We love to go on lots of field trips every school year. We are actually part of a field trip based co-op and go on about 30 trips each year. Some are big and expensive and some are super easy and free. I will share with you how we choose our field trips each year. There is a sort of system to it and it’s not difficult to follow.

How to plan field trips:

  1. Figure out a budget- for our co-op, we try to figure a budget of about $100 per family each year. Sometimes we spend more and sometimes we spend a lot less (this past year I spent a total of $60 for the whole year for my entire family). If you can figure out a budget, you can try to work with it as you plan your trips.
  2. Location- I happen to live in a very historic town. But, we have done everything there is to do here so we have to venture out a little further. We try to plan only one far away trip per month. For instance, our capital city is only 45 minutes away. There’s lot to do there so we plan a few trips throughout the year in that city. We try to keep things pretty close to home though so it doesn’t bust the budget with gas money and tolls. Figure out your comfort zone for how far you are willing to travel for a trip.
  3. Research- this may sound obvious, but it really does help. Make a list of field trip locations and look them up online. Find out if it’s a good trip to take or not and how much it costs. Look up the hours they are open and whether there is food close by if you intend to have lunch there. Look up reviews as well. Sometimes a place looks too good to be true…and it is. Real people giving their personal experiences is extremely helpful in deciding if a certain trip is right for your family.
  4. Don’t be afraid to keep it simple- some of my favorite field trips have been to local parks. Some of them have been hiking at a state park and some have been simply letting my kids enjoy the playground with friends. Kids love these kinds of trips because what kid doesn’t love a playground? If you have teenagers, invite some of their friends along to play basketball or card games at the picnic tables. They will have a lot of fun hanging out.
  5. Invite your friends and family- I know a lot of homeschool families who are not involved in any groups. They love when I invite them along to one of our trips. We also have family who love to come along sometimes too. This is a great way to get grandparents involved. Have them meet you at the location and then have lunch together. There are lots of memories to be made on field trips. Having friends and family to share it with makes it special in so many ways.

I hope these tips help you to plan some amazing adventures with your family and friends. We enjoy our field trips so much and planning them is just the beginning of all the fun!