Michelle My Bell Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 I am trying to come up with some ideas of things to do for my homeschool group this year and I am looking for inspiration. So my question is... What field trips or activities have you done with your groups that really stood out as a lot of fun or really educational? Please include the age range that attended. One that I remember is when we lived in MN. We went to an event call a Rendezvous. It was a historical reenactment that was very educational. All ages attended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 When we lived in KY we had some great field trips. The local parks systems (northern KY and Cincinnati) gave wonderful nature walks. And they were free! That was for all ages. We toured a candy factory (Airheads) and the kids got a bag of candy at the end. That one was 6 and up though ds2 was allowed to go even though he was 4yo. (The factory guide invited him along; we didn't sneak him in.) We also toured the Louisville Slugger museum; all ages enjoyed it. The tour through the machine shop was pretty loud, though. Here in GA we had a memorable tour at the Carlos Museum. Our group had a fabulous docent; one of the groups said their docent only talked about her own art projects. Another thing that made it memorable was that a group of the college (Emory) students were attending some kind of orientation; one of their activities was to get a group picture with random people on campus. They were so excited to see such a large group (us) standing around (we were still waiting to be let in to the museum) and begged a group picture. They claimed they'd win because they got the biggest group. Who knows, but at least they did get their picture. ETA: all ages on the Carlos tour and we went to see the ancient Egypt exhibit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Some that our group has done that were well attended and fun were: Animal shelter to learn about it and then walk/play with dogs and cats. This encouraged several attendees to start to volunteer there. (all ages) Fire station. A pretty typical field trip, but interesting to see how they live/work there, the protective clothing and equipment they use, and climb in the fire engines and on one of the lifts (all ages, but attendees definitely tended toward younger elementary) McDonald's behind the scenes tour. Not sure if they offer this sort of thing anymore? (all ages) Local pumpkin patch/farm for hayrides, see the animals. (all ages) Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 The best field trips we've had were always the historical sites that had re-enactors and interactive activities. Let the children get in and try to build this, make that, etc like it was done back in the old days. Interesting, learn new things and actually do something. Good times!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Are you close to places like Stan Hywet? Historical homes/estates were always big with us--we are in the Land of Mt. Vernon, tho! ;) When we lived in Texas, my boys went to the preschool where I taught. It was quite small (25 kids on any given day), and they had the philosophy that field trips are not only good for seeing new places/people and for learning how things are made, but that they build the basis for literacy and vocabulary. So we did a ton of them! Water taxis/trolley/bus wash/airplane hanger when we did a transportation unit Farm to choose a pumpkin and see the animals zoo, of course vet to see "backstage" so to speak The older kids went behind the scenes at a grocery store Are you near the Rubbermaid factory? It's a great tour, if they are still doing it. Also loved performing a couple of songs and making a craft (like a door knob hanger) and going to the nursing home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Some favorites were the vet clinic, newpaper (the kids thought it was amazing to see how a paper was put together and printed, playing in the shredded paper room was a bonus), and my kids love anything having to do with historical locations and museums. We have also gone to the local ag college and done a tour of the dairy cows in the fall and saw how they milk them etc. And again in the spring to see the new baby lambs and learn about sheep. The Bee maid plant was uber cool too as they learned how honey was made and packaged. We love field trips of all kinds here and try to take at least one a month as a family and then add to it with group trips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeacefulChaos Posted August 19, 2012 Share Posted August 19, 2012 Well, we haven't gone on many and we've never been with a group, but we liked: The Georgia Aquarium. It was magical. :) Riding the train. :tongue_smilie: The NMNH was cool, too, but mostly the fun of the day was the train. :D And just being out in the National Mall in DC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*lifeoftheparty* Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I organize the field trips for my CC group.... this year, we are going to.... -A natural area, for an ecology class, nature hike and an ecology boat tour -Aquatic gardens -National Zoo -local farm; hayride that stops at the pumpkin patch, then picking apples -Baltimore Railroad Museum -National Aquarium -local Recycling Facility -National Museum of Natural History, plus IMAX -Walters Art Museum -National Arboretum -Tudor Place (Mansion in Georgetown, where Martha Custis Washington and her descendents lived) -National Cathedral In the past we have gone to..... -Ft. McHenry -Volunteer Fire Dept. -local historical houses (Mostly in DC and Annapolis, MD) -Mt. Vernon -US Capitol Building -Maryland State Capitol -National Art Gallery -National Museum of the American Indian -Terra Cotta Warrior exhibit at Nat. Geo. Museum -Museum of Civil War Medicine They all stand out as being educational because I plan them based on what we are learning in Classical Conversations :) And they are all fun because we are with our friends. The kids LOVE riding the Metro though.... taking the subway into the city is a big hit with the kids ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Adding the wastewater treatment plant. Now that was memorable! We all nearly died going through the solids treatment area. But the water filtration and treatment tanks were fun to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 The recycling plant is fun. We went to an animal rescue farm and that was an amazing experience - I think because the woman who runs the place was just great. Some of the best outings I've done with kids have been hikes. Just go somewhere and walk for 1-3 miles. There's bound to be something awesome that happens. :D Picking apples, blueberries, virtually anything actually, is another favorite of mine with a group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 I run a 4-H Cloverbud club with an age range of almost 5 year olds to 9 year olds. Our favorite field trips by far have been: Rock and Mineral Museum (with link) - the tour guide was amazing! She kept the kids interested, gave them the information then let them walk around looking at the exhibits and gave