How far would you go for a field trip? Are you a road warrior or a homebody? I’ll be honest, we’ve done both. But today, I’m going to talk about a special kind of field trip we have taken several summers. A trip to visit family.
For many years, my husband had a job that required him to travel for work. I would take the opportunity of him being gone, to take my kids back to my hometown to visit my family. These were long trips, as we lived 7-11 hours of driving from my parents during those years. We still do.
Having Help
I am going to be honest, I haven’t always been the best at taking my three kids on field trips on my own. Thankfully, when I visited my mother (or she came to visit me) I had extra hands to hold my kids and we did more outings. Having an extra adult available to help, made everything easier.
Now, before you assume I grew up in a place with a ton of things to do, I need to tell you I did not. However, I have found that almost everywhere has interesting things to see and do if you look hard enough and are open to a bit of a drive. I was often willing to drive up to an hour to see and do things.
Here is a list of fun things we did near my hometown:
- Visited for the 4th of July, so we got to see the local parade and fireworks.
- Explored the graveyard where my great-grandparents are buried.
- Visited a small local museum dedicated to the fossils found in the area.
- Went tubing down a local river.
- Went to the theater for a show. They had nice options for kids in the summer.
- Visited a tiny local zoo.
- Explored the National Forest and “hiked’ a short well-established trail to an overlook.
- Took the kids to the movies (it was cheaper in the small town).
- Watched an outdoor drama.
- Went to see live music. This was possible a couple of different times, in different ways. Most of them were free.
My youngest and I on our most recent trip to visit family. - Went kayaking.
- Visited the local library for books to read for the week. This also let the kids see how the local library was different than the one near our home.
- Visited a small local museum dedicated to the history of the area.
- Went to the local cultural arts center to see art by local artists that was also for sale.
- Attended local craft festivals and watched people do their crafts.
If this list seems overwhelming, that is because you are imagining I did it all on a single trip. That isn’t true. We visited many times over many years. Every trip, we tried to do a few things. Some of these activities, we did several times as the kids grew. Other options we only did once. A few, like the theater, were often one-on-one trips with a different kid getting to do that on different trips.
You Can Find Field Trips Anywhere
My point here is that no matter where you live, there are probably some interesting field trips to take. If you aren’t good at taking field trips at home, plan to do them while you are on other kinds of trips. Visiting family was a great option for us because it was an inexpensive way to travel.
Perhaps you have the opposite situation, and your family lives in a place that is a vacation destination. In this case, you can plan to visit and see all the sights! You don’t need my list. However, if you are feeling like there isn’t much to do, look at my list and research your options. Ask around. Almost everywhere has neat things for you and your kids to explore!
I live in a place that people visit specifically for field trips. They travel here with purpose. It is a neat place to live. That said, I think my kids have enjoyed those little local field trips every bit as much as they have the large museums and historical places near our home. Kids learn from every single experience. The more places they can see and experience, the better they will understand the world. But never underestimate the value of a day in the woods, at the beach, or a lake. Those relaxed outdoor adventures have been some of our favorites.
About the Author
Laura Sowdon, OTR/L is an occupational therapist, writer, speaker, educator, and creator of the Five Senses Literature Lessons homeschool curriculum. She has worked as an occupational therapist with children in public and private schools, as well as private practice. Laura has taught and managed homeschool co-ops as well as homeschooling her own three children. Laura is dedicated to the idea of educating children at a pace that aligns with brain and physical development milestones and respects neurodiversity in all its forms.
