Let students do more than just read and sing about the animals on Old MacDonald's farm. Schedule the field trip bus and take students to one of the many working farms in North Carolina that permit school groups to visit. Observing chickens that lay real eggs and watching a farm hand milk a cow fascinate youngsters. Students can observe sheep, horses, miniature ponies, llamas, pigs, goats and rabbits, and they may even touch a few. For a special treat, arrange a hayride or have a few parents with fishing poles handy to reel in a fish or two.
School groups often take first-graders to pick-your-own farms in North Carolina. Farms often designate raised beds with ground covering that enable young folks to pick strawberries and low-hanging fruit without ending up in mud puddles. Pumpkin farms feature sunflowers, corn and other crops. Students can pick peaches, pears, apples or grapes and see where potatoes, cabbage and carrots come from. Schedule a volunteer to demonstrate making applesauce, jam or homemade ice cream as part of the overall farm experience.
First-graders, their teachers and parents can go on a safari wagon ride in Mooresville. A privately owned animal ranch, the Lazy 5 Ranch, is the only one of its kind in the Southeast. Groups climb aboard a wagon and ride through ranch property where they can see animals from all over the world. Students can observe a Texas longhorn cow, giraffes, a rhino, a kangaroo, llamas, camels, horses, sheep, pheasants, quail and smaller animals such as tortoises and porcupines.
Arrange field trips to local attractions that make up part of individual North Carolina communities. Drive them by county courthouses in neighboring counties, various churches within the community, fire stations, water towers, hospitals and the police station to help them learn about the world around them. Visit nearby parks, nature trails and designated areas for recreation. North Carolina prides itself on its state and federal park system. Take first-grade students to visit any of these parks as they learn more about nature and the environment.