One thing that has been lacking in our homeschool over the years has been field trips. We have been a part of several, but not as many as I would have liked. This has been mostly due to several moves that we have made, hence needing to take time to settle in, meet new friends, and learn the ins and outs of the homechool laws in our new state. Over the last few years we have also had two new babies and have not lived near family, so we really could not participate in field trips unless we could include the younger children, as well. The result has been that we have become homebodies.
However, we are mostly settled into our new home in our new state, feel confident that God sent us here, and have no plans to move any time soon. So we have begun to get involved in field trips. I have even planned a couple recently, and have ideas for more. That is what I will be sharing with you today, ideas for field trips, in the hopes that they will spark some ideas in you for your area and family!
List of Homeschool Field Trip Ideas
- Local museums
- The library: learn about the Dewey Decimal System
- A local science center
- Fire station
- Police station
- Play at local college
- Apple-picking
- Pumpkin patch
- Grocery store tour
- Restaurant tour
- Farmer’s Market: learn about the produce and economics, as well
- Local craft fair
- Potato digging
- Artisan Chocolate Shop
- Local T-shirt making company
- Soda-bottling company
- Automobile manufacturer
- Local bakery
- Horse or cattle ranch: learn how to care for the animals, what they eat, etc.
- Tour of a movie theater, behind-the-scenes
- Radio or TV station, behind-the-scenes tour
Planning for a Homeschool Field Trip
Planning a field trip does not have to be difficult. Our family is actually going next week to take a tour of our local Chick-fil-A. All I did was send a Facebook message to the location in our city. The Director of Marketing responded quite quickly and has been very pleasant to work with in the planning!
We also visited a local artisan chocolate shop over the summer. I used the same method to contact the owners of the shop, whom I actually knew from my church, and they, also, were very excited to work with me to plan a trip. We actually ended up planning three because, well, homeschool mamas love chocolate! During our tour, we got a rundown about how they make their bars and truffles, as well as learning about the cacao bean. Oh, and we were given samples. Yum!
I encourage you to contact the owners, or possibly the Director of Marketing, for local businesses. The worst they can do is say no. And you may just be surprised when they respond with an enthusiastic “Yes!” So get to brainstorming. Feel free to start with my list above.
What are your favorite field trip ideas? List them in the comments section below!
Happy Homeschooling!
