Farm Animals - Pre-School and EYFS. Take your students to visit a variety of the animals around the farm. Discuss the following points:

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1 Farm Animals - Pre-School and EYFS Early Years Foundation Stage Framework links: Understanding the world: The world: Children know about similarities and differences between living things. They make observations of animals and explain why some things occur, and talk about changes (Department for Education, 2014). Health and self-care: Children know the importance for good health of physical exercise, and a healthy diet, and talk about ways to keep healthy and safe (Department for Education, 2014). Using the Farm to support this topic Take your students to visit a variety of the animals around the farm. Discuss the following points: What noise does the animal make? Can you hear it make a sound? Can you make the same sound? How many legs does each animal have? How big is the animal? Compare to other animals- is it as big as a cow? As big as a goat? Is it as big as you? What is the biggest animal on the farm? What is the smallest? What do the animals smell like? Why is washing your hands important? Pointers for teachers Look out for the following animals around the farm: Sheep Breeds: Castlemilk Moorit, Greyface Dartmoor, Whiteface Woodland, Balwen, Herdwick, Jacob, Oxford Down. Suggested animal activities if available: Hand Feed the Sheep in the Animal Barn, Sheep Racing, Sheep Show, Sheep Shearing, Trailer and Tractor Rides, Meet the Animals. Goats Breeds: Bagot, Anglo Nubian, British Alpine, English, Golden Guernsey, Pygmy, Boer. Suggested animal activities if available: Hand Feed the Goats in the Animal Barn, Goat Show, Bottle-Feed Goats. Rabbits and Guinea Pigs Breeds: Rabbits: French Lop, Mini Lop, Lionhead, Netherland Dwarf, Dutch, English Butterfly, and Guinea Pigs. Suggested animal activities if available: Rabbit Time. Pigs Breeds: Tamworth, Middle White, Berkshire, British Saddleback, Gloucestershire Old Spot. Suggested animal activities if available: Piggies Lunchtime or Teatime. Cows Breeds: British White, Belted Galloway, Highland, Jersey. Suggested animal activities if available: Cow Milking, Tractor and Trailer rides. Ponies and Donkeys Breeds: Ponies: Exmoor, Sheltand/Miniature Shetland. Donkeys: Standard size and Miniature Mediterranean. Suggested animal activities if available: Tractor and Trailer rides, Meet the Animals.

2 Poultry Breeds: Chickens: Buff Orpington, Polish, Silkie, Wyandotte, Speckled Sussex, Belgium D Uccles, Barnevelder. Turkeys: Crollwitzer. Suggested animal activities if available: Egg Collecting. Suggested Classroom activities The following resources and discussion points can be used before or after your visit. Discuss and listen to the sounds children might hear at farm. What sounds do different animals make? What sound does machinery (e.g. a tractor) make? Sing songs such as Old McDonald and Baa Baa Black Sheep to encourage children to think about the animals they will meet, prior to a visit. Practice reading and writing the names of different animals. Worksheet: Animal Match Up. Students can either draw lines to match up the animals, or colour in the animals that are the same. This activity encourages students to identify similarities and comparisons between animals. Worksheet: How many legs? Students should write in the boxes how many legs they think each animal has. This activity encourages students to compare animals, as well as using numeracy skills. Worksheet: Who is the biggest? This is a match up activity. The pictures can be pre-cut or students can do this; they can then order the animals by size. The activity encourages students to draw comparisons and use language such as bigger, smaller, greater than. The pictures could also be sorted into ear size, or grouped in to types of fur/body covering. Department for Education (2014) Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (from 1 September 2014) [Online] Available from: EYFS_framework_from_1_September_2014 with_clarification_note.pdf [Accessed 10th February 2017].

3 Animal Match Up Can you match up the animals that are the same?

4 How Many Legs? Write in the box how many legs each animal has.

5 Who is the biggest?