As a homeschool family, we were always on the lookout for potential gaps in practical areas that our kids were not exposed to in the classroom–knowing how to say the Pledge of Allegiance, for example. One gap was summarily exposed when we were on a field trip to a student performance of a play in downtown Kansas City. Our youngest was just old enough to be allowed to sit with his friends and not right next to Mom, perhaps kindergarten or first grade, I don’t recall exactly. No sooner had we settled into our seats than a hum of activity began down the row from me where my son was seated. Turns out, he was proudly displaying a newly-acquired pocket knife to his friends. It had not dawned on me to check his pockets or to talk about paraphernalia prohibited in public gatherings. Lesson learned!

That was just one of many strong memories (most good but some just downright embarrassing) from our field trip days. When I pulled out the stacks of yearbooks which told the stories of each trip for many years, I was so grateful that we had taken time to publish our memories when they were fresh in our minds. The creative ideas that came from our homeschool group year after year never ceased to astound me. Our children learned, we learned, and we were all thoroughly socialized.

“Let’s Go! Field Trips for Teachers, Homeschoolers and Active Families” is a summary of those adventures, including pre- and post-trip suggestions, key learning points, as well as pitfalls to avoid. Field trip ideas are categorized by subject and include history, visual arts, social studies, physical education, performing arts, and even math and science. Ideas are easily adaptable for homeschoolers, formal school groups, or family outings.

Please download and enjoy, and pass it on to your teacher and parent friends. What are you waiting for? Let’s go!