Field Trip Ideas For Preschoolers – Complete Guide
The field trip has become one of the significant parts of a preschool curriculum. We can see that almost all the preschools organize a field trip once a year. Some parents willingly participate in their children for them.
In contrast, some other parents are reluctant to join their children for them. So, it is essential to know all the related information about the field trip. Then you can participate in your child for that without any doubt. Therefore, this article is all about field trip ideas for preschoolers.
Why do you insert a field trip for the preschool curriculum? There are many advantages of them for your children like; strengthening the observing and exploring skills of children, expanding the awareness of children on their peers, stimulating the interest of children for science, etc.
So, what are some field trip ideas for preschoolers? Some of them are visiting a bowling alley, organizing a tour to an aquarium, farm, zoo, children’s theatre, etc. When arranging this event, you should follow various steps like; pre-visiting the place you selected to confirm its suitability for your children, getting each parent’s permission, recruiting parents as volunteers to participate with you and the children, etc. And, make sure to teach your children about personal safety before going on this short tour.
Accordingly, in this article, I have covered; the importance of a field trip for preschoolers, field trip ideas that you can try out with your children, how to teach the personal safety measures for your children before going on the tour, and finally, I have provided some tips to follow when organizing a field trip.
Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
The importance of field trips for the preschoolers
A field trip can be simply identified as a visit by the children to somewhere to have first-hand experiences on the specific place. Usually, they plan to visit places like; museums, beaches, farms, etc.
So, when talking about these types of tours, it is crucial to clearly understand their importance. Especially if you are dealing with preschool children, it will motivate you to come out with excellent field trip ideas for preschoolers.
Accordingly, here let’s discuss the importance of these types of activities for students.
1. Get the chance to learn interactively
The field trip is a good chance for the children to interact with anything they learn. It is better than studying a concept because they can practically participate in it by looking at the things they learn in the classroom.
Instead of accepting all the things that you teach them by reading a book or anything else, the students can distinguish the reality between what they learn in the class and the real elements in the actual environment.
2. Having entertainment
This is the best means to have fun and entertainment for the children by deviating from the regular academic life they spend in preschool.
Have you noticed how they are motivated to go on the field trip as soon as they get the message of organizing such a tour? This will also refresh them to be more active in the class on their return.
This does not only give them entertainment but also increases their general knowledge automatically.
3. Extension of the studies in the class
Organizing this type of tour will help to change the regular life of children in the class. They are often excited about what they learn.
So, you can make this a chance to show the importance of what children learn and the way it applies to their lives. Also, you can use the experiences you get through the trip when you return to academic work.
It will be fun for them. They will also attentively engage in the educational activities when you recall the experiences gathered.
4. Getting the chance for social interaction
Children will be exposed to varieties of social environments with the field trips. They will meet new adults and sometimes other children by creating new social interactions.
It will teach them to develop relationships with other people and to behave in new environments.
And also, they will learn self-control with the changing environment from their usual classroom. Most importantly, as this is teamwork, they develop their abilities to engage in team work.
5. Having new experiences
This is a new and rare experience for most children who do not get the chance to have this experience with their families, especially those with financial problems.
So, the children will be able to visit new places and meet new people who will be attractive to them.
Some field trip ideas for the preschoolers
Preschool children do not have many experiences about this world. So, they are excited about everything they meet.
Accordingly, you should plan your field trip for something exciting and essential to your children. So, here I will provide some field trip ideas for preschoolers.
1. Apple orchard
This will be an interesting and funny tour for the children because; there are many things to learn and engage.
It will be very entertaining if you can organize the trip during the fruiting period.
2. Zoo
Animals are the best friends of many children. They love to be with animals a lot. So, the zoo will be an excellent choice for your children to have fun and enjoyment.
There, they will be able to see varieties of animals and the way of petting them, etc.
3. Museum
A museum is a place where the most valuable treasures that we gain from the past are kept to exhibit for the people.
So, there are many things for preschool children to learn. They can have a rough idea about the past life of this world through that legendary equipment.
4. Farms
A farm has varieties of animals as well as plants. So, children will be thrilled to learn a new subject; they will get to know about farming strategies, how those crops come to us as nutritional food items, how animals should be cared for, etc.
5. Fire station or a police station
Have you noticed how small children look at fire trucks, police jeeps, and policemen? They like to see them and know about them.
So, this will also be an excellent choice for your tour. There, children will happily learn the basic laws of the country. It will be an important lesson for their whole life.
6. Aquarium
Many children love to see and learn about marine animals as well. There are varieties of saltwater and fresh-water animals.
You can take your children to an aquarium to see those varieties and make them learn about them. You can see how they enjoy it and also it will be a nice experience for you to apply in your lessons later when you return to the classroom.
So, these are excellent places to plan your field trip, and further you can arrange visits to;
- A pond
- Your nearest town
- Grocery store
- Library
- Ice skating
- Roller skating
- Beach etc.
How to teach personal safety measures to your children before going on the field trip?
