers were then assigned different roles to learn about the food chain. Some of them were grasshoppers, some were frogs, some were hawks, and one was a human. The human was at the top of the food chain and was able to eat anything it wanted. The hawks feasted on frogs, the frogs feasted on grasshoppers, and the grasshoppers searched for food in the grass. I’m sure all my pepper friends are now experts on the food chain.
Green and Yellow Peppers playing a variation of predator and prey.
The younger peppers played a similar game and heard a story from Ms. Mandy about the different animals found in Michigan.
The Green and Yellow Peppers learning more about the animals in the forest.
To wrap up the day, the peppers went for a hike in the woods. Ms. Courtney, Ms. Mandy, Ms. Jackie, and Mr.Alex taught my friends how to identify poison ivy and the difference between producers, consumers, and decomposers. The little peppers had a fun time searching the woods for signs of insect life like holes in leaves.
Ms. Jackie identifying poison ivy for the Orange and Red Peppers.
After an exhausting day, I mooed goodbye to my friends and reflected on how much fun we had. Maybe I’ll visit the coop tonight to share stories and wonder about tomorrow’s adventures.
Until then,
Clifford the Calf
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- Steve the Rooster in the coop
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- Lucia the Goose hanging out in the coop.
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- Green and Yellow Peppers playing a game of predator and prey.
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- The Yellow Peppers deciding who gets to hold the flag.
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- A Yellow Pepper hydrating for an action filled day.
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- Ms. Mandy deciding the Farmer for the game.
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- A Yellow Pepper reading through an insect book.
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- Red Peppers and their newspaper pots.
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- Orange Peppers and the eggs that survived the nest drop!
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- Ms. Mandy reading from Mother Nature’s Michigan.
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- The Green and Yellow Peppers learning more about the animals in the forest.
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- The young peppers all prepped for story time.
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- The Green Peppers were really excited to hear more about the insects from their hike.
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- A Yellow Pepper showing off her finding in the forest.
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- A Yellow Pepper showing a leaf with holes in it to signify insects.
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- Red Peppers watching an egg survive after a nest drop.
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- Red Peppers and their nest creations.
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- A Red Pepper hard at work building a nest.
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- A Red Pepper making a cup nest.
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- A Red Pepper giving his nest the thumbs up.
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- The Red Peppers building their nests with the help of Mr. Alex.
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- Orange Peppers slicing fruit for the creamy fruit salad.
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- The egg almost survived! It was a very unique design.
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- Green Pepper preparing to drop his nest.
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- Green Peppers all ready for the egg drop.
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- Ms. Jackie identifying poison ivy.
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- Red and Orange Peppers learning, “Leaves of 3, Let them be!”
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- A Green Pepper working on her nest.
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- Green Peppers searching the area for materials to build their nests.
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- Green Pepper smelling the yummy fruit.
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- Ms. Courtney showing off the homemade whipped cream!
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- A Green Pepper shaking the mixture.
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- Yellow Peppers cleaning off dirt after building their nests.
So my nephews called me up last night with exciting stories for their aunt, the science teacher. I promptly read the blog and looked forward to today’s adventure. What wonderfully engaging and ethical experiences for the kids!
Hello Shernaz. Thank you for reading the blog and reaching out to us. We’re very happy to hear that your nephews are sharing their camp experiences with your family. We’re working on developing programs similar in nature for schools and community groups in the fall, and it’s helpful and encouraging to hear feedback from the campers and their families.