Homeschool Field Trips:
Schooling Ouside the Home

Homeschool field trips can be a disaster or enhance your schooling day. To have a successful learning experience you need to plan. with your child research your field trip. .

How to Find the Best Places

Look in the front of the phone book for attractions in your area. My phone book lists museums, community theaters, and recreational areas in the community pages. Each attractions has a short description and contact information. A website is usually listed.

I have also found a wealth of information looking through local travel magazines. I found the free magazines at a local marina. You can usually find similar magazines at a visitor's information center. Another place to look for travel magazines and books is at the library.

The magazines are for people who are planning to travel in the area so they list places to stay and to eat. I like the travel magazines because they list local attractions and festivals.

Don't forget to ask your friends good places to go in the area. Even if they do not homeschool they may know of places to take children. My husband learned about a Civil War Reenactment in our area from a friend at work.

How to Plan Homeschool Field Trips

A well planned trip can add educational value to your homeschool. First look at your school schedule. What are your teaching this year? How would field trips fit in? If you are studying about stars look for a museum about space or visit a planetarium.

Then get as much information about the place that you are going to. If your children are older have them help with collecting information. If you plan to visit a government office write to get information. Ask about tours. Ask if you can meet your government official. Don't forget to write a thank you note. Thank the person for the information and meeting the official.

If you are going to a museum go on line. Many museums have educational material that you can download. I have found descriptions of their exhibits. I have also found worksheets that can be taken with you to the museum. Zoos also have worksheets.

Teach your child something about what you will be seeing. If you are going to a play learn about the characters and plot. Learn the instruments of the symphony before you go. Before you attend a historical reenactment read about the historical event.

Before you go on you homeschool field trips prepare your child. Let him know what to expect. If your child is special needs prepare him. Take about what you will see. Will it be dark or bright? Take about also what your child will hear. Will it be quiet with a sudden boom? Will the site be noisy?

You should also talk about how you child should obey. If you are going with a group tell your child who he should stay with. Talk about if he needs to be quiet or not. Remind him not to touch items unless it is okay.

Some Homeschool Field Trip Ideas

Language Arts

Take a tour of the library

Go to the library to listen to story time

Go to the library to see authors

Go to the library to listen to poems

Bookstores may also host authors

Go to plays

History/Social Studies

Historical museums

National Monuments

State capital

Government offices

Fire departments

Post office

Manufacturing plant

Dad's office

Historical reenactments

Science

Aero-space museums

Science museums

Planetarium

Natural trail

Zoos

National part

Art/Music

Symphony

Concerts

Concerts at the local high school

Art galleries

Handcraft demonstrations

Math

I really had to think how to go on a field trip that would be for math. The only thing I could come up with is a trip to the grocery store. When you go to the store have your child look for items that are sold in gallons, pints, or quarts. Also have them weigh vegetables and fruit. Compare prices of different brands.