Farmer's Market

We put together a farmer's market in our outdoor classroom.  It started with a couple of baskets and some fall colored silk flowers.  I thought the children might enjoy  making fall flower arrangements.  Well, our original plan has expanded with  a few trips to the goodwill and several awesome donations from child care families.  The flower arranging station is probably the least favorite part of the farmer's market.  The children really enjoy just moving the gourds and pumpkins around and of course shopping. 

This is our florist station where children have access to pots, vases, florist foam, silk flowers, gardening gloves, and watering cans.  I thought the children would really enjoy sticking the flowers into the florist foam but I don't think one child has ever even tried it yet. 

This is the lower shelf of our florist station.  There are wreaths that can be decorated with fall items.  At the goodwill, I found a bag of fall fruits with wires attached to them that can be used to decorate the wreathes.  We also have silk fall leaves that can be used. 

Shop for gourds, pumpkins, fall corn, cornucopias, and fall cook books, at our farmer's market. 

We cut recipe cards from magazines and then laminated them to make these cook books to sell in our farmer's market. 

Shop for fruit at our farmer's market.  This shelf and all three baskets were a great find at the goodwill.  Most of the fruits and gourds were purchased at the dollar store and donated by a child care parent. 

This is our scarecrow that we made at child care. 

Our straw bales that started out as part of our farmer's market but have turned into some of our favorite parts of our loose parts.

Our check-out, complete with laminated play money for all of your farmer's market purchases. 

Our laminated shopping list.  Children shop for the items on the list.