Free and Almost Free Homeschool Field Trips

Right in your own community, there are likely many field trip opportunities that you could take your kids to, either by organizing it with your local homeschool group or going just as a family.  Many offer hands-on learning opportunities and most are at no charge.  Field trips are a great addition to your homeschooling as they offer a change of scenery, kids are more likely to retain what they learn at such an opportunity, and they offer the chance to get together with other homeschoolers.

-Firehall – We have gone on two firehall field trips over the years with a group of other homeschoolers.  The kids were able to sit in a firetruck and in the back of an ambulance, try on the gear, hold a hose, look through a special heat detection camera, see the equipment that the rescue trucks have on board, get a tour of the firehall, and ask questions of the firemen.

-Museum – our small community museum offers guided tours to groups, complete with activities.  The larger museum in the big city near us offers special homeschool days four times a year where they set up a room with hands-on activities related to a certain topic such as Prehistoric Animals or Farming and run a two hour session for the kids to attend.  My kids have really enjoyed these.  Call your local museum to see if they offer similar programs.  If they don’t, they may be willing to arrange something if you are able to put together a group of interested families.

-Re-use Center or Recycling Facility – our community started a large recycling program through the Utilities board a few years ago.  They offer free tours to school groups or homeschool groups.  The Re-use center has many items that are great for use in craft projects for a very small fee.

-Nature Center – There are two nature centers close to where we live.  Both offer day programs that homeschoolers can take advantage of.  Also, natural areas, provincial or national parks, and hiking areas offer an opportunity to spend a day bird-watching, making nature journals or studying animal prints.

-Treasure Hunt – one great field trip that we went on was a photo scavenger hunt at a large park area.  The mom who organized it had printed off lists of things to be found (something yellow) or do (pose like an animal).  She had made two lists, one for younger kids and one for older ones.  Then the kids set off in groups with one digital camera per group and took photos of things that were on the list.  This was fun and some of the list items really required them to use their imaginations.  Other treasure hunt or scavenger hunt ideas are geocaching, riddles giving clues to a final location or themed treasure hunts.

-Government offices – most government offices will accommodate groups at no cost.  Some give a very comprehensive educational tour and even offer the opportunity to meet the politician and ask questions, while others are less exciting. Our hamlet, the city near us and our province offer homeschool tours.

-Art gallery or studio – some galleries charge to get in the door, but some smaller galleries do not charge a fee.  Some galleries offer hands-on field trips or the opportunity to meet and interview an artist.

-Library – the library is great for resources such as books and movies, but libraries can also be a field trip opportunity.  Our library does offer a short field trip teaching kids how to get the most out of the library, but they also bring in authors and speakers occasionally for our homeschool group.  They do not charge us for this.

-Farms, Zoos or Habitats – are great when doing studies of animals or agriculture and are especially popular among younger children.

-Restaurants – many restaurants offer tours of their kitchens to small groups.  I took my kids to a family owned pizzeria where the kids were welcomed into the back, given a tour, allowed to make their own pizzas (including gluten free for one of our sons!), shown how the large pizza oven works, and then got to eat their pizzas. Not only was the field trip free, so was lunch!

-Grocery Stores – many grocery stores offer tours to groups and included in the tour is valuable information about nutrition and making healthy food choices.  There is usually no charge for this tour.

-Other museums – aviation museums, telephone museums, war museums, memorials

-Space and Science Center – this one tends to be on the expensive side, but there is a wealth of information just inside these doors.  The one near us offers homeschool days where they do presentations and offer additional hands-on activities geared at different age levels. Be sure to ask about discounts or coupons that may be available.

-Community or Recreation Centers – though some charge a fee for admission, some do not and many offer mid-week discounts.

-Local Businesses – visiting different businesses will teach your children a lot about their community and also introduce them to careers they may someday want to pursue.  Of course there are the usual ones such as doctors, dentists, accountants, and lawyers, but consider visiting an assembly plant, a bottle depot, a graphic design studio, a mushroom farm, a retail store, a warehouse, an auto mechanics, a plumber, a beekeeper, dance studios, bakery, churches, pet store, physiotherapist, optometrist, bank, or anywhere else that catches your eye or your children’s interest!

-Hardware Store – many hardware stores such as Home Depot or Rona offer classes for kids on building things such as bird houses or shelves.

-Farms – Phone some of the farms in your area. They may offer tours, hands-on learning, demonstrations, or even fruit or vegetable picking.

-Craft or Scrapbook Store – some of these stores offer classes for kids or free project days.

-Police station – This was a memorable field trip for my kids when they were younger.

-Hospital or Senior Center – you may be able to turn this field trip into a service project if your kids are able to visit with the residents.  Imagine the knowledge your children could gain by talking to a senior who has served their country in a war or lived through the Depression!

-Historical Centers – instead of just visiting (which still is a great way for kids to learn), call ahead and see if they offer any special days or field trips.  Most do and then your child may be able to make bannock or dress in period clothes or see a reenactment.  This will make the experience that much more memorable!

-Sports Teams or Arenas – It may not be possible to visit a professional sports team in your area, but farm teams are often willing to meet with groups of kids and answer questions or allow the kids to watch one of their practices.

-Landmarks – Visit the Information and Tourism Center in your town or check out the tourism website for your area to discover what landmarks there are near you.

-The Theater – taking your children to a live performance of an opera, ballet or play is an experience they will likely never forget, but tickets are expensive.  Many theaters, especially the smaller ones, offer huge discounts for school groups.  If you are able to get together a large enough group of homeschoolers, not only might you be able to afford to take your kids to a special matinee performance, sometimes they will give a backstage tour! There are also theater groups that will allow you to come to their dress rehearsal for little to no cost. High school performances are another great way to give your kids the experience of live theater without the exorbitant cost.

-Car Shows – Our community hosts an annual Show and Shine featuring vintage and specialty cars and admission is free. They also have safety information for kids including the chance to practice road rules on little motorized bikes as well as a craft station and entertainment.

As you can see, once you start looking around your community and surrounding communities, there are limitless possibilities for field trips.  One of the best sources of information is to go to your local Information Center, sometimes referred to as a Tourism Center.  There, you will be able to pick up free brochures, get ideas for field trips and find out about what is offered in your very own community.  You are sure to discover things you didn’t know were right in your own backyard!