How to Use Virtual Field Trips in Your Homeschool

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With the many changes in the world right now field trips are no longer an option for many families. The good news is that the internet has a large number of amazing virtual field trips you can use now and in the future to expose your child to new places and experiences. 

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A lot of families use field trips as a major part of their homeschooling. Field trips give our children the ability to teach our children hands-on and explore new places that can spark the imagination and encourage a love of learning.

Getting Started with Virtual Field Trips in Your Homeschool

The easiest way to work virtual field trips into your homeschool is to look for virtual field trips that complement what you are already teaching your child. Visiting war monuments and sites for instance can help bring lessons about the war in history to life. A virtual tour of NASA can help capture your young scientist’s attention. 

Take advantage of large virtual field trip collections like those from the Smithsonian and The Henry Ford Museum allowing your child to explore the exhibits and historical artifacts right from your very own home. These can be perfect for exploring on their own for some free learning time or as part of your homeschool.

Combine other resources like books, printables, and hands-on projects to make the most of your virtual field trips. This gives you the opportunity to really help your child connect with what they are learning.

Consider the device you are using for your virtual field trips. Some have 360-degree cameras that do well on a mobile device with a gyro built-in. Others give a view of the world that would look amazing on an HD TV or life-size on a projector if you have access to these devices. Many virtual field trips are perfect for exploring independently on your child’s tablet or Chromebook.

Explore the virtual field trip before having your child do it. This will give you the chance to make note of good talking points so you can truly discuss what your child is learning with them. Look up things that you may want more information to talk to your child about and look for other resources that can be used with the virtual field trip for the best effect. 

Look for virtual tours of places that you can take your child in the future. This is a great way to help get your child excited about future outings when the weather or circumstances improve to allow you to get out more with your children for in-person field trips again.

Don’t be afraid to take advantage of the wonderful resources technology has to offer in these uncertain times. Children can adjust well, and giving them a bit more screen time to open doors to their imaginations and a love of learning is worth it in the long run.

Even if your child is taking a virtual tour of Disney rather than a NASA spaceship they are still learning and exploring something new. Your child may just discover a new passion in life and learning.

What is your best tip for using virtual tours in your homeschool?

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