the older kids more information if they were interested. After the tour we went to a dumpsite where the kids were able to dig for their own rocks/minerals. We had a kit of samples so they could get an idea of what they were finding and they had light boxes to check samples for florescence. Bug Museum (with link) - there's an amazing bug museum in Toms River that is actually run by the family that owns an extermination company. :lol: The tour was amazing, the kids touched a millipede, a scorpion, a tarantula and cockroaches. The exhibits were very interesting and very information. We also did a field trip at our local Petco. They don't do guided tours but they have materials on their website. We did a Whole Foods tour that was a bit of a bust because it was too over the kid's heads. Another local homeschool group set up a tour at a commercial bakery that was a lot of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Renaissance Fair was good. Touring a local PBS station. Oh, the kids really liked a free class they took at the Apple Store at the mall, and they got free tshirts :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Some of our best trips (these were all free, for ages 5-14): Newspaper office A (the only!) local manufacturing plant. It runs 24/7, and I had no idea! Our state Game & Fish Department is very friendly towards homeschoolers. We have assisted them with various field duties like capturing, tagging and tracking wildlife; removal of invasive species; wild game management; lectures on adaptations and ecology Our local National Forest agency is also friendly and we've helped remove invasive tree species There is a very small history museum in our area, and the owner agreed to give us a personal tour. It was fascinating! local small farm that has incredible yields by using their own specially-engineered xeric watering system. The farmers explained the system to us, even showing us how to replicate it at home. small cattle ranch on 'shipping day' letterboxing Volunteer fire department...only because the woman who did the tour was great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 DS just informed me that I am an idiot his favorite fieldtrips have been the specialty science days and try-a-trade that we did this past year, those are things I posted pictures of here on the hive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 My kids did a 4 day archaeology dig with a real archaeologist and actual artifacts... in another homeschooler's front yard! It was incredible. I was just sharing pics with a FB group yesterday and loved looking back on it. My kids were about 5, 6, and 9, I think. Our whole group went up to about 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 A behind the scenes tour at a local pizza place-the kids LOVED the commercial dishwasher and equipment, and, at the time, were allowed to make their own pizzas, which then were baked in the store's oven. I don't think they do the last anymore, from what I've heard. In general, any sort of "behind the scenes" seems to have more impact, in a lot of ways, than the formal museums and the like, at least for younger kids. I will say, though, that one of the highlights last year was when our elementary kids got to go to the student day for the TN Shakespeare company's production of The Tempest-all the other kids there were high school and college kids from various private schools (and the homeschool Shakespeare class), plus about a dozen moms with homeschooled kids age 5-10-and our kids, to all appearances, were the most into the play and into the magic, and, at the end, when the actors had a chance for questions, it was our kids who had a bunch of them. We're working with the TN Shakespeare company to put together a class for our elementary schoolers this year :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Just remembered another. We toured a tv news station and were able to stand in the studio while they did the evening newscast. The weather man demo'ed the green screen and how he used it, then we saw him in action as he did his weather report. We didn't stay for the whole newscast; I think we left about halfway during a commercial break. I think this was ages 5 or 6+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 We go on 2-4 field trips per month, but these really stood out: Alley Pond Environmental Center - 45 minutes of fun group learning, a 1 hour trail hike, and a 15 minute craft (all for $5!). Age range: 6-9 The United Nations - awesome tour and class. Age range 10-13 The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island - First a ferry ride, then a tour followed by a class called "Shore to Shore" about what new immigrants to America had to go through to gain entry. Then lunch out on the grass. And finally climbing to the pedestal of the Statue. Age range: 10-13 The Superhero Tour of NY - a walking tour around midtown Manhattan with a focus on locations found in superhero movies (so many!), homes of comic book writers, and then lunch and margaritas at the Overlook Bar where tons of famous comic strip artists paid their tab by drawing something on the wall (dating back to the 1930s). Age range: 10-13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlight Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 You said activities too, right? We did an egg drop contest with our homeschool group which was a lot of fun. Also, a poetry reading...the kids all memorized poems and recited them while we all had high tea.. We are also going to a water park as part of our summer reading program that the kids are super excited about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Just remembered another. We toured a tv news station and were able to stand in the studio while they did the evening newscast. The weather man demo'ed the green screen and how he used it, then we saw him in action as he did his weather report. We didn't stay for the whole newscast; I think we left about halfway during a commercial break. I think this was ages 5 or 6+. Reminds me of the fieldtrip I planned years ago during our 1st or 2nd year homeschooling to the radio station. That was a cool trip. They even let the kids record a newsclip together to play when they played the other newsclips (you know those little 30 second news blurbs between songs). That same year we went to a chiropractor/naturopath and had time spent with the chiro as well as the woman at the front that handled all the natual herbs etc they sold to clients. It was a very interesting trip. The funniest part of that trip was my youngest was not even 1 yet and one of the staff working was Seik and wore a turban, she was enthralled with that thing. He carried her around for a long time because she was upset to not be touching it. We have a couple pictures of that day that are so cute, especially looking back and seeing how little all 4 kids were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted January 3, 2013 Share Posted January 3, 2013 There are some great ideas here. Bumping to see if anyone else has some to add. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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