Field Trip Ideas for Homeschool Families

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Kids love hands-on learning, engaging with others, and exploring the world around them.

Field trips are an excellent way to break your homeschool routine, by offering a fresh perspective and a new learning environment. They are especially valuable for visual, tactile, and auditory learners as they help kids connect book learning with real-world experiences.

Field trips are also a fun way to introduce (or conclude) a topic or enhance a unit study.

A field trip reflection page can be helpful to gauge your child’s observations and thoughts about the experience, and even identify areas of interest for future investigation.

I have created two field trip response pages, a simple one for lower elementary level and one that allows more detailed responses. These are helpful to have during the review process, as they provide written evidence of instruction.

Traditional school trips include outings to aquariums, museums, and zoos. These are wonderful learning opportunities, but there are many other activities for your family to enjoy.

I’ve put together a list of field trip ideas to help with planning your school year. Some venues offer discounts for homeschool families, be sure to have proof of your teacher and student status. To learn how to create your own school ID cards, see my instructional blog here.

Can’t decide which field trips to take? No problem- one of the many benefits of homeschooling is that you can plan as many excursions as you wish!

Plan and keep track of field trips with this handy Field Trip Log.

Museums

• American History Museum
• Civil War Museum
• Culture & Heritage Museum
• Museum of Industry
• Wax Museum
• Holocaust Museum
• Science and Technology Museum
• Maritime Museum
• Military Museum
• War Museum
• Medical Museum
• Art Museums and Galleries
• Music Museum
• Sports Museum
• Children’s or ‘Please Touch’ Museum
• Crime Museum
• Spy Museum
• Museum of the Bible
• Creation Museum
• Ark Encounter
• Transportation Museum
  • Air and Space
  • Train

History-Themed Field Trips

• Historic Landmarks
• Old Settlements
• National Historic Sites
• National Monuments such as the Statue of Liberty (click here for a recommended book)
• World Heritage Sites
• Battlefields
• Historical Reenactments
• War Memorials
• Archaeological Digs
• Presidential Monuments or Libraries
• Attend a Renaissance Festival
• Tour a Historic Ship
• Historic Church and Cemetery
• Final Resting Place (Grave) of Historical Figures

Nature and Outdoors Field Trip Experiences

• Zoo
• Farm
• National Park
• Nature Center
• Wild Animal Park or Sanctuary
• Botanical Gardens
• Butterfly Garden
• Hike or Go For a Nature Walk
• Bike
• Swim
• Downhill or Cross-Country Ski
• Snowshoe
• Horseback Ride
• Visit a Playground
• Rock Climbing
• Geocaching (click here for a printable Geocaching Log)
• Metal Detecting
• Precious Metal or Stone Mining and Panning
• Search for Sharks Teeth, Seashells, Cool-looking Rocks, etc.
• Gardening
• Camping Trip
• Outdoor Survival Experience
• The State Fair

Manufacturing and Production Tours

• Paper Mill
• Lumber Mill
• The United States Mint
• Stamp Factory
• Sticker Factory
• Toy Factory
• The Crayola Experience (five locations across the U.S.)
• Candle Factory
• Soap-Making Facility
• Garment Factory
• Musical Instrument Factory
• Sports Equipment Factory
• Furniture Manufacturing
• a Construction Site (get permission from foreman)
• Vehicle Production Facility
  • Car and Truck
  • Motorcycle or Recreational Vehicle
  • Tractor and Farm Equipment
  • Boat Building or Shipyard

Food-Related Field Trips and Activities

• Dairy Farm
• Maple Tree Farm and Syrup Production
• Beekeeper
• Orchard to Pick Fruit
• Production and Packaging Tours
• Soft Pretzel Bakery
• Candy Factory
• Chocolate Factory
  • The Hershey Experience
• Nut Processing Facility
• Coffee Bean Processing Facility
• Snack Food Tour- Potato Chips, Hard Pretzels, Popcorn
• Cake or Cookie Factory (or Local Bakery)
• Soft Drink Factory
• Ice Cream Production Facility
  • Turkey Hill Experience
• Learn Food Preservation Methods
  • Pickling
  • Canning Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
  • Jams, Jellies, and Preserves
  • Dehydrating
• Go Berry Picking
• Learn to Cook a Specific Dish
• Learn to Bake Bread
• Cake Decorating Class

