What better way to explain the importance of spring to young children than with a field trip to a local farm where strawberries, carrots, beets, and other fruits and vegetables grow as they come into season. On Wednesday, April 16, Soboba Tribal Preschool students were bused to Bautista Creek Ranches in East Hemet to see (and pick) some of the fresh produce that is growing there.
They each received a bag to put their fresh-picked items in so they could take them home to enjoy and share with family. The kindergartners were still talking about their field trip the following day. Lupitah Miranda said she picked some onions and Jericho Vivanco III was excited to find a purple carrot.
The Ranches supply the fresh fruit and vegetables used by the kitchen to prepare meals for the kids’ breakfasts each day. Preschool Administrator Lenora “Ponie” Mojado said the strawberries were really sweet and good and the kids had a really good time there. They are already planning a return trip.
On Thursday, each class held a Spring Party and there were lots of treats donated by parents for them to enjoy during their snack break. They also enjoyed some of the fresh fruit from Bautista Creek Ranches.
Preschoolers used lots of pastel colors to hand paint oversized paper eggs that decorated the classroom’s windows with the message, “We’re ‘egg’-cited about Spring.” Their classroom door announced, “Preschool room is in full bloom” with each child’s face replacing a daisy’s center.
Pre-k students spent the morning using markers to color egg crowns with bunny ears attached, mosaic bunnies from torn construction paper pieces, and other activities. Teacher Ana Garcia said they also had an Easter Bunny coloring page that required them to follow directions while learning their color words through spelling and singing. A party planning list allowed parents to volunteer to bring certain items and Garcia and aide Alaina Adkins put it all together. The class also had a Peeps taste test between blue raspberry and cotton candy flavors of the marshmallow treats and cotton candy was the biggest hit.
Garcia said the children learn about all the seasons and weather while discussing their everyday calendar. Their artwork has been spring-themed and while Adkins and Garcia were setting up tables with colorable table covers and plates decorated with bunnies, the kids were intent on watching a spring tale video featuring Peter Rabbit.
Elena Vega-Castello kept the kindergarten students busy with a “rip art” bunny, coloring wooden bunny shaped ornaments, doing puzzle mazes and connect the dots activities and making chicken hats. She said and teacher Laura Aldrete discuss the different types of clothing worn during different seasons so the children learn about the type of weather to expect during springtime. Their classroom billboard inspired them to “Spring Into a Good Book” and let them know that “We Bloom Together.”
On Friday, April 18, kids didn’t have regular classes but went to the preschool campus to participate in an Easter Egg Hunt on their playground. Joined by family members, they also were treated to a delicious to-go lunch of Alfredo pasta with fresh green, orange, red and yellow peppers, spaghetti, fresh salad and tangerines from Bautista Creek Ranches.
Teachers and staff all pitched in to make balloon decorations for the multi-purpose room, where the Easter Bunny posed with children for photos, and to fill and hide hundreds of colorful plastic eggs for the kids to find. Golden eggs were also hidden, and the lucky finders received a special toy.
The fun started with the preschoolers at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Pre-K kids at 11:15 and the Kindergartners at noon. As they waited at the start line for the green light to enter the playground, eagle-eyed students scouted the playground and plotted their first moves.
One pre-k student was interested in looking for all the red colored eggs while others were counting out loud how many they could see from their vantage point at the edge of the play area.
With bags, baskets and buckets, all the children came ready for fun as their parents and siblings stood nearby, some taking photos and videos while others encouraged their children to look in certain directions.
Photos courtesy of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians
