Potatoes over Pumpkins

Around this time each year, nearly every elementary school in the US loads their students into yellow school busses and heads to the pumpkin patch.  Our first autumn field trip in Busan turned out to be only a slight variation on that American harvest tradition.

Thursday morning, our kindergarteners ventured thirty minutes outside the city to a sweet potato farm.  Upon arrival, each child pulled a shovel from their bag, packed by mom and dad for the occasion.

Some were pink plastic, left over from summer sandcastle construction.   Others were genuine shovels, and their owners quickly discovered their tools could double as threatening weapons.  This one happened to be larger than little Michelle's head.

Once the shovels came out, so did the gloves.  Each child was given a pair, and adorned with gloves and their shovels, some truly did look like little farmers.

Each student found their designated spot and started to dig.    

Some students were aggressive, carelessly chopping the thick vegetables in half before bringing them up from underground. 

 

Others, like this sweet six year old, adorned with a Disney princess hat, posed for pictures, daintily poking and prodding the dirt.

Thanks to their effort, the group gathered plenty of the hearty vegetable, which as my mom would tell you, happens to be a superfood.

There was an apparent sense of accomplishment each student felt when they received their bag of sweet potatoes.  Ryan and I went home with a hefty amount as well, with few recipe ideas.  Any recipes you have would be appreciated! 

What we’re not short on, are adorable pictures from the field trip.  Is it possible that the kids are getting cuter?

Their teachers aren’t terrible either. :)