We DO go to the Library, but we really don't go on very many fieldtrips either. My kids actually asked me to go on less, because they wanted to stay home and read more, and get their other schoolwork done! Every family is different, and you do what's best for you and your family! Don't EVER feel bad if you can't do something someone else does, because someone may be looking at what you do and wishing they could do that! The grass is always greener.... If you are doing your best, then it's plenty and it's exactly what you SHOULD do!
We average 1 or 2 a month. Sometimes more, it just depends. (does that sound vague or what?!?! :angel We had one with our hs group today actually. We drove out of town to a really neat park that had biking/hiking trails. We had a picnic. Lots of nature, fresh air, exercise and sunshine! While there, we met some other homeschooling mamas from another town and were invited to join them to go to the Indianapolis Zoo with them next month! So, that's an extra field trip that we may have to add on (we haven't made it up to the zoo yet this year). Last month we went on vacation to Ohio, and I counted some of those days as field trip days. We visited the big Air Force Museum. That was awesome! I think next time we'll have to allow TWO days to look through it all. We were there all day, saw it all, but were a bit 'rushed.' My hubby loves history, so he really wants to go back. We go to the library a lot, too, but I don't really count that as a field trip unless we are signed up for special educational programs, etc.
I agree totally! You have to do what works for your family. Sometimes we get TOO busy and have to say 'no, thank you.' (amazing how the 'biggest gripe' that non-homeschoolers have it the big SOCIALIZATION issue, isn't it?! Our kids socialize plenty!)
It does depend on what you call a field trip. We go to the library every few weeks. We just do stuff as they come up and try to turn everything into learning. We are doing astronomy right now so I am planning a trip to the planetarium in Chicago soon. I think it is free on Mondays so it will probably be on a monday. Jill
Please don't feel bad about not getting out more, once a month is great! I work from home so I can't get out as much on formal field trips, but we do music lessons and workout as a family so I feel like my son is getting a well-rounded experience. Tie into your kids interests and you'll find that you'll have more oppurtunities than you realized.
I don't count regular things as field trip - so for us regular things include library, park, tennis, musc lessons, shops.... I aim to do 1 field trip per term (that's about 10 weeks). Sometimes we do more, depending on what we are studying, or what is available. We haven't had any yet tjis term, but next week are going on a guided bush walk through a national park to see the wildflowers (it's spring here), and then the week after that we will spend a day in Sydney, b/c a science club we belong to is having an experiment afternoon. So we will make the most of this and visit our state governement (current study topic), and maybe a museum to fill up the day. And then it's school holidays for us, yay!
I find that planning them and doing them are two different things, things like cars, gas and such kind of get in the way of our stuff, We go on a big field trip in Wa State over thanks giving, we generally take a day trip while there with the grands, this year I plan to take my sister to the Down town area with her kids to see the decorations Deena look out WA HERE WE COME! My sister has never taken her kids down town in Christmas season as mom was always sick... so we should have fun! I am saving cash on the side to be able to have a fun time! Maybe we can meet for cocoa or something down town Seattle?
I don't really plan ahead very far for field trips. Sometimes, I'll just decide one morning "we should go to the museum today!" Other times, I'll actually plan something based on something we're studying. We're at the library once a week, so I don't count those as field trips. But, if the library has something special going on & we go, I count that. We have a children's hands on Science museum, an Art museum, & a Natural History museum in town (all right next to each other), any time we go to those, I count it as a field trip. We just got a second car, so we'll actually be able to do field trips more often. Now that we won't have to wait for my hubby to get home from work (as soon as he fixes the brakes on the sceond car). I'm in charge of doing lists for our homeschool group; lists like places to buy homeschool materials, good websites for different subjects, etc. Well, I'm currently working on lists of places for field trips in our area, within a few hour drive, and virtual field trips. I'm finding so many things that I didn't even know were near us (and I've lived here my whole life!). I also count going to our state parks, hiking, boating, going to the bike path to feed the ducks, as field trips. Grocery shopping counts as a field trip for Home Ec if I take the kids (dd is learning about menu planning, cooking/baking, comparison shopping, writing shopping lists, etc.).
