Be On the Lookout....for a Field Trip

When we are traveling, going to a nearby city, or just out for the day I try to ask myself - How can we learn something new while we're out?

Here are some examples of what we have done:

• After an appointment at the hospital - we viewed the artwork lining the hospital walls and looked at the new Hosta plant garden that was put in outside the hospital.

• My husband and kids stopped by the radio station to pick up a prize and ended up getting a tour.

• When we went to the county fair - we looked through the historical building, viewed arts and crafts, saw floral arrangements, toured the animal buildings, listened to various musical groups, road in a wagon pulled by draft horses, watched harness racing, climbed on farm equipment, participated in an obstacle course, and enjoyed a motorbike stunt show.

• Sometimes, we plan our mall shopping trips around special events being held at the mall. They have arts and craft exhibits, musical concerts, classic car shows, plant and cactus shows, and morning mall walking for P.E.

• When we travel, we keep a lookout for interesting shops - like a quilt shop, art gallery, or tourist shop, local museum, or bakery. We also stop at parks and lakes to explore nature.
  

• Also while traveling, we've learned much by being friendly with the locals. They have lots of interesting information to share.

Field Trip to New York City

My husband had to take a work related trip to New York City. So, the rest of the family went too. My goal was to learn and experience as much as we could on this trip, with out spending much money. While in NYC, I carried around a guidebook and read aloud the information for each site that we saw.

Here is what our family learned and experienced on this trip:

• Free Ferry ride to Manhattan from Staten Island
  
• Statue of Liberty
• Ellis Island
• Battery Park
• Financial District
• Saw the Site of the World Trade Center and Memorials
• Rode on the Subway
• Saw where Dave Letterman is recorded and his two guests leaving the Ed Sullivan theater.
• Times Square
• Grand Central Station
• Walked over 22,000 steps in Manhattan, PE
• Played in Central Park, PE
• Ate New York style pizza.
• Drove around Staten Island.
• Read the Book - Dreams in the Golden Country (Dear America - NYC, 1903)
• Read the Book - Journey to Ellis Island by Carol Bierman
• Street sign practice.
• Map Skills
• Socialization with many adults we met along the way.

Our Five Week Field Trip to Portland

A year ago, at Christmas, we took a 5 week trip to Oregon. I didn't plan anything educational, because I was so caught up in preparing for the trip. However, when we got back home, I thought about all of the learning experiences that "just happened".

Here is what our family learned on our 5-week trip to Oregon:

• Grandma taught us how to knit hats with a circular knitting loom.
• Grandpa took my son downtown Portland on the commuter train to see city life.
• Grandma took 2 of my daughters to a ceramic shop to paint and fire their own ceramics.
• The kids learned about family life during the Depression while watching Season 2 of the Walton's as we traveled.
• We got to see the great variety through out America as we drove through 14 states.
• Grandpa took one of my daughters to a donut shop and she got to see the machines making the donuts.
• We went to the Oregon Coast and looked at all the sea creatures living in the tidal pools.
• My son read 6 books that he got for Christmas.
• The kids played games that they got for Christmas: Dutch Blitz, Monopoly, Phonics Games, and Mille Borne.
  
• My daughters worked on needlepoint and crocheted while traveling.
• Grandpa took the kids to OMSI - The Hands On Science Museum
• Made Christmas cards and ornaments and gave to people in rest areas and at toll booths.
• We sent the knitted hats to orphans.
• For P.E. - went roller-skating, swimming, practiced dancing, played on outdoor equipment at parks, and played on indoor equipment at restaurants.
• Socialized with relatives, friends, and fellow travelers everyday.