Field trips are an educational and fun way to supplement your child’s homeschool curriculum, but can be expensive. If you are looking for ways to take advantage of the fascinating learning experiences field trips can add to your home education program, without breaking the bank, here are some ideas that will cost you virtually nothing.
Take a Nature Walk
Nature walks are fun, relaxing, and educational. They are also terrific exercise, so you can count them as physical education, too! The great thing about nature walks, is that you can use the outdoor areas you have available to you. Stroll around your neighborhood, go to a nearby park or nature trail, drive out to a country road and find a field or woodsy area to walk in. It doesn’t really matter where you go- the point is to learn from nature.
Another great thing about nature walks, besides that fact that they are extremely cheap, is that they can be impromptu or planned to go along with what you are already studying in school. Are you studying insects in science? Go on a hike and collect some insects to study at home under a microscope, or take along a magnifying glass for on-the-spot examination.
Your students may wish to carry a sketch pad (art), or a camera (photography) to record their discoveries. So much can be learned just by taking a nature walk!
Local Businesses & Government Offices
Local businesses, factories, and government offices are an invaluable source for educational field trips that typically charge nothing, or next to nothing, for tours.
Some ideas are:
- Post office
- Police Department
- Fire Station
- Hospital
- Water Treatment Facility
- Judicial Center – watch an actual court proceeding while you’re there!
- Veterinarian Clinic
- Doctor or Dentist Office
- Bakery
- Working farm, ranch, or dairy farm
- Restaurant
- Grocery Store
- Butcher
- Greenhouse
- Local Radio, Newspaper or TV Station
- Factories
- Cement Plant
- Community College
- Bank
- Library
- Your husband’s place of work, or your own
Be sure to call ahead to make arrangements- don’t just show up, and be respectful of their time and property.
Virtual Field Trips
The dawn of the world wide web has opened the doors to the entire world! From the comfort of your home you can:
- Visit The British Museum’s Ancient Egypt Gallery
- Peek inside the CIA
- Go diving in the Great Barrier Reef
- Explore life during World War II
- Even take a virtual dinosaur tour at the Smithsonian!
There are an endless collection virtual field trips, on nearly every subject imaginable, right at your finger tips.
More virtual field trip resources:
Utah Education Network
Internet4Classrooms
Teacher Tap
A tight budget shouldn’t stop you and your children from enjoying your home education lifestyle. These no cost field trips will give your students a rich, exciting, and memorable homeschool experience.
Related Articles:
Frugal Homeschool Field Trips
Home Education on a Dime
Written by Crystal Killion