I don;t have a set minimum, it jsut depends on what is going on in our lives. For example thid month they will have 2, the reptile and amphibian fair is the last weekend of the month so we are going to that to learn about snakes, lizards etc. Then they go to their retreat. The Sunday of the same weekend is free attractions day in our city where the things like the fort, the zoo etc is free to get into. We are going to 2 attractions that day, the muttart which is a building with 4 pyramids, each one is a different climate and is filled with the foilage from that climate, the second stop that day will be the John Walter Museum, which is actually a historic house where they can bake on the wood stove, use old fashioned tools in the shed, play old time games etc I chose these 2 things because I will be 36.5 weeks pg and will need to sit lots. We may not do another field trip until December in order to let me recooperate after delivery. really it varies. I think last year we averaged 1 per month
I agree with other people--do what works for you. We happen to live across the street (and a little walk) from the Bronx Zoo and front he NYBG. The Met, MNH are a 10 min. train ride away. The ballet, opera, etc. take 30 min. to get to. I'm very blessed. Plus when schooling isn't working for us that day. . .we just take off and go do things. But I don't think you should feel badly at all. In fact, I disallow it! :lol:
This is how I feel!!! if she was in school everyday all day would she be able to see all the great things we can see during the day when the crowds are less.
I'm trying to take my kids on our first "field trip" this Friday (well, my autistic son won't pay any attention lol). My dd is learning about fish, and I'm going to take her to Petco to look at the fish displays. *blushes* We have a Museum of Life and Science in our city, but I actually think Petco has a better variety of fishes than that museum does...isn't that sort of sad? The ones in the museum seem to all be dark and drab, but the petstore has pretty colored fish. Plus, Petco is free, and closer to our house, and less crowded...and therefore ds is less likely to have one of those infamous "I can't stand being in crowded places" tantrums. The trip will probably take all of 15 minutes before my dd loses interest, and then we will leave. Just not worth a bigger trip! I consider this a "cheapskate" field trip, but really can't see us being able to do anything bigger at this point. The point of the trip is simply to examine fish up close, and identify body parts and stuff. So it would be silly to spend more time than necessary, right? I think that I'm doing all I can, but I still feel somewhat guilty. Have you ever felt like your best wasn't enough? I spent money on a FANTASTIC curriculum, but don't have much left over right now.
hey that works they have tons of fish at the pets place! Good variety too! plus she can learn what they eat if you get there at feeding time!
Hey my 4 year old loves to go to pet stores!! Our Petco has fish, mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets and snakes! She could spend an hour easy in that place.
I cant handle the smells of pet stores, I get itchy and sniffly and even pukey at smells of too many pets, But I can handle aquariums as long as I can go outside very so often,
I think this is a SMART fieldtrip! We've done that before! My kids were VERY interested in dogs, so we went to the Humane Society and just walked through, noticed the variety, talked about where different ones were from, etc., etc., then we went home, and they wrote about their favorite one and drew a picture. We've also looked at the fish and hamsters and birds at Petco and Petsmart! Maybe you can get a person to talk a little bit about some of the different fish! That might make it more interesting. Don't ever feel like you're not doing a good job! Really, I think a lot of us are in the same boat!
I guess my simple distinction between a field trip and a regular enrichment activity is that a field trip is one taken with the express purpose of teaching something specific. A regular trip to the library isn't the same as a trip with the intent to teach about the Library of Congress cataloging system. If any old trip to the library counted, we'd be so full of field trips my logs would be miles long. We live just 8 houses away from the library...lol.
feild trips to me is when we go and learn somethign specific too, such as goign to the zoo, where we learn different animals life styles or care process, etc. Going to Sutter Fort , to learn more about California's history.... going to the ocean to learn about the tides and the history of surfing... things that are llessons but also enjoyable... we go to the Science museums and centers, which we have TONS of here! As well as farms and such. This year I am actually thinking of taking them to a local pumpkin farm to ask questions about how it became a big business and what they do for the rest of the year, things economic related for real math ideas and creative writing ideas as well. When they were small we would go there and listen to the story book they read, go through the maze they always have etc. We dont do the jack olantern thing here but the whole farm thing is a great study at whatever age! A hike to the local mountain WAS on my list until I found out how big the SPIDERS get there! YIKES! Talk about freaking a person out!
We do one or two major field trips a month. But like others I think that anything that is educational for my children is a field trip.
