This document provides guidance on planning effective homeschool field trips. It discusses setting goals tied to curriculum areas or personal growth. Logistics like choosing family-only or group trips and timing are important. Integrating field trips with subjects being studied allows for deeper learning. Venues may offer programs for homeschoolers. Pre-learning and follow-up lessons reinforce concepts. Self-guided or venue-led options are available. Field trips provide engaging hands-on learning outside the home.
1. Planning the Perfect Homeschool Field Trip
Opening New Possibilities for Your Kids
2. Planning the Perfect Field Trip
There is no such thing as “perfect”:
Tailored to your own kids’ needs, goals as a
family, group goals
There are many such things as ideal:
University of Arkansas study found that a single
field trip to a museum increased historical empathy
and other measures of emotional intelligence
Students retained a great deal of the art knowledge
they learned
Field trips create great opportunities, especially
for homeschool
5. Set Goals
Tied to one or all:
Curriculum area:
Math, Art, History
Personal growth:
Emotional intelligence, problem-solving
Family time
Fill gaps:
Child’s interest
Your knowledge
Curriculum
Fun is a goal, too!
6. Logistics are Key to Content
Ask:
As a family or with group?
All ages, or just younger, older
child(ren)?
When in the year? What will we be
covering then?
7. Integrating with Curriculum
Look at what you are learning this year
Base on one subject—studying the ocean
for instance
Integrate several subjects—add language
arts, math
Make sure it’s something that works will
all ages if whole family is going
Get different ages to work together
8. Find the Right Program
Subjects: holistic or specific
Age/Grade: only a guideline, part of
the freedom of homeschooling is you
can tailor to what’s appropriate for
your kids
Challenge is finding materials for each
age child
Contact venue
Go by content
9. Get Ready
Pre-learning is essential
Review the venue and program
Create lesson plans for each child
Age-appropriate take on content
Get them ready to learn
Provide context
Get started about a month out
10. More Getting Ready
Venues may have lessons and
materials specifically for
homeschoolers
You can also find related
resources online
So much is out there, you can
tailor to learning
style/intelligence type:
verbal, visual, kinetic
Use multiple media:
video, worksheets, apps, books
11. During the Trip: Self-Guided
Keep kids
engaged:
Asking questions
Integrating lessons such as
sketching, photography, journaling
Use
resources:
Venue provided gallery guides
Toolkitssuch as Museum of Fine Arts
FamilyActivities
Know venue
policies:
Understand rules on
photography,sketching
Tailor easily:
Length, content tailored by choosing
different routes with parent/older
siblings
12. During the Trip: Venue-Organized
Understands needs of multi-age
groups
Need to understand homeschooling is
a “learning lifestyle” so kids are not
getting a break from highly-
structured classroom
Often surprised at how well-behaved
kids are
Often have more advanced social
skills and will ask more questions, do
well with less-structured tours
13. Lesson Plans
Ideal lessons:
Language Arts: Write essay before on
background, after on learning
Visual: Draw pictures on what you
expect, sketch on-site, draw what you
learned
Media: Record a video after trip or create a
Prezi, write a song about trip
Online: Use HSTRY, share with family and
friends