This is an essential topic when talking about the field trip ideas for preschoolers because; you can ensure the safety of your students while you are on the trip if you have already mentioned the personal safety measures.
Do not forget that they have little experience in this world, and you are the one to teach them at their primary stage of life.
Especially when you are out of the regular classroom, children are more vulnerable to threats. This is the best way to overcome this challenge. Here you should;
1. Teach them to introduce themselves clearly to someone
First of all, you have to teach the children to introduce themselves clearly by telling their name and the address.
It will be helpful to find them quickly if they get lost somewhere during the tour. And make sure to make them memorize your contact number or their parents’ contact number.
2. Do not let the children be talkative with the strangers
Teach the students not to speak with people who seem strange to them.
It does not say that people are nasty, but do not risk the lives of children because; there are some people with a strange mentality, and there are many kidnap and rape cases.
So, you must teach them about society before entering a new place.
3. Distinguish between the good touch and bad touch
This is an essential thing that you should teach your children before going to visit a place away from the classroom. You will meet both good and bad people.
Some people love small children while some others try to make them one of their prey. Many cunning people try to take the consent of children by touching them.
So, teach them to understand the difference between good and bad touching as well as tell them that only their body belongs to them and that no one can touch any of their body parts without their permission. Give them a sense of authority on their body to themselves.
4. Ask students not to try new experiences during the tour
This includes climbing walls, trees, playing with fire, jumping to water, etc. So, do not allow the preschoolers to try these things during the tour.
It will risk their lives, and you are the one to be responsible for them at the moment.
5. Teach children to obey the orders and be with the group
Here, it does not talk only about your orders. It is real that you will not be able to look after all of them alone at once. That’s why you should join about two parents for this.
But, make sure that children will always obey the orders by you and those parents. Before leaving for this, you have to convey to them the importance of being with you all, without leaving the group.
Steps to planning a preschool field trip
As preschool teachers, it is vital to know about the field trip ideas for preschoolers and the way to organize such a tour. So, let’s discuss the steps of organizing it.
1. Choose the place
First of all, you should choose a good place because; you are visiting the place with children. So, you should make sure that your students can have the expected fun and skill development from the specific place.
You can come to the final decision by discussing it with the parents and the preschool principal.
2. Pre-visit the place that you have finally chosen
This is important to confirm whether your decision is correct or wrong. You can participate with about two parents for this. Then they also will not be doubted about the tour.
3. Arrange a vehicle for transport
After coming to the final decision about the place to visit, you should arrange a method to travel.
There, you can have the help of the parents if there are parents with those facilities, you can work coordinately with them and, if not find a trustworthy transport method with an experienced driver and decide the transport fee by discussing with them.
4. Make a food plan
Here, you have to decide the way that you are going to provide the food for the children. It may be from a well-known restaurant or ask them to bring their food.
And if you wish to give a tea break with buns or something, you can decide how much of them are wanted and how much it will cost.
5. Plan the schedule for the trip
After deciding the place, transport, and food plan, you have to schedule the tour.
It should include; the time that you are going to leave from the preschool, breakfast time when to arrive at the destination, lunchtime, tea break, and finally, the time to return to the preschool.
And if you wish to stop at a park on the way, decide how long you will spend time there.
6. Get the permission of the parents
You have to get the permission of all parents to participate with their children for the tour. Before having the consent, you have to inform all the related details of the tour for the parents.
There, you can confirm their permission through a letter or a consent form. Do not join any child who does not have their parents’ permission.
When you are done with these things, you are finished with half of this work. Further, you have to;
- Ask two of the parents to participate with you.
- Group the children and assign a group leader to take care of the group members.
- Ask children to be with the group without leaving anyone.
- Hang a tag with the name of each child on their collar.
- Make sure to keep a first aid box.
- Give your phone number to all the parents and get their contact numbers also.
- Get the count of the children who participate in the trip.
Conclusion – Field trip ideas for preschoolers
We have discussed; field trip ideas for preschoolers with more details. I think this article will work out for all the preschool teachers as well as the parents who have preschool children as I have covered many important areas like; the importance of a field trip for preschoolers, field trip ideas for preschoolers that you can try out with your children, how to teach the personal safety measures for your children before going the tour and finally, I have provided some tips to follow when organizing a field trip.
Preschool is the first place where children learn to socialize. So, many preschools have included field trips for their curriculum as a part of socializing them. Accordingly, there are many advantages of these tours like; children get the chance to learn interactively, having entertainment, an extension of the studies in the class, etc.
So, you can organize them to visit a park, your nearest town, a museum, library, etc. But before that, you have to teach them the personal safety measures like; teaching them to introduce themselves clearly to someone, do not let the children be talkative with strangers, distinguishing between the good touch and bad touch, etc.
Then you can plan the trip by following the steps like; choosing the place, pre-visiting the place that you have finally decided, arranging a vehicle for transport, making a food plan, planning the schedule for the trip, and getting the permission of the parents, etc. Then you can have full use of this event.
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