FieldTripFun

Where Can We Go?

Whether you live in the country, the suburbs, or the city, great field trips are all around you. Take advantage of what is nearby. A simple walk to a natural area for bird watching or rock hunting can be an exciting field trip for young children. One child care provider picked a tree near her home, and the children would go and visit the tree during different seasons to notice the changes in the leaves. If you are in an urban area, visit a store. Children find all kinds of stores interesting, particularly grocery and hardware stores. Dentist or doctor’s offices, botanical gardens, post offices, and bus or train stations are all great town field trips. If you live in the suburbs, perhaps someone near you is building a new house or store.

School-age children enjoy many of the same types of trips that preschoolers do. They are often interested in how things are made. They will also enjoy recreational activities such as bowling, roller skating, or ice skating.

Consider a visit to a school that the children will be attending when they are older. Many schools will be happy to welcome you. Some will want you to come when there is a show or special event. Others may invite you to join them for part of everyday activities. Call the principal and ask what would be possible. This visit will be long remembered, and it can help the children make a smooth transition to their new school.

Field Trips That Come To You

Sometimes a field trip can come to you. Many police, fire, and health professionals would welcome a chance to come to your program and teach the children about health and safety. Find out about the professions and hobbies of the children’s families. You might discover beekeepers, gardeners, mail carriers, geologists, veterinarians, dentists, lifeguards, and firefighters. Children will love to see the tools or equipment used for different jobs. Ask children to decide on questions to ask the presenter beforehand. You will have a better idea about what the children know and don’t know from their questions, and if you make a list, the children won’t forget to ask them.

When someone visits you, it is easy to do age-appropriate activities. If the vet is going to visit, you can have the children draw animals for an art activity. You can bring out a toy medical kit and stuffed animals so the children can act out being a vet.

Planning Your Trip

Plan your field trip far enough in advance that you give yourself plenty of time to notify parents. Distribute permission slips and allow one or two days for parents to return them. Ask yourself these questions as you plan the trip:

What is the best route to take?
How long will it take?
Are there safety hazards involved? (How many streets do we have to cross? Are any of them busy streets?)
What kind of supervision will I need? Do I need parent volunteers to help? How many?

Preparing the Children For the Trip

The best way to prepare the children for a walking field trip is to read books. Children love both pretend stories and real information books. Have several discussions with the children about the trip beforehand. Ask the children “What do you think we will see on our trip? Let’s make a list of all of your ideas.” This helps children get the most out of a trip and helps you know what the children already understand or misunderstand about what they will see.

Ask for parent volunteers to join you. Extra hands and eyes will go a long way towards making the trip safe and successful. The best way to prepare the children for a walking field trip is to read books. Children love both pretend stories and real information books. Have several discussions with the children about the trip beforehand. Ask the children “What do you think we will see on our trip? Let’s make a list of all of your ideas.” This helps children get the most out of a trip and helps you know what the children already understand or misunderstand about what they will see.

Ask for parent volunteers to join you. Extra hands and eyes will go a long way towards making the trip safe and successful.

On the Trip

You’ll need to keep a close eye on the children while you are on the field trip. Count them when you are leaving, when you arrive, during the field trip, on the way home, and when you arrive back.

Consider taking along a camera to capture moments on the field trip. Take pictures of the children and of the things you see along the way.

When the Trip Is Over

Talk about the field trip with the children. What did they find most interesting? Think about what you can do to extend the learning. For example, if you visited a post office, set up an area with scrap paper, recycled envelopes, and stickers. Develop the pictures you took and display them.

Summary

Field trips can be a refreshing change for you and the children, and an exciting and memorable learning experience. Simple field trips work best: Take advantage of what you have nearby. Planning is the secret to a successful field trip. The children enjoy the trip the most when they have been learning about what they are going to see. Read nonfiction books on the topic as well as fiction. Your local librarian can help you to find books on many topics for the children.

Emergency Kit

Many child care providers write all emergency contact information and special notes about each child, such as allergies to bees, on an index card. Take copies of medical release forms. A fanny pack makes a great first aid kit. Include tissues, damp washcloths or baby wipes, and band-aids. Also take along a cell phone or change for a pay phone as well as drinking water and cups.

Assignments

Why are field trips beneficial for you and the children?
List three walking field trips you and the children could take.
Choose one of the field trips from question #2 and answer the following questions:
- What field trip did you choose?
- What will you do to plan and prepare for the trip?
Pick two field trips from question #2 and tell us about a follow-up activity you will plan to extend the children’s learning from each trip.

(Example field trip: walk to pick strawberries. Extension activity: plant strawberry plants)

Field Trip Fun: Let’s Go for a Walk!