A great benefit to homeschooling is being able to take field trips at the drop of the hat. No permission slips, chaperone volunteers or contacting the place ahead of time (unless of course you are going in a large homeschool group). Plus, those vacations that you go on to wherever, those can count as field trips.
In the state that I live, we have to do 175 days of schooling. Now I school year round so that is not an issue. Those 175 days though are not all done with books in our faces.
Field trips count in those 175 days because most of the time the kids learn more on that field trip compared to at home reading something or writing something. On the field trips, I usually make sure to take a few photos not just for memories but for our portfolio as in the state I live we have the option of presenting the year's work in a portfolio to be evaluated by a certified teacher.
This year, we took a few field trips such as the normal apple picking in the fall and then in October, we went to Plimouth Plantation which was fun for the kids. During the winter, we didn't do any field trips but in the spring our family took a vacation to Florida. Now, we did a few field trips there as we went to a zoo, snorkeling and a dolphin cruise and then to an aquarium. My oldest learned a bunch about the different animals and it was a fun filled experience for all of us. We also took a trip that month to Washington D.C. We weren't there too long but we went to the Smithsonian Zoo. Now at this zoo, not only do they put out a sign for each animal but they list the status of that animal in the wild. That trip really opened my daughter's eyes to how we treat the Earth and the damages that we cause. Her mission in life as of right now is to save the Earth and the animals.
That one field trip has her thinking about those animals and ways to help all the time. She keeps asking me to help her figure out a way to raise money to help conservation efforts. She had heard
about the many endangered animals from me in the past as I am also an animal lover but seeing how many animals at that one zoo that are in trouble of disappearing in the wild did something to her sweet heart. We continue to build on what we learned and I am helping her think of ways to earn money to donate to help save the animals.
Field trips offer hands on experience and it also helps add in the socialization part that so many people are concerned with when it comes to homeschoolers. They
are also great for those who homeschool a wide range of ages as most field trip locations can fit many different age groups. So next time, put down the workbook and go somewhere to learn about whatever you are studying or something completely irrelevant. The kids will learn something no matter where you go and you will also be creating wonderful memories as a family. #fieldtrips #memories #homeschooling #superbusymamaofthree #savetheanimals #alwayslearning
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