Hey all,
Thanks to everyone who participated last week during Interactive Monday. Now let's see if we can increase that number this week. Please invite your friends to come contribute as well!
This week, my question is What is your favorite place to take the kids on a field trip? OR, barring that, what place do you WISH you could take your kids?
We have recently been asked to come up with a list of possible places to take the kids this year, and several were immediately axed as soon as they were brought up. Who knew that EVERYONE and their brother had already been to the Dallas Aquarium? We've certainly never taken the THIRD grade there!
We passed an idea sheet around last week, and the 3rd grade team wrote ideas on it. My teammates suggested the Dallas (and Ft Worth) Zoo, the Imax theater, the Dallas Children's Theater, and a few other places. I contributed by writing the Home Depot loading dock and the local McDonald's Playland.
I tend to think frugally.
So where are some places that you like to go? And what do you do there?
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9 comments:
I'll just make a list.
-Bass Hall (they have special concerts for different age groups)
-Fort Worth museum of science and history
-Casa Manana
-At Christmastime, see the production of The Littlest Wiseman
-Amon Carter museum
-Kimball museum, with King Tut's for lunch (well, this was with a class of 2)
-Dallas aquarium
-Christmas Tree Farm
-play a Christmas program at a local retirement facility
-something with butterflies-not sure where exactly (we're in Keller, so that might help)
-Scarborough Faire (too racy for your younguns, but you'd probably enjoy it!)
These are a few I can think of. Some are more elementary, others pertained more to 7/8. One thing I do with my 7/8 group is Christmas caroling to the other classes (I work in a K-8 building with an early childhood center attached). It's sort-of a field trip. :)
I hear Willow Pond is nice this time of year...
When I was a kid, we always visited the natural history museum in my hometown. Although they are all pretty much the same, except for more regional differences, I still enjoy visiting them wherever I go. My son's class went to our local natural history museum, and he was talking about it for days.
Have you ever thought of doing some sort of service learning project-type field trip? You know, they go out and learn about something in the environment, and then maybe do some sort of clean-up project? Some of the more more outdoorsy agencies, such as the National Parks service or state fish and game services might have some field trip/service learning offerings. Sometimes too much space makes it harder to keep track of kids, but it's OUTSIDE! Nature is fun.
I'm up in Minnesota but any sort of Children's museum will always be at the top of my list
I am in southern Vermont, so my list won't be places you could go, but here it is anyway.
Montshire Museum - this awesome hands on science museum is great for little kids (I have taken my 1 1/2 year twice in the last few months), medium kids (we take our second graders every year) and big kids (the last time I was there two friends brought their tweens and the kids had a great time).
Some of my favorite childhood trips were to the Boston Science Museum, the Higgins Armory, and the Worcester Science Center. (Yeah, I am kind of a geek.)
The best field trip ever was when I was student teaching and my cooperating teacher had me organize it. She did the bus and left the rest up to me. I took 18 second graders and about 9 adults to my college. It is a pretty small, residential, womens' college. I arranged lunch with the dining hall manager (he made hot dogs the day we came), made a scavenger hunt (I was also a tour guide, so I knew a lot), and took them through many of the buildings. They loved it. I recently found my folder from that trip (12 years later) and nearly cried over the great things they wrote after.
I like your idea of the loading dock. When I was teaching high school in Vermont, I took my AP US History class to the Shelburne Museum....much to groans and dismay because they went every year in elementary school. BUT....they didn't go to the restoration/ conservation center, which is where I took them, so they could see what it means to preserve history. Lots of chemistry, art, environment and loads other subjects within that four hours. Turned out to be the best field trip. So I think your loading dock is practical and hands-on.
Liz, somebody mentioned that our kids last year did something with butterflies; maybe that's the same thing you were talking about. Oh, and MY kids could possibly play a Christmas program at a local retirement facility (though it probably wouldn't be very energeticly done), but our gen ed kids would probably be threatening the old folks...
Ed, we're not allowed walking field trips anymore, remember?
Happychyk, maybe it's the cynic in me, but seeing as how some of our kids can't even go outside for RECESS without fighting and causing trouble, I'm not sure that the great outdoors on a field trip is the best for them. :) Though personally, I enjoy the natural history museums as well.
Lady, science museums are great. That's probably where we will go -- at least to the IMAX portion of our local science museum. That is, if they turn down the Home Depot loading dock. :)
well, i was spoiled in NYC because we could go anywhere on the subway for free and almost all the museums are free for school groups. the first trip was to a Jazz Concert at lincoln center, which they loved...only because we went to Central Park and ran around a playground for two hours. :) (Fifth graders!)
I also made a big field trip list with my kids early in the year. (And had to explain that no, we would not be going to Six Flags or the beach.) So from there I decided to take them ice-skating when we filled our marble jar. They LOVED it and said it was the best trip of the year.
A University about 40 minutes drive from my country school has a herpetology lab and a marine biology lab- Master's students in biology give presentations and my students get to handle lizards, snakes, and marine life such as sea cucumbers and sea stars. It's the most awesome thing, totally personalised and free! As a bonus, my little ones get to see how very cool a college can be- they are always impressed!
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