Guest TheBeeNest Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 This is our first year of Homeschooling and my kids love field trips! Just wondering what you're favorite field trips have been? So far, we've visited our state capital, a few caves, a Science Center, local newspaper, plays at a local theater, ice skating and several parks. We also have one lined up for a local butcher, next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Wow you have done a lot so far. I really enjoyed the Sarah Duke Gardens and the Duke Cathedral at Duke University. We were able to tag along when my husband had meetings in the area so not an every day field trip. My kids would probably say one of the science museums or a play. We also go hiking a couple times a month which I really enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertflower Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 For me, the Makers Faire. :) My 2 oldest said the GA Aquarium and my 2 year old said the zoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 My kids' votes: Dairy farm Symphony - the did Firebird and had high school dancers from the performing arts magnet school K9 police dogs My kids usually love anything with animals! Music is a close second. Hands on art or science probably comes in third. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Welcome to homeschooling! We loved field trips, too. Here are a few memorable ones, off the top of my head: elementary ages: - local soda bottling plant - fire station - dairy farm - farm with a corn maze and a pick-your-own pumpkin opportunity - Renaissance Festival/Fair - hospital's "teddy bear clinic" field trip clinic (tour of xray, how casts are made etc. for your teddy bear) - night sky observing with local amateur astronomy group - entering items in the local county fair and then going to see them on display (with blue ribbons!) - with our homeschool group, recreated a morning of classes (in costumes) at a preserved one-room school house middle school/high school ages: - tour local university's engineering department (demo of wind tunnel and models of air vehicles) - tour local university's carbon dating lab - tour hydroponics greenhouse and aqua-gardening set-up - hands-on rocketry demo - glass-blowing demo at a local studio - participate in an archeology dig all ages: - radio/TV station tour - egg drop contest at the fire station - dissect cow eyeballs (with our homeschool group as a mini co-op) - dissect owl pellet (with our homeschool group as a mini co-op) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 So far this year we have enjoyed plays and Musicals, symphonies, Pioneer museum (Day in the Life re-enactment), Sheriffs Dept (K-9 unit and 911 operating center), service projects, and plan to go strawberry picking/mining, Alpaca Farm, a Manatee Park, Sea school, Indian Reservation, another play....to name what I can remember offhand. In the past we really enjoyed the dairy farm, recycling plant, airplane tour, news station, butterfly garden, fire department, Farms, Our favorites have been when we were traveling-- Vicksburg (Civil War battlefield) and homesteads and other old buildings in Cades Cove, TN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 We visited an alpaca farm and got to see and pet all the adorable newborn alpacas and their doting mothers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 That reminds me of e-days many engineering colleges sponsor them, they are a lot of fun for children of all ages. My kids really enjoyed the one they attended last year. Welcome to homeschooling! We loved field trips, too. Here are a few memorable ones, off the top of my head: elementary ages: - local soda bottling plant - fire station - dairy farm - farm with a corn maze and a pick-your-own pumpkin opportunity - Renaissance Festival/Fair - hospital's "teddy bear clinic" field trip clinic (tour of xray, how casts are made etc. for your teddy bear) - night sky observing with local amateur astronomy group - entering items in the local county fair and then going to see them on display (with blue ribbons!) - with our homeschool group, recreated a morning of classes (in costumes) at a preserved one-room school house middle school/high school ages: - tour local university's engineering department (demo of wind tunnel and models of air vehicles) - tour local university's carbon dating lab - tour hydroponics greenhouse and aqua-gardening set-up - hands-on rocketry demo - glass-blowing demo at a local studio - participate in an archeology dig all ages: - radio/TV station tour - egg drop contest at the fire station - dissect cow eyeballs (with our homeschool group as a mini co-op) - dissect owl pellet (with our homeschool group as a mini co-op) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommaOfalotta Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 My favorite so far was the Renaissance Fair we went to back in October. I'm not even going to lie, that was more for me than "school." It was SO COOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRobinson Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 We love field trips!! Caves, state parks, Old West/ Prairie Days type reinactments, Native American museums/reservations, nature preserves, any and all types of farms (once, our timing was excellent and we got to see a goat give birth!), u-pick gardens such as blueberries, apples and pumpkins, butterfly house, botanical gardens, fire station, radio station, ferry/boat rides, train rides, all types of fairs/festivals, glass blowing shop, pottery shop, woodworking shop, professional horse stables, planetariums, hands-on children museums, science centers, all types of museums, live shows with music, singing, dancing, etc. Less educational but but good excercise: Bounce Houses, trampoline parks, rock climbing gyms, those "fun town" type places that have batting cages, go-carts, mini golf, etc. all in one place. In high school, I went on a field trip to a local airport and got to go for a ride in the medivac helicopter. That was so cool!! For many of the above, we are already giving them our business, so we just call ahead and say "hey, we homeschool our kids and we'd love to learn more about how a woodworking shop opperates, could you show us a few things while we're there?" Business owners are usually thrilled to show off what they do to eager young kids. Its always been a positive experience for us. I am more comfortable with that than organizing a bunch of kids to do an "official" field trip. Did it once, it went well. But I was a nervous wreck! lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleowl Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Wow, I suddenly feel very inadequate looking at everyone's lists! We go to a couple of local museums from time to time, one of them with a mini-zoo; we have gone to zoos when visiting other cities; we have gone to FIL's office to learn about eyes (he's an optometrist); we have called up a jewelry store and asked if they would be willing to talk to a kindergartener about gemstones (they were, and it was a great experience!). Many of the things in my area are more appropriate for older kids and/or would be very difficult to bring along a toddler and a baby, so I'll claim that as my excuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 6, 2015 Share Posted January 6, 2015 Namibia. Probably I shouldn't count that, but I'd like to. If not that... maybe Williamsburg? Or Monticello. Or... we went this fall to Canada and really, really liked the Royal Ontario Museum. Or the Met. We went to NYC for that a couple years ago. If I need to stick to in town, I'll go with the Hirshhorn. My kids have a weird fondness for contemporary art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Wow, I suddenly feel very inadequate looking at everyone's lists! … we have gone to FIL's office to learn about eyes (he's an optometrist); we have called up a jewelry store and asked if they would be willing to talk to a kindergartener about gemstones (they were, and it was a great experience!)... But you have some *great* ones on your list! So don't compare, and don't fret about comparing "amounts". My list is from 12 years of homeschooling, plus the years before that! Much as we loved field trips, we were doing only about 6-7 a year in the preschool / kinder / elementary years, and were down to about 2 a year in high school. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleowl Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 But you have some *great* ones on your list! So don't compare, and don't fret about comparing "amounts". My list is from 12 years of homeschooling, plus the years before that! Much as we loved field trips, we were doing only about 6-7 a year in the preschool / kinder / elementary years, and were down to about 2 a year in high school. :) Thanks - that does make me feel better! We seem to do a lot of "going" with our routine activities, so I think every now and then that we should try to do more field trips...but then I'm too worn out to do them, lol. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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