Field Trips: Your Brain On Learning

The secret learning that takes place under the name of having fun is priceless.

The possibilities are endless.  You can get a lot more out of the adventure when you tie it up with learning something about it first. 

Things seem to come together and click when we learn something, then we are exposed to it first hand, connections take place in our minds…magic.

I remember going over a unit study about apples with my older son.  When we went to the apple farm we were able to be with a school group during a tour.  He knew the answers to the questions and when the group was not able to give answers to the questions, he did. 

With field trips, many connections happen in your child’s brain.

That is another advantage to homeschooling your child, watching them when things click for them and they get it.  I just love that learning process. 

When I taught my younger son to read, I was so happy and excited to be there when it happened that I cried. 

Yes, I did. 

Watching the learning happen is as exciting as when they take their first steps.

Field trips are the gateway to learning.  So many choices, enjoy each and every one.

• Children’s museums: 

Don’t rush through, take it slow and really interact with the exhibits. 

There are many hands on exhibits to get your child involved.  There are usually a good amount of science represented which is loved by kids and adults. 

Each children’s museum is different, so visit several.

• Art gallery/museums:  

Look through some art books before you go, spend time looking at the picture then telling every thing you see.

This allows you and your child to really soak in all of the details.  You will be surprised how many more details there are the closer you look for them.

Maybe you can find a copy of what will be in the gallery and have a chance to become very familiar with it. 

Later when you see it again it will be like seeing an old friend and you will both say, “Here is our painting!”

You and your child may want to take an art class together after visiting, or maybe pottery.

• Zoo/Nature Center:  

Spend an amazing day looking at everything, read the plaques, ask questions to the employees or volunteers, or write down questions to look up later if nobody is available.

Take pictures, take any rides available, feed animals as allowed, and just relax enjoying the experience together.  

• Nature Journal:  

This time spent together outside is a breath of fresh air…literally and figuratively.  It is a phenomenon of peacefulness and energy meshed together.

My younger son still remembers our nature walks when he was little.  If we had started Nature Journaling back then we would have years of memories packaged up…no looking back…forward ho.

Get a bound blank book, good pencil, eraser, ruler, colored pencils, binoculars, magnifying glass, jewelers loupe or a hand held microscope.

Take these supplies anywhere there is nature.  Pick a place or object and draw it, take measurements if able, write a description, date, weather, really any important to you information, even questions. 

This allows great detail to be observed.

I always thought, hey, why not just take a picture and use that.

Now I can see how much drawing and writing allows you to examine in detail and have a greater understanding in the object. 

After doing this you will both observe things closer and be more specific in your observations.

• Pick your own fruit farms: 

This can be an annual event that will take your child from the fun of picking the fruit to following a recipe and enjoying the fruits of their labor…literally.

Many of these farms have educational activities offered to enhance the experience.  Your child can look up the history around the fruit, plant a fruit tree/plant in your yard, what birds eat that fruit, and the various ways they can be used.

• Historical Sites: 

If only we had been exposed to history this way when we were kids it might not have been such a dry topic to us.

Now history is so interesting, then when you go to the actual sites, walk the same paths they walked, the energy happens and it comes alive.  

Artifacts that are displayed also become real.  Watching a reenactment of a battle and smelling the smoke brings things to life more than just pictures.

• Tourist attractions: 

Yes, even these can be educational and interesting.  That cave tour can spark an interest in your child that would not have been ignited if you never went.  You get the idea…just explore wherever and whenever. 

Make your whole life an adventure!  You never know where it will take you.

With your guidance, your child can explore many different places. 

Pick one listed idea (or one that you came up with) to do this month, plan it out together, listen to a recorded book or podcast related to the field trip on the way there and back, make memories, and enjoy the discussions afterward about your trip. 

These adventures open the door to learning things first hand, in a way that could not from just a book. 

You can take cues from your child’s interests to design the most unique learning path for them.