We visited Steele Apple Orchard in Cullman with our homeschool co-op group to celebrate Johnny Appleseed and apple season!! We were divided into 4 groups and were given a tour of the orchard and the general store.
Below, the kids were able to look inside a beehive that was full of beautiful, colored pictures of the hive and what goes on inside it. They were also able to learn all about bees, pollination, and the decline in bees over the last few years.
Looking at a picture of the inside of a hive
At their 2
nd station, they learned about different kinds of apples that are grown at Steele Orchards, the
seasons of an apple tree, and a little info. on Johnny Appleseed. Next, they were able to watch an apple peeler in action and then sample different types of apples.
At the 3rd station, they learned about the "grades" that apples get...A (awesome), B (bruised but good for cooking), C (critters get these). Below, they were able to grade some fresh apples that were just picked and pick a few to be cleaned.
Once they picked their apples, they got to put them through the apple washer.
They were so excited to see their apples come out fresh and clean.
There they are!!!
Their 4
th station was face painting, or in my kids case, hand painting. We also got to tour the store and buy some yummy apples.
C, Z, M
They all got to pose with the "Bee Lady" and they
recieved a
goodie bag b/4 we left.
Lego Man driving the fire truck 
Moo, Zee Zee and friends using the fire escape ladder on the smoke house. The smoke house was awesome. It is a 2 story mini trailer made to look like a house. The kids went inside and a fireman made smoke enter the house. He taught them how to drop down and crawl to the nearest exits. They practiced this on the top and bottom floors of the trailer. 
Their homeschool co-op group.
We took ice cream cones (to represent the hole), chocolate pudding (to represent the darkness of the hole), and a teddy graham cracker (to represent Joseph when he was thrown in the hole by his brother. We talked about how scared and lonely he must have felt but that God was there to comfort him. 
You can barely see "Joseph" sticking out. The kids acted as God coming to rescue Joseph. 
The trio turned 7 on Oct. 5th. 
They had a cinnamon roll breakfast followed by presents! 
We took the day off from academic work but I surprised them with a field trip to Bud's Best Cookies. They had no idea where we were until we walked into the factory and they could smell the cookies. We were all required to wear hair nets on the tour.....which they thought were cool! 
The train engine that pulled us through the cookie tour. We were not allowed to take pictures beyond this point. :( 
We made our own dough and used little sticks to write the 10 commandments. 
Zee-Zee 
Moo 
Lego Man 
The girls signed up to play soccer for the fall. 
Here is Moo (#4) in action. 
And here is my son (in green) doing his favorite thing during the game.........reading.
Looking at a picture of the inside of a hive
At their 2nd station, they learned about different kinds of apples that are grown at Steele Orchards, the seasons of an apple tree, and a little info. on Johnny Appleseed. Next, they were able to watch an apple peeler in action and then sample different types of apples.
At the 3rd station, they learned about the "grades" that apples get...A (awesome), B (bruised but good for cooking), C (critters get these). Below, they were able to grade some fresh apples that were just picked and pick a few to be cleaned.
Once they picked their apples, they got to put them through the apple washer.
They were so excited to see their apples come out fresh and clean.
There they are!!!
Their 4th station was face painting, or in my kids case, hand painting. We also got to tour the store and buy some yummy apples.
C, Z, M
They all got to pose with the "Bee Lady" and they recieved a goodie bag b/4 we left.
My daughter is wearing a football helmet....pretending that it is another space helmet.
They completed a solar system floor puzzle.
