Koiwai Farm (小岩井農場, Koiwai Nōjō)
Koiwai Farm in Iwate, Japan, is a popular farm field trip for tourists, locals, and homeschoolers alike. With its beautiful scenery, fresh produce, and friendly animals, Koiwai Farm is a must-visit for anyone traveling to the region. We had some errands to run in Morioka City (盛岡) so we decided to drop by and visit, though it is a bit early in the season. The cherry and other spring bloomers haven’t opened up yet (snow was on the ground only a week or so ago!) and not all of the Farm’s attractions are open yet. But it was still amazingly beautiful!
First of all, the scenery at Koiwai Farm is breathtaking. The farm is located in the foothills of the Iwate Mountains, surrounded by beautiful forests and meadows with Mt Iwate (岩手山) looming over you to the North! If you go, see if you can see the ‘dragon’ hiding in one of the valleys adorning Mt. Iwate’s side – it might take a bit of imagination, but once you see it, you can’t ‘un-see’ it!
In addition to the scenery, Koiwai Farm boasts a standard selection of farm animals. Though not all of the farm animals are out on display yet, the kids got to get up close and personal with the draft horses, ponies, and rabbits!
The highlight of the visit was the view and wide open space. This early in the season, and in the middle of the week, we had more than enough ‘elbow room’ to let the kids stretch out and run in the grassy fields while Momma had a field day with her camera. It was one of the most relaxing farm trips I had taken in a while 🙂
Homeschool Field trip planning: with a large family!
Planning a homeschool farm field trip to a farm can be a fun and educational experience for your kids, but if you don’t plan it properly, it can turn into a chaotic disaster! We have talked a bit about how getting started with lesson planning, how about field trips? Some basics I have learned (often empirically!) for shepherding 6 kids through a farm trip with my camera addicted (and beautiful 😉 wife:
Choose the right Farm
When selecting a farm, make sure it is kid-friendly and age-appropriate. It’s important to know what kind of animals are on the farm and whether they are safe for children to interact with. This will depend largely on your kid’s age and interests. Young children will want to pet and feed the animals and the ‘science’ lesson portion will probably largely go over their heads – farms with a large, interactive petting zoo will go over big with the little ones! Older homeschool kids will appreciate the more productive farms – working dairies, large fields of produce that can be picked, and farm equipment displays (antique and modern!) Know your kids and pick the right farm! Be sure to include your own interests when you pick a farm to visit. Being interested in the experience yourself will be the greatest ‘spark’ for building enthusiasm with your kids! While not technically a ‘farm’ experience I jump at the chance to visit farms with a logging display or a lumber mill – my family is a logging family out of Oregon (my Navy career surprised everybody, myself included!) and I love the nostalgia of the old logging equipment!
Pack appropriately
Make sure to bring sunscreen, hats, and water bottles to keep your kids hydrated. Also, don’t forget to bring a change of clothes in case (when!) they get dirty. Trust us, you don’t want to spend the rest of the day smelling like manure…ANY variety of manure. I really can’t overemphasize the change of clothes! One set for each kid…and no, you didn’t pack enough diapers – put more in!
And on that note, the first thing you do when you arrive is to make a pit stop at the restrooms. I actually set a little timer on my watch to remind me every hour to look for another restroom. We have 6 kids! It is not fun trying to salvage a field trip with one (or more) kids in ‘wet’ clothes. Hit the head! (as we say in the Navy)
Call in advance
Plan your visit to the farm ahead of time to ensure you get the best possible experience. Especially if you have very young kids. Calling ahead will ensure there are no ‘surprises’, and many farms will pass on any ‘gouge’ (another Navy term – basically means tips and secrets) about your visit: What to bring or not bring, best times, expected events, etc. You will almost always get some inside dope to use to your advantage. Call ‘em!
Safety first
Make sure to go over farm safety rules with your kids before you arrive. They should know not to climb fences, chase animals, or touch anything without permission. Ponies look friendly, but they really aren’t! And friendly or not, those teeth don’t know the difference between a carrot or 5-year-old fingers.
And, let’s put this here, pack some Benadryl. You know when you fill out a health questionnaire and you check the box for ‘none’ under your kid’s allergies? Yeah… your kid hasn’t been exposed to everything yet so you don’t really know if they have ‘none’ allergies. My 8-year-old son was with me when we were visiting my sister, who had just got a rabbit. We visited for about 30 minutes, held the rabbit for maybe 5 minutes at the end when he started swelling up like Violet on Willy Wonka (the old one with Gene Wilder – the new one, well…just no) Seriously, it was that fast and yes, that scary. Sister had some Benadryl in the house and we gave him a dose on the way to the hospital. By the time we got there, the swelling was already coming down. All is well that ends well, but toss a bottle of Benadryl in your kit!
Snacks
Don’t forget the snacks (and water, and bottles, and more snacks…and maybe an extra bottle)
Pack some snacks for your kids to munch on during the tour, but check with the farm rules before noshing along the path – some farms don’t want any open food and that rule is probably written in experience! Also, be careful not to bring anything too smelly or sticky. If you do, you might end up attracting unwanted attention from the farm’s inhabitants, both the nibbly cute kind and the ‘flying teeth’ (mosquitoes, bees, flies, gnats, etc.) that comes with farm life – oh, and bug dope. Bring that too!
Moms, skip this paragraph. Dads… in your ear for a moment, please?
Dads, this one is for you, Mama is going to be oohing and awing over all the picture opportunities your little ones are presenting for her and will, I don’t know how, forget to eat. Word to the wise – bring snacks for Mama. You and I both know what hangry is…enough said?
Lesson material?
But… what should you be teaching on this farm field trip? It is all fun and everything, but what should they be learning? First – I ask that you stop for a second. If you plan absolutely nothing, what will they learn? How about:
– How to prepare for a day trip with the family.
– They will have a new and exciting experience to share with the family
– Family bonding! (that right there is worth the trip!)
– New vocabulary
– Question/answer sessions with experts
– How to fight with your brother/sister only when Mom and Dad’s back is turned and then blame their elusive sibling twins, Not-Me and I-Didn’t-Do-It? (Still haven’t actually met these two children of mine, but they are EVERYWHERE!)
So if you do nothing, the trip is worth their time from an educational perspective!
But, if you MUST plan some lesson material for your own sense of good stewardship, consider:
– Create Bingo cards with farm terms for them to find during the day. A kind of scavenger hunt!
– Have them write notes on what they saw and found interesting, then write up an essay telling the ‘story of their day
– Have them come up with 10 questions to ask the staff throughout the day. Write down both the question and the answer!
(My personal favorite for farms: How can I start farming too?)
and etc. I am sure you can come up with some ideas along those lines.
But please, don’t overdo it: Play is learning and the best learning is play!
Go easy on the assignments and have fun as a family together!
A farm field trip provides an amazing opportunity to expose your little homeschoolers to the country life and create some amazing experiences as a family! I remember a visit to a ‘dude’ ranch when I was about 4 years old 🙂 Planned right, a farm field trip will stick in their memories for the rest of their life!
