Field Trip IDeas

Local Theater Productions

 

“All the world’s a stage.” A cultural and educational field trip available in many cities year-round is a visit to your local theater production company or community college theater.  It’s best to choose “family friendly” productions, but get on mailing lists for local theaters, and pick and choose carefully what you will attend with your children. Read more.

 

Re-Discovering Your Hometown

 

Sometimes the best surprises are in our own backyards. Summer is a great time to “discover” your hometown or surrounding areas for gems you may not have had time to explore during highly scheduled school weeks. In times of economic downturn this can make for less expensive field trips, as well, a “stay-cation” of sorts. Read more.

 

Going Fun Places to Learn

 

“This subject is sooo boring.” “School is not fun.” “I don’t get anything out of just reading about it.” These and numerous other comments like them are what we homeschoolers hear so often, but we can do something wonderful to turn around such apathetic and sour attitudes and mundane moods: Go on field trips.
Read more.

 

SS Lane Victory Ship

 

www.lanevictory.org
2009 Support Network Award Winner
Best Field Trip
Southern California Christian Academy
The Gazette, Winter 2008-09
Leaders: Kirk and Janice Henry

 

Adventure Safaris Dinosaur Day Camp
www.tccsa.tc/adventure/camp_activity.html

 

Dinosaur Day Camp highlights:

 

• See a huge model of Noah’s Ark. See how it was built.
• Hear about eyewitnesses who saw the Ark.
• Play games that help them learn how God showed his love and mercy toward humankind.
• Exhibits of dinosaur bones and reproductions.
• Older students will build a partial model of Noah’s Ark.
• Colorful interactive power point lessons.
• Kids learn about how dinosaurs fit into the Bible.
• Noah’s Ark Museum reproductions of fossils and human artifacts from before the Flood.

 

(From Hearthstone Educators, Santa Barbara County)

 

National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Career Day
www.nhra.com/yes

 

By Michelle Ansuini

 

If you every wanted to enjoy a day at the Drag Races, then this is your field trip.

 

Wednesday, Nov. 12th your family can have a FREE day at the Pre-Drag Races. This day is put on at Pomona, CA Speed Way (which is next to the Los Angeles County Fair Grounds). Each year the focus is on Careers having to do with Racing. A FREE T-Shirt and Box Lunch are provided, along with a morning of Q&A of top name Racer’s (In 2002, we MET John Force!) This is a quality event complete with Exhibition Runs (Real Racing!) You also get to walk the pits and meet drivers. There is always an engine building competition that participating SLO schools often win! And they ALWAYS rev-up the NITRO and Burn Some Rubber to get everyone’s gears wound up! You can sign up at the October 11th meeting. We will have the opportunity to learn first hand all about the Drag Racing Industry. It is also nice, because it is a school event? No alcohol (except fuel for the cars)! Last year, everyone got FREE Jelly Belly’s and cheered as the Jelly Belly Car popped a wheelie all the way down the ¼ mile! More information, map, and a teacher’s package after you sign up.

 

(From Hearthstone Educators, Santa Barbara County)

 

Tree Grafting

 

You are invited to attend a homeschool grafting class sponsored by the Monterey Chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers on Friday, March 16th starting at 1 pm. The class will be taught by homeschoolers Freddy Menge and Ellen Baker at their home in La Selva Beach and will cover cleft grafting to create an apple tree, grafting theory, differences between types of rootstocks, and varieties of apples appropriate for growing in your microclimate. Each student will have the opportunity to graft an apple scion to a rootstock to create a new tree to take home. Because grafting involves using sharp knives, students must be at least 8years old to participate, and all students ages 8 to 14 must be accompanied and assisted by an adult. Younger siblings are welcome to attend, provided that they are supervised at all times. The cost for each participating student is $5, which includes one apple rootstock to graft and take home. Both adults and kids are welcome to participate, and extra rootstock will be available at a minimal cost if participants would like to create more than one tree. The class size is limited. Ellen and Freddy are long-time homeschooling parents who spend a lot of their free time out in the garden, growing vegetables, chasing chickens around (sometimes angrily), milking their cow, and eating way too much fruit. They estimate that they have over 250 types of apples growing in their yard, and admit readily to having a bit of an obsession.

 

(From Coast & Valley Homeschool Support Group, Santa Cruz County)

 

Potluck Poetry Party

 

Come join in a night of poetry and food. Bring a poem to recite, yours or one you like, or just come to listen and fellowship. Also, bring a potluck item that begins with the letter P. This was such fun last year that it is back by popular demand.

 

(From Hearthstone Educators, Santa Barbara County)

 

Amtrak Train Trip to Los Angeles Union Station and Chinatown

 

A $5.00 train field-trip to Olivera Street/China Town invitation to all Homesteader families:

 

For a field trip on Amtrak Surfliner from SB to LA. Meet at Santa Barbara Amtrak Station MARCH 5, 6:30 AM boarding. 7:00 departure for LA. Return trip, same day, 5:00 PM departure from LA to SB Cost: $5 per person. Children two and under, if seated in your lap, are free RSVP to this post to commit. I will collect money at Park Day this week or you may mail your check to me.

 

[email protected]

 

(From Santa Barbara Christian Homesteaders, Inc., Santa Barbara County)