Field Trip: Sanchez Adobe Homeschool Day

Where: Sanchez Adobe, Pacifica (1000 Linda Mar Boulevard, Pacifica, CA 94044)
When: Annually,around May - email sanchezadobe AT historysmc DOT org at the beginning of the year to confirm the date/reserve a time slot
Who: Ages 7-12, but ideally 3rd and 4th graders. Younger children may accompany, but must stay beside an adult and may not participate in some activities.
Cost: $5/student (for 2019 school year), maximum 20 students in the group.

This is a popular field trip. It starts with the docent explaining about the home. Students then watch a video detailing the history of the site as an Ohlone village, then a Spanish mission outpost, Mexican rancho and finally California rancho. After the video, they break into groups for the activities:

1) Grinding corn

Grinding corn using a stone mano and metate. This was fun, but everyone quickly realized it would be tiring to make enough for everyone to eat, every meal.

2) Lassoing a 'cow'

Good news: the 'cow' isn't going anywhere, so it's fun to practice throwing a lasso and imagine what it would be like if both the cow and horse were moving. After 'catching' the cow, students brand it with 'FS' (Francisco Sanchez, the owner of the ranch).
 
3) Candle making

Students need to be older to take part in this activity, due to the risk of burns from hot wax. Students took turns dipping candle wicks into the wax, walking around to let it dry, and repeating. It took about 10 dips to make the candle as wide as the picture above, in total it took 40 to make 'average' size candles that we buy in stores. Students get to take one candle home as a memento.

4) Brick making


Jump in and get your feet wet (dirty in this case)! Students walk around in a mud pit until the water and mud are thoroughly mixed, then scoop it into wooden frames. The bricks are then left to dry. During rancho days, they used a mixture of 32% mud, 32% straw, 32% sand and 4% manure - thankfully, it's just mud for this activity. You will want to bring a change of clothes and a towel (mentioned in the field trip instructions), although students may opt out if they don't want to get grimy. This was our group's most popular activity - good, messy fun. 

This field trip is worth scheduling, especially for the 3rd and 4th graders. Each student can bring home a candle, a family pass to visit the San Mateo County History Museum and a bag, all for a low fee. And the memories? Priceless.