Field trips are a great way to add fun, educational activities to your homeschool. My mother was the President of one our homeschool groups when I was in high school, so I learned a lot of planning homeschool field trips tips from her!
No matter what subject or topic you’re studying in your homeschool, there are field trips that fit! There are some days when I wake up and decide to head out on a field trip last minute, but most of the time I prefer planning homeschool field trips ahead of time.
As a busy homeschool mom I know that at times adding field trips to your homeschool schedule seems like it isn’t worth it. Your days are already full enough and sometimes you can’t even finish what you had on your lesson plans.
However, I truly believe that by allowing our children the chance to experience learning outside the walls of our home and get to know the world around them that their education will benefit greatly. Field trips provide the perfect opportunity for all of this and more!
If you’re not sure how to start planning field trips for your homeschool, I’ve put together a list of planning homeschool field trips tips to help you get started! I do love to plan things out, but don’t ever feel like just because there isn’t a field trip listed on your lesson plans for a particular day that you can’t take an impromptu field trip! It is ok to be spontaneous sometimes!
Planning Homeschool Field Trips Tips
- Determine a budget for either each of your homeschool field trips or all of your field trips for the year
- Make a list of field trips you (and your kids) would like to take this year
- Look through your curriculum and add field trips that coordinate with specific subjects/topics
- Research potential field trips – make note of their fees, hours, classes, discounts, etc.
- Decide how often you can feasibly go on a field trip based on your budget and homeschool schedule
- Create a final field trip list for the homeschool year
- Schedule your homeschool field trips for the year
- Be sure to list what subject or topics your field trips cover/count towards for easy tracking
- Invite other homeschool families in your area to join you (optional)
Sometimes we must remind ourselves that our children’s education is about more than just completing the textbooks or resources we use in our homeschool.
—> Field trips do count towards your homeschool days for the year. <—
So, don’t let that worry keep you from planning fun, educational field trips for your kids to enjoy this homeschool year.
Get outside. Take in the fresh air. Visit the zoo. Enjoy a museum on a rainy (or snowy) day. Spend the day at the beach. Hike through the woods amidst the autumn leaves.
Field trips are good for homeschool moms too. Even we need a break from textbooks and resources once in a while.
