




In the afternoon I took the same props and photos to the shelter. This was the photo the kids liked best. It's my sister at a friend's farm in the early 1960's. The kids studied the photo and then spent many minutes arguing about whether my sister was really driving the tractor. "It's blurry, it must be moving fast...look at her hair!" "No, she's having too much fun. She would be scared if it was really moving." I love it that children can even talk about farms! Most children hardly have a clue what a farm is!

Maybe it was because it was dinnertime, but we had more fun listing off all the ways you can eat potatoes. Baked, fried, mashed...And then it was time for hot potato.

They'd never heard of it. And then I got some real complaints because of my Turkey in the Straw music. The older ones just rolled their eyes. They wanted Michael Jackson!
But they loved the game. And they actually followed directions. "Passing, not tossing!"

They passed the passing test, so we added more potatoes. We changed the game so when the music stopped, the winner was the one left holding the potato with the face!
We progressed to potato bowling. And we even had a 10-year old potato juggler!

I could have spent a day having fun with a farm theme. But it was time to go.
When I stepped out into the parking lot I had to laugh to myself. Off behind a nearby apartment complex, I could hear the crow of a rooster. I headed home in rush hour traffic... stopped in at the grocery store deli...and picked up a container of potato soup!
What I learned: If I could do it right, I'd take the Senior folks and the kids on a field trip to a real farm. But it's amazing how much farm you can bring to a group just by stopping at the grocery store. Last year I brought corn and we all shucked a little! What will it be next year?