Westmoor Park

Yesterday's adventures took us over to Westmoor Park in West Hartford, Connecticut. We met up with some homeschoolers and explored the demonstration farm and some of the grounds. Plans had been to do some letterboxing, but the day was beastly hot and humid, so we did our best to just lay low and hang out in the shade, trying to eek as much cooling power out of the mild breeze as we could. Not very October-like weather, I assure you! About 20 degrees warmer than it should be this time of year.

The kids had fun, though. Here Zoo Boy points out various types of chickens and ducks to me from a chart in one of the barns. The chicken coop was definitely his favorite spot, and the farm boasts a wide variety of poultry, thanks to an active 4-H group that calls Westmoor home.

The kids check out the turkeys. It's so fun to get together in mixed age groups like this -- one of the huge advantages of homeschooling is that the kids aren't stuck with kids just the same age all day. This group's age range was from 2 to 9 yrs, and they all got along wonderfully and had a lot of fun. At one point they formed a "chicken train" and chanted some made-up song about fuzzy fuzzy chickens, visiting various areas of the barnyard in a chain.

J found a milkweed pod at the edge of the meadow and entertained himself for awhile blowing the seeds away, singing verses from the Milkweed Cradle song we're using during our movement circle. The breeze was just right to carry those little parachuters clear across the parking lot into the pasture, and J had fun watching the "fairies" dance away on Mr. Wind.

The kids also had fun dropping handfuls of leaves on each other. There are lots of Sugar Maples on the grounds, so there was no lack of colorful leaves to be found and played in/with. Behind the kids are the buildings that house the residence for the Park Naturalist, the Park Office, a small greenhouse, and a few exhibits with reptiles and amphibians, which we visited as well.