Become a Field Trip Expert
- rstinson10
- Apr 10
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 18
Our kids are not special. They are required to do the same amount of educational hours public school children need to do when they are in the classroom. The difference is, we get the chose how we spend those hours, at least in our state. Many homeschoolers take advantage of field trips and other experiences, instead of using them to do endless worksheet exercises. However, we still have the responsibility to cover the necessary subjects like math, english and other traditional bookwork, but these can be done just as easily when traveling.
Here are some field trip ideas that would be a great addition to your vacation and homeschooling plans.
The Police Station
This is free. Grab a friend and make an appointment for a police station tour. My family did this and we got to go inside the jail, see the communications desk where they take calls, sit inside the cruiser and play with the siren buttons.
The Fire Station
Visting your town's fire station is also free. The fire department also visits schools and hosts tours for scout troops, and they host "open houses" which you can go to and experience the fire station without an appointment. Get another familiy to join you and call to schedule an appointment. Some fire stations also have beams from the world trade center or other historical relics related to your town's history. If so, this also an opportunity to talk about history with your children.
Farms
We love visiting farms! It is important for our children to see where our food comes from. We also shop at farm stands to support local businesses. There are often seasonal events we participate in sometimes, such as: apple picking, pumpkin picking and harvest days with hay rides.
Post Office
We did a Post Office tour one year, which was fun and educational. This is also free. Call and make an appointment.
The Beach
This is a great opportunity to see wildlife. Starfish, moon jellies, sea snails are all living at the beach and you can see them close up. Try to identify them all!
Museums
Many have special events like reenactment days that add extra fun to your trip. Some also have extra behind the scenes activities that might be a fun addition to your trip. Teacher discounts are also extended to homeschoolers. an HSLDA membership is one way to provide proof of homeschooling. Museums also often offer discounts for large groups.
Homeschool day!
Museums and other places host "homeschool days". These are specific scheduled events where there may be scheduled activities or pricing for homeschool families. This is a screen shot from Chuck E Cheese about their homeschool day. You might have some in your area. Check out some of your local museums and other family friendly businesses to see if they have special homeschool days.
Renaissance Fairs
A Renaissance Fair can be a historical immersive experience. You can eat period specific foods, watch a jousting, dress up in costumes, enjoy live music and have fun while doing it. The one we attended recently had a medieval punishment exhibit with life-size dioramas displaying how prisoners were punished back then. This is a photo of my 10 year old standing in their cage photo op.
Sports outings (PE)
Ice skating rinks, skateboarding parks, bowling allies, trampoline parks, local swimming pools.
National parks
Historic places and historical landmarks
Restaurant Tours
California Pizza kitchen for example offers tours of their restaurant. We did this before as well. We got to see the back of the restaurant, watch someone toss a pizza, see the inside of their walk in refrigerator and the kids made their own pizza. There may be other restaurants that offer tours or birthday party experiences, so look for those opportunities and explore your favorite restaurant chains website to see if they offer any children's activities.
Field Trip Tips We Want to Share
If you are doing a tour and have an appointment, be on time.
Follow the rules of the location.
If there is no trash can, plan to cary in and cary out your garbage.
Verify any information online, on their website, or through the grapevine. Call and talk to a manager to see if this (price/ tour/ operating hours/ behind their scenes activity etc.) is available.
We love the site roadsideamerica.com when planning activities.
We take advantage of gift shops and the *good* souvenirs. There are often super unique items when you travel or visit a museum that you will not find in a local Walmart or even on Amazon.
If your location allows it, bring your own snacks and drinks to save money.
Familiarize yourself with your local school calendar. It just helps to have that awareness when you are planning activities for your family. You don't want to be visiting places like the zoo or the beach when school is out on a holiday break. One of the benefits of homeschooling is that you go to places like these when school is in session and they are mostly empty with no crowds. Also, local businesses hosting child-enrichment activities may have events that are planned for when school is out. For example, an art school might have a painting class and the local Ice rink might have public skating scheduled.
Virtually any business that offers activities for small groups like scouts or a school would also be available for homeschool groups. If you do not have a group like a co-op to join in the fun, make one! Get one or two families together and go on a field trip!
Many resorts, theme parks and museums have special events scheduled. This might include character interactions, an animal show or other special scheduled activities. Our hotel resort in Florida had a photo scavenger hunt planned. We did it with our kids and they all got a prize at the end.
Vacation
Our vacations are not 100% educational, however many of our experiences when traveling are educational and count as school. The next time you are on vacation, think about the educational experiences you can incorporate in your homeschool. Here are some examples.
Disney World
Epcot: Mission Space, Spaceship Earth. American Adventure Show.
Magic kingdom: Carousel of Progress, the Hall of Presidents,
Disney's Animal Kingdom: this counts as a full day of animal science education.
Sea world
Counts as a full day of animal science education.
Camping
There is so much nature, survival, cooking, identifying plants and insects and crafting when we camp. We brought our bicycles one year that made some great physical education time.
Traveling tips for car rides, flights and hotels.
Travel off season. We save money on flights and hotels. Resorts and theme parks are not crowded, so we spend less time in lines for attractions.
Have a travel toilet in your car. Also, bring sick bags if any one in your group gets car sick.
Each child owns a backpack and a suitcase. I purposely purchased standard cary-on sized luggage so that they would be useful whether we are camping, on a road trip or flying. We would not be restricted because of the size of the suitcase.
We use google maps to plot out our destinations. We can see the list and map of all of our places we will be visiting or want to visit if there is time. It is even available on our cell phones when we are en route.
We keep our daily routine as much as possible- we still try to keep a meal schedule, limit screen time and bed time when we are away from home. We try not to over schedule and allow for down time, time to swim in the hotel pool and time for shopping.
One year, my 5 year old packed actual rocks in her carryon luggage.
If you ask the flight attendant, they will give your children flight pins.
We bring heavy blankets for our family members who need the extra weight when sleeping. I have bought some at the thrift store that are knitted and not a specific weighted blanket that are easy to travel with and wash.
When possible, we reserve hotel rooms with a functional kitchen. We usually buy groceries for breakfast and some of our meals. Even buying frozen pizza, mac and cheese or other semi-homemade meals save us time and money when traveling.
We get our kids involved in planning and the day to day activities. We get their help finding our gate. We tell them what to expect when going through security, rules we must follow when we are there, using good manners and what to do if they get separated from us.
We buy whatever photos or photo package is available. One day this is experience will be just a memory and it will be important to have the family pictures.
We pack a lot of screen free activities for car rides and flights; fidgets, trivia games, other toys. I often collect toys specifically for our trip so the kids are excited about playing with them in the hotel room. Many I have gotten seccond hand, which is less expensive than buying new.
Pack your own rain-gear: they are more cost effective and better looking than the ones that will be provided to you in gift shops. We have purchased ultra compact umbrellas and rain ponchos that were great for visiting a location when there is a possibility of rain.
You can save money by sharing plates at restaurants. Often, splitting an adult plate is better than buying from the "kids menu". Pack zip loc bags in your backpack for leftovers- your kids might want to snack on the fries later when they are in line!
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