Chores are things you have to do, projects are things you get to do, and free-range is the time you get to explore and play however you want. – Emmy, 8 yrs old
Following each meal we meet to divide up “chores,” the small tasks required for the farm to function – dishes, watering gardens, feeding animals, cleaning the barn, all in groups of 4 or so. Chores are natural and make sense, on a farm and in a home, and children rise to the responsibility.
Projects are many children’s favorite part of the day. The choices, such as moving animals through pastures or baking with freshly harvested cherries, vary according to what’s in season and the ever changing needs of the farm. The age-appropriate options show children that their work is purposeful and offers an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the farm.
After work has come to a natural end-point, we all have freedom to just be on the farm and in nature. Creativity blossoms when children entertain themselves, outside, on a 34-acre stage.
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