1st Grade Pumpkin Patch at Washington

First graders at Washington Elementary were treated to their own Pumpkin Patch at their school on Friday, October 27, 2023. Pendleton Walmart donated pumpkins to all the first graders, which is four classes of about 80 total students. The pumpkins were set out in the grassy field behind the school.

On that day, first grade teachers told their students they were going on a “walking field trip,” but they didn’t reveal why. The students walked through the school’s front doors and around the building to be greeted by pumpkins just for them.

Makenna Watkins, First Grade Teacher, said when the students arrived in the area, they stood in a big circle and were told what the expectations of the event were. Then on the signal word of “Pumpkin!” they went to choose their own pumpkin to take home at the end of the day. Photos of each class were taken, too.

“The students had such a great time, and they are still talking about it!” Watkins said. She also shared that although students were encouraged to choose a pumpkin they could actually carry themselves, there were still a few who struggled with very large pumpkins.

With the extra pumpkins from the day, the students are going to do some pumpkin investigations, like counting the seeds from the pumpkins, seeing if the seeds float or sink, and tasting pumpkin puree.

Washington Elementary thanks Pendleton Walmart for their generous donation of the pumpkins.