Field Trips Don’t Have To Be Big Excursions

When I think about going on field trips, I often think about day-long, very planned out excursions. But, field trips don’t have to be that way.

A field trip can be as simple as a trip to the gas station, as long as you take the time to make sure that your students are learning from the experience (not just driving there for a fill up and leaving).

Here are some ideas of simple field trips that might not automatically come to mind when you’re thinking of field trips (some can involve either minimal planning or can become a huge project — it all depends on what you are looking to add to your school day, as well as the days leading up to and following your field trip):

- Gas Station

-Amtrak (ride on it to a nearby city, across the country, or just visit the station)

-Downtown

- Local Newspaper Publisher

- Your place of worship (or another one — maybe from your denomination or something totally different. If you are going to one different than your own, you might want to take someone of that denomination with you to answer questions, or you’ll need to research your trip)

- Dad / Grandma / Mom / Uncle Joe’s Place of Employment

- Voting Polls

- Grocery Store

- Local Festivals

- A ride on local public transportation

- Trip to your alma mater (especially if it’s not a far trip!)

- The library

- Laundromat

- Camera Shop

- Local Bakery or Restaurant

- Floral Market

What are some of your favorite simple field trips?

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Angie can be found writing at Many Little Blessings when she can manage to not be driving around in the mini van.  Angie is also the founder and managing editor of The Homeschool Classroom and Catholic Mothers Online.

photo by Terry Freedman