Six Ideas for Your Next Field Trip

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Looking for inspiration and ideas for homeschool field trips? The Homeschool Review Crew is here to help with this week's Round-up. Here are six suggestions based on some field trips we've done. I've chosen those that aren't specific to my local area, so these are the types of destinations that should be available in most areas.

1. Animal Rescue or Wildlife Refuge - The zoo is always popular, but an animal rescue facility like the one we visited recently, East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue, or a wildlife refuge area like Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge gives a little different perspective of animals. 



The exotic animal rescue facility we visited is different from a zoo, in that it offers safe homes to animals that have been retired from labs or zoos, or were kept as pets. It's a non-profit, and the emphasis is on caring for the animals, not on pleasing the guests. Opening the facility for guests to see helps to raise funds to care for the animals, and raises awareness about how animals should be cared for. Read more about our trip at An Exotic Animal PhotoJournal.

A wildlife refuge or sanctuary may offer you a glimpse of animals in a more natural habitat than those found at a zoo, but you're less likely to be able to get up close. Take along your binoculars or use the zoom lens on your camera. Some wildlife refuge parks have informative visitor centers too. Find out more about the trip we took several years ago at A Wildlife Refuge PhotoJournal.

2. An aquarium - This is another alternative to a zoo trip, and most of the larger aquariums also have birds, reptiles, and some other animals in rainforest or similar habitat areas. We've visited the National Aquarium in Baltimore a few times, and just a couple weeks ago went to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. You can read more about our most recent visit to the National Aquarium in From the High School Lesson Book - A National Aquarium PhotoJournal.

3. A Greenhouse, Nursery, or other large growing facility - This one has come easily for us, because my husband manages a wholesale greenhouse. Touring a growing facility relates to more than just botany and horticulture - it also involves chemistry and other sciences. For instance, we've learned that the plants at the greenhouse we visited aren't grown in soil - it's actually a mixture of perlite and peat moss. Comparing and contrasting how a tree nursery works with how a hydroponic vegetable grower works can also be fascinating. Depending on the facility, the plants they are growing will vary by season. The times we've toured my husband's greenhouse, they've been growing poinsettias. You can find out more at From the High School Lesson Book - A Poinsettia PhotoJournal (Greenhouse Field Trip).

Learn about watering systems

4. Art museums - some people shy away from visiting art museums for fear that they are too high-brow or that they are not kid-friendly. I can't speak for all art museums, but I do know that many offer family and kid-friendly tours and programs. Explore the websites of art museums near you to find out what they have and give it a try! We loved our visit to the Baltimore Museum of Art a couple of years ago - and it was free! Find out more about it in my post Baltimore Museum of Art Field Trip.

we sketched our own copies of paintings by Matisse

talking about how paintings were used to tell Bible
stories in the 1500s

5. Living History Museums and Farms - This is another obvious field trip destination, but one worth mentioning because of the many different kinds of experiences they offer! We've visited quite a few over the years, and one of our favorites is Historic St Mary's City in southern Maryland. It features reconstructed buildings, a working colonial farm, a Woodland Indian Hamlet, a replica square-rigged ship, and more.  There are lots of hands-on activities for all ages. We learned about muskets, farming tobacco, the apothecary's herbal medicines, and print shop, colonial children's games, and lots of other things. Read more about Historic St Mary's City in History Lesson: St Mary's City.

I keep thinking we should construct a pillory for our backyard.

6. Walk in the state forest or other park - Don't overlook this very simple approach to a field trip, especially if you're studying something like ecosystems. There's a lot to be observed and learned on a nature walk through a forest, grassland, or whatever biome parks are available near you. Many of these types of parks also have ranger programs or visitor centers that can add to your learning experience. And it's usually free, or at least pretty inexpensive. Try my post A Fountain Rock PhotoJournal for pictures and info about a free nature center near us.

Fountain Rock Nature Center is on the site of an old lime kiln and quarry

and has a fun outdoor music room too!

at Swallow Falls State Park

at the Nature Center at Deep Creek State Park

Most of my pictures from A Walk In the Woods have disappeared, but you can read about what we observed on a field trip there.

What other inspiration can you share for field trips? Join members of the Homeschool Review Crew in our Round-up and get plenty of ideas!

Visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to see what other Crew members recommend in the Field Trip Inspiration Round-up, which will be live on Friday, July 14, 2017.

 This post is linked at the Encouraging Hearts & Home Blog Hop hosted by Learning Table.

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This post is part of the March 2019 Homeschool Collection on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

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