How to Plan a Successful Field Trip for Homeschoolers

Finding places in your community for field trips will help your child see how your town runs and what responsibilities people hold. This also gives children a "behind the scenes" look at how their towns run.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Contact Information
• Flexible Schedule
• Notebook
• Pen
• Camera

1. Start compiling a list of contact information. If you are planning to visit the town's post office, you will need to contact the Post Master for your town. If you are planning a trip to City Hall, you will need the contact information for the City Manager. Most of this information is easily located with a phone book, a main phone number, and then a few questions to determine who you need to speak with.

2. Start planning your trip once you've decided on a date and location. If, for example, you are planning to visit the post office, help your child create a list of questions to ask during the trip. Your child could ask about the amount of mail that is processed through the town's post office, where the mail goes when it leaves your town, what happens to mail that is not delivered?

3. Do some research on your location. Going back to the example of the post office, see if you and your child can find out when the post office was built in your town. Research the change in prices of stamps.

4. Take some pictures. Take a picture of your child with the person conducting the tour. Take some pictures of the inside and outside of the location. Keeping a log with this information and your child's thoughts about what she learned on the trip is a great way to document these trips.

5. Write a thank you note, of course. Have your child write a thank you letter to the person who conducted the tour. Include specific details about what your child learned and how much she appreciates the opportunity to visit the location.