The Ultimate Guide to Field Trips for Homeschoolers

Field Trips have been an integral part of our homeschool from the beginning.  We have used them to kick off a unit such as when we visited The Nina & The Pinta in Ohio, and used them to wrap up learning at the end of a unit or particular study.  Our homeschool would not be the same without them!

Since moving to Florida we have been on a LOT of field trips.  I have joked that we are using the Field Trip method in our homeschool, and it’s not that far from the truth.  I’m good with that.  We love exploring and getting out and about.  There is always something fun to see and do.

Field trips don’t have to be elaborate or cost of ton of money to be both fun and educational.  Some of our best “field trips” have been a nature walk and park lunch with friends.  Especially when your children are young keep them simple.  Nature walks, zoos, and local places like the bakery, pizzeria, greenhouse, post office, police station, fire station, coffee shop, you name it you can tour it!

In my post Reasons Why You Should be in a Homeschooling Group, one of my benefits is “power in numbers” sometimes you can do larger type excursions at a reduced rate with a group.  Plus, having a homeschool group ensures that you always have some partners in crime when you are hankering to get out of the house!

It was so much fun pulling together this Ultimate Guide to Field Trips for Homeschoolers.

Six Tips for Planning Homeschool Field Trips

Six Reasons You Should Save Time in Your Schedule for Field Trips

Field Trips for the Large Family

Free or Almost Free Field Trip Ideas – Lots of great suggestions for field trips in any area

Homeschooling with Field Trips

Do Homeschoolers Ever REALLY Take a Vacation?

Homeschool Field Trip Tips

10 Homeschool Science Field Trip Ideas

Homeschool Hangouts & Socialization Situations

Homeschool Field Trips an Important Piece of the Educational Puzzle

5 Things I Look for in a Field Trip

Field Trip Pinterest Boards

Homeschool Field Trips

Field Trips Physical & Virtual

Homeschooling in Florida – Many more Florida field trip ideas

Homeschool Lunch – You’ll never run out of ideas for packing field trip lunches again!

Notebooking Field Trips

Notebooking for Field Trips – Ideas for all the “stuff” often collected on field trips

FREE Notebooking pages for the Zoo, and Theater

Notebooking with Postcards, and Brochures

More FREE Notebooking Pages for Field Trips – from The Traveling Praters

Field Trips by State

Field Trip Ideas in Florida from EducationPossible.com

Homeschooling in Georgia

Atlanta, GA Staycation Ideas

A Homeschooler’s Guide to Field Trips in Kansas

Central Kentucky Field Trip Ideas

10 Best Michigan Field Trip/Day Trips – Our personal favorites when we lived in Michigan

Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling in Michigan – A large list of field trip ideas in Michigan

Field Trip Ideas in Ohio

Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling in Pennsylvania – Field trips to take in PA

Central Texas Field Trips – from Aspired Living

Top Field Trips and Destinations in Utah – A huge round-up of ideas from Utah

Field Trips Around the World – Eva Varga has field trips from all over the country, even China and Scandinavia!

Field Trip Ideas in Canada – A huge list of ideas for our friends in the North!

Free Parks & Museum Dates

I would encourage you to look around at your museums and parks.  Most states have dates and times that they offer things for free or a reduced rate for residents.  Also, be sure to call ahead and see if they offer deals for homeschoolers or will offer a guide for a group.

Free National Park Entrance Dates 2014

ASTC Passport Program for 2013-2014

Documenting a Field Trip

It’s always a good idea to make some record of the field trips that you have taken.  Even if your state doesn’t require a portfolio or any other “proof”, it still is a good idea.  In fact, that’s how I originally started blogging so many years ago, I simply wanted a place to scrapbook our outings but knew I didn’t have time to do traditional scrapbooking.  The rest is history 😉

Five Steps to Documenting Your Homeschool Field Trips

Free Field Trip Log – a printable log to add to your homeschool binder

Field Trip Log – Older kids could use this to document their trip

Field Trip Planning Sheet & Field Trip Tracker – Scroll to the bottom and find the forms {Tina has a ton of great printables!!}

iHomeschool Networks Hangout on Field Trip Tips!

Field Trip Idea Books

I hope you are inspired to make plans for a field trip today!

Be sure to check out all of the other “Ultimate Guides” from iHomeschool Network