St. Francis Preschool has a chicken coop in our preschool yard with five chickens that lay eggs. The two-day old baby chicks arrived in March. They were fluffy, cute, and needed heat, water, food, and love. The children watched as the chickens grew feathers, wings, and tails. All the students at the school came to see the baby chicks and to say good morning to them! In May, the chicks moved into their big home in the natural play area of the preschool. Parents build the chicken coop with doors, windows, and places for them to roost.

Chickens make the best pets for kids. It is fun to watch the baby chicks grown into hens. Great lessons of responsibility and the importance of compassion and care become part of the curriculum. Children help the teachers fill the feeder with pellets and the other with water. The children feed the chickens left over fruits and vegetables from the hot lunch program. Recycling is always a good strategy!

In early September, the chickens started laying eggs. It was a wonderful day at preschool! The children gather the eggs each day and the teachers talk with the children about how they can use the eggs. So far we have made pumpkin pancakes, scrambled eggs, egg salad, and used some for “egg”speriments. This addition to our preschool has become an amazing enriching experience for our children, parents, and the teachers.