Planning the perfect field trip can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s some quick tips on how to plan the perfect one.

If you’re new to teaching you may be wondering how to plan the perfect field trip. If your school is short on volunteers, choose an indoor, more contained field trip. Your students will still have a blast. It will also significantly cut down on your additional safety concerns. Choosing places that are used to dealing with school outings is a very good idea. This is because they have a proven structured activity they know runs smoothly. The last thing you want is to go on a field trip and find out there is no structure and have thing run a muck! Organization is key when we are in the classroom and even more so, when we are not.

Do your homework and ask ahead of time if they can supply enough staff to support your needs. Inquire about the qualifications of their staff. Ask how long they have had the program running for? Extra bonus question: what area’s of their program align with the curriculum? Double check if there is any advice they can give you on making the field trip a success in their particular centre. I have learned over time there is no perfect place. There are, however, near perfect conditions for safety. Having this environment makes it an enjoyable day for all regardless of where you choose to go.

Ask your families to join you!

Don’t be shy! Given enough notice you will always have at least a few parents willing to join in and lend a hand. There are several benefits to asking families to join you. It’s an excellent low stress environment to get to know each other a little better. Perhaps you have been having difficulty making family connections. Everyone loves the opportunity to join their child in school activities. Not everyone has employment that will allow them to do so but the asking for involvement is important.

During these opportunities, families get to have a good understanding of what we do over the course of the day. Which in turn means they are very happy to help keep all of our students safe while they are with us. Building that sense of community that we are always trying to achieve. Also, it’s just a really nice opportunity for them to do fun and educational activities with their own children. Win, win, win.

Consider your timing, this is essential in how to plan the perfect field trip.

Part of planning the Perfect Field Trip is choosing your timing correctly. Think about what each block of the day means, in terms of, what your normal schedule during the instructional day looks like. When are your students usually scheduled to eat? Thinking about this lets you plan for when you know your students will be hungry. Do they need to pack a lunch and snacks to take with them? Will you be going somewhere that food is provided? Should they take water bottles? Are drinks allowed inside of where you are going? Will they require extra clothes, towels change of clothes, clothes that can get dirty? All of these bits of information in your letter to your families will save you time while you are there. It will also save you the stress of having to call families to come support and bring needed items while you are out.

Collaborate with another teacher. Two field trips taken together means an extra field trip for both classes.

If you have a teacher in a near by grade or one that you collaborate with regularly consider asking them to join you. The cost of the bus is usually the biggest expense with field trips. Filling the bus makes the most sense. It also allows you to each fill the bus twice. Once with your field trip allowance, then again with your colleague’s. Collaborating in this way not only benefits you but also the students. They get to go on more trips, spend time with different peers in an alternative setting. You will have a variety of new volunteers willing to take on the task that may have an extra day available. As well as, the benefit of another teaching partner to help share the experience and work load. So many good reasons to go together. Think about it. Let me know.

With Love, C.

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