Best Field Trip Ever

I really do love my job! I mean who else gets to do so many fun things like field trips!
After a very relaxing (and unplanned) 4 day weekend due to snow days we came back to school and had our first field trip of the year. Talk about craziness!

Last year our team lead brought up the idea of going to Build-A-Bear for a field trip and we all flipped for the idea after we got the principals approval. The best part was we would be able to spend the day at North Park Mall and partake in all of the holiday fun that the mall had going on for Christmas. Of course we were all I was wondering how we would be able to explain this as an educational experience. Although I didn't understand beforehand, when we got back from the field trip it was all crystal clear.  
How To Writings, Personal Narratives, you name the writing assignment we were able to work it in! The kid's drew ideas for their writing from that day for the rest of the year. It was a teacher's dream. So needless to say, we were beyond ready to make some of those same memories with this year's bunch.

Our trip to North Park started with Ginger Town.

An amazing set up of Olympic themed gingerbread houses! It was wonderfully done and fun for the adults to try and guess what each stucture was. The manager over these set ups in the mall even came by an told the kids all about how Ginger Town was made. It was very cool!

Then it was on to the turtle and duck pond to throw pennies in the fountains, make our Christmas wishes (another future writing prompt), and aw at the Santa and reindeer made of candy that was flying high above. Truly magical moments for these precious friends.

Story time with Santa was next so we hiked our way to Santa's house and got a quick class picture before taking our seats and waiting for the main speaker. (Talk about the best place for a class photo! We definitely had some big smiles.) When Santa arrived we had great seats to hear all about Santa's elf named Trouble. It was adorable and the kids really got into it!

As soon as story time was over it was time for my homeroom class to go make our bears at Build-A-Bear! 

Of course my students desperately wanted me to make an OU bear :)

The employees there really have this down to a science and don't look overwhelmed at all when we bring in 20+ kids at a time. Each student had their choice of a brown bear and a white bear, they made a wish for the bear on its heart, then helped stuff, fluff, and groom their new friends. One sweetie from my class even informed me that she had named her boy bear "Mr. Garrett", baha! Of course I told the real Mr. Garrett later and he looked very honored :)

When Build-A-Bear was over we took each child's photo with the tin soldiers that we will use later for a crafted gift for their parents. And before we knew it, it was time for lunch!

We ate lunch in a perfect little tucked away spot near the food court where the mall had set up a Christmas themed puppet show. We enjoyed the show after we ate and but we still had more to do!

We went by Mrs Field's and they gave us free good sized samples of cookies. Uptown Popcorn gave us a small serving of popcorn. And all of our students had brought money to donate to the salvation army and when they did they each received a candy cane.

One of the last things that we did was going to see the doggies and kitty cats that were up for adoption by the SPCA. When we got there one of the workers had a really cute dog available for us to pet, which always puts a smile on everyone's face!

Not long after that it was time to head back for the buses and leave for school. 

It was such a fun day for the kids and the teacher's all had a great time as well! It's just one of those days that is hard to beat and you're a little sad to see end.

Hope y'all are having a great weekend!