Science and Technology-Themed Field Trips

• Science Center
• Planetarium
• Aquarium
• Fish Hatchery
• Weather Station
• TV Station Tour
• Energy Production Sites
• Coal Mine
• Hydroelectric Dam
• Nuclear Power Plant (special instructions – check plant’s website)
• Recycling Center
• Mines
• Water-Treatment Facility
• Underground Cave Tour

Transportation-Themed Experiences

• Bike Tour
• City Bus Ride
• Rapid Transit or Light Rail Ride
• Tour Bus
• Ride on a Passenger Train
• Airport or Local Airstrip
• Pilot Training
• Ferry Boat Ride
• Go Sailing
• Swamp Tour on a Hydrofoil
• Observe a Draw Bridge in Action
• Witness a Canal and Lock System Function
• Take a Fishing Boat Charter
• Visit a Marina or Fishing Pier

Community Helpers Related Trips

• Firehouse
• Hospital
• Police Station
• EMS Station
• Community Health Clinic

Volunteer and Charitable Experiences

• Food Bank
• Soup Kitchen
• Donation Centers
• Habitat for Humanity and Similar Building Projects
• Operation Christmas Child
• Gift Wrapping
• Church Mission Work
• Retirement or Assisted Living Facilities
• Animal Rescue or Sanctuary

Government Related Field Trip Ideas

• State Capital or Legislative Building Tour
• White House Tour
• Visit a Military Base
• United States Post Office

Culture, Arts, and Entertainment

• Live Theatrical Performance
• IMAX Movie
• Live Concert
• Outdoor Concert or Music Festival
• Symphony Orchestra
• Opera or Operetta
• Attend a Ballet or other Dance Performance
• Take a Dance Class
• Sporting Events
• “—— Hall of Fame”
• Artist Galleries and Studios
• Take an Art Class
• Soundstage Set Up and Backstage Tour
• Eat at an Ethnic Restaurant – Try New Foods
• Attend a Church Service
• Visit a Heritage Festival
• Attend a Film Festival
• Attend a Poetry Reading
• Circus Performance

Other Ideas

• Any Career-Related Interest – Arrange a Buddy or ‘Shadow Day’
• College and University Campus Visits
• Learn a New Sport
• Train for and Participate in a Marathon
• Attend an Author Reading and Book Signing
• Library – learn how books are categorized, how to search database, etc.
• Pet Store
• Grocery Store – couponing, budgeting, healthy choices, read food labels, etc.
• Laundromat
• Go Fishing (Fly-Fishing, Dockside, Deep Sea)
• Crab or Lobster Trapping Excursion

Virtual Field Trips

Use the internet to visit anywhere in the world!

• Tour far-off museums, coral reefs, and National Parks.
• Visit famous foreign sites and landmarks such as the Great Wall of China.
• Take a virtual peek inside the International Space Station
• …and so much more!

Just for Fun or Reward Trip Ideas

• Waterparks
• Theme parks
• Indoor Play Center
• Zip-lining
• Mini Golf
• Bowling
• Trampoline Park
• ‘Believe it or Not’ Type Museums
• Scavenger Hunt (click here to access our City Scavenger Hunt, click here for our Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt)

Fun Theme Parks Designed Especially for People with Special Needs

• Morgan’s Wonderland – San Antonio, Texas – expected to open summer 2022
• Morgan’s Inspiration Island – San Antonio, Texas – Seasonal
• Morgan’s Wonderland Sports – San Antonio, Texas
• Morgan’s Wonderland Camp – San Antonio, Texas

If you’d like to print these field trip ideas, I have created a PDF copy which can be accessed here.