A Horse Museum and Negishi Forest Park Excursion
Preschool
November 9, 2018
Ocean class (age 2) finally enjoyed their much-anticipated excursion to the horse museum, pony center and Negishi Forest Park!
In Hannah’s lesson the day before, they watched videos about horses and practiced holding carrots to feed them. The children boarded the bus full of anticipation.
We began at the horse museum, where we saw horse bones, riding equipment and displays showing the former Negishi Racecourse. Seeing the bones, children drew on their Halloween learning and called out, “Skeleton!” They followed our agreement to explore quietly and showed good museum manners.
As we walked toward the stables, we spotted a horse coming out for a walk. “Horse!” the children exclaimed. At the stables, we fed a lovely pony named Perny. Although the smallest there, Perny was 20 years old—older than the other horses—which surprised us. We explained that horses can be easily startled, so we must not run or speak loudly. Everyone waited quietly and fed the pony carefully. Up close, the pony seemed big to some children, making them hesitate, but with the trainer’s help they managed to offer the food and felt very pleased. We also took a photograph with the pony.
Afterward, we moved to the forest park to play chase and collect acorns and fallen leaves. There were many large, beautiful acorns. The children filled their bags with treasures and proudly showed the teachers with sparkling eyes. We imagine their acorns inspired plenty of stories at home. It was a wonderful outing for Ocean class.
In Hannah’s lesson the day before, they watched videos about horses and practiced holding carrots to feed them. The children boarded the bus full of anticipation.
We began at the horse museum, where we saw horse bones, riding equipment and displays showing the former Negishi Racecourse. Seeing the bones, children drew on their Halloween learning and called out, “Skeleton!” They followed our agreement to explore quietly and showed good museum manners.
As we walked toward the stables, we spotted a horse coming out for a walk. “Horse!” the children exclaimed. At the stables, we fed a lovely pony named Perny. Although the smallest there, Perny was 20 years old—older than the other horses—which surprised us. We explained that horses can be easily startled, so we must not run or speak loudly. Everyone waited quietly and fed the pony carefully. Up close, the pony seemed big to some children, making them hesitate, but with the trainer’s help they managed to offer the food and felt very pleased. We also took a photograph with the pony.
Afterward, we moved to the forest park to play chase and collect acorns and fallen leaves. There were many large, beautiful acorns. The children filled their bags with treasures and proudly showed the teachers with sparkling eyes. We imagine their acorns inspired plenty of stories at home. It was a wonderful outing for Ocean class.
Yuka