Spring is one of the best times of the year for observing nature and wildlife. When Hollybank School welcomed the Living Eggs initiative through their doors again earlier this month, it was the opportune month for residents and staff members at Hollybank to spend time getting to know more about the natural lifecycles of animals found on the farm.
Living Eggs is a two-week project which saw ten eggs get introduced to the school mid-May. From day three of the programme, our school pupils, residents, and staff members were able to witness the eggs begin to hatch! As their new miniature feathered friends appeared, the team worked together to look after the newborn chicks who were seeing the world for the very first time. After a few days, the chicks are moved from an incubator to a Brooder Box – their new home tweet home for the rest of the programme.
As part of this initiative, the children are given the opportunity to see a lifecycle from start to the end. They are given choices to hold them, clean them out, feed them, or just observe them, which helps them understand how to communicate their choices independently. It also helps teachers develop a better understanding of how individuals who are non-verbal prefer to communicate. The sensory experience of holding a chick can help relax our pupils, and witnessing chicks hatch is educational and entertaining for our pupils, allowing them to discover new and interesting facts associated with their lifecycle.
And a little birdie told us that both Hollybank School and children from Orchard Court were given the chance to spend time caring for the tiny fledglings!
Hollybank Trust is a registered Charity: 1043129
