Best Spring Field Trips
- Local Farm
- Theater Trip
- State Capitol
- Astronomy Trip
- Local Art Gallery
As Spring approaches, educators are often seeking field trip ideas to excite and inspire their classrooms. Field trips can be an effective supplement to classroom education that works best when they connect students to a more personal understanding of curriculum material. Spring field trips can be events for students to anticipate, and discerning teachers may motivate students to be more engaged through assigning projects directly connected to the trip. Here are a few versatile trips that will encourage students to see how their classroom education relates to their broader community.
1. Local Farm
A class visit to a small, local producer gives students the opportunity to learn where their food comes from and to begin thinking about the existing food systems in the United States. Many farmers are willing to host student-friendly tours and may even allow students to sample fresh fruit or vegetables. A farm trip can even be the beginning of a class garden project. The New York Times reports that more schools are implementingstudent-tendedd gardens, and a farm trip could foster excitement for aspiring gardeners.
2. Theater Trip
Plays or musicals that fit into a historical or literary theme can be field trips that perfectly complement classroom material. According to The Huffington Post, Children in schools across the United States were treated to viewings of the musical Hamilton in conjunction with a historical, musical, and artistic special curriculum segment. While a performance of this magnitude may be out of reach for some schools, community productions can be enjoyable for students and will give them an opportunity to learn more about their local artistic community.
Related: 5 Tips for Teaching Boring Topics
3. State Capitol
A trip to the state capitol is a chance for teachers to emphasize the ways that students may participate in government through voting, running for office, or voicing concerns to leaders and legislators. Relevant student projects could include writing letters to state representatives or legislators, researching current state-level political issues, or reflecting on how state history contributes to current local events. When it is executed in the spirit of empowering students to have a voice in their community, a trip to the State Capitol can take on an exciting meaning for students.
4. Astronomy Adventure
Spring can be the ideal time for overnight astronomy trips where students can view constellations and planets through a clear sky. This is especially exciting for schools in areas with low sky visibility due to light pollution or cloud cover. Centering the trip around an astronomical event like a meteor shower is one way that educators can connect the field trip to current scientific happenings.
5. Local Art Galleries
While most art-related field trip ideas focus on large museums or historical art pieces, a visit to local art galleries can be an exciting introduction to students’ own community art landscape. Exhibitions on topics that may have personal meaning to students are vehicles for conversations on place and expression. Local art galleries may introduce students to a diversity of artists, styles, and subject matters that can be inspirational for students who are not typically represented in historical art displays.
Field trips are a chance for students to get out of the classroom and experience learning at an up-close, hands-on level. The most effective field trip ideas keep students engaged by connecting their own interests and experiences to the topics being explored.
