Discovery and problem solving are key issues for school-age children and field trips provide just that. Successful, safe field trips take planning. There are five basic steps in planning and preparing for a field trip:
1. Define the objective.
2. Make the arrangements.
3. Involve the children.
4. Plan emergency procedures.
5. Debrief the experience with staff and children.
Let’s look at each of these steps.
DEFINE THE OBJECTIVE
Successful field trips have a purpose. The purpose assists in defining where to go and why. Some objectives might include: enhancing an educational topic, learning about community resources, practicing life skills, performing community service or just having fun!
MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS
A well-planned field trip takes many steps. Although the staff will take care of most of them the more the children are involved the better. The kids will have a strong sense of ownership and want the trip to be successful as well as learn organizational skills.
The staff needs to:
1. Visit the site and familiarize themselves with the physical layout. Look over the site and locate telephones, restroom, eating areas, shelters for poor weather and where to get emergency assistance.
2. Travel to the site using the same route that will be followed on the field trip and look for potential problems - road repairs or detours. Adjust the trip route and schedule accordingly.
3. Address special safety concerns. For example, if the field trip is to a local power plant, will the children need to wear hard hats or any special clothing?
4. Arrange for transportation to and from the site. Will transportation be public or private? In private cars are there enough seat belts? Adequate car insurance?
5. Send home information and permissions slips concerning the field trip with all necessary information, times and places. Have the permission slips returned to the staff.
6. Arrange for any additional supervision if needed. Plan for any children who might be left at the center or arrive late the day of the field trip.
7. Prepare a trip folder that includes emergency telephone numbers, current and correct signed parent emergency forms and permission slips.
8. Plan for snacks and water.
9. Prepare the first aid kit.
10. Lastly, plan for the unexpected. What will you do if the bus is late? The weather is bad? The volunteers don’t show up? Be prepared that anything that can go wrong may go wrong!
INVOLVE THE CHILDREN
Children will enhance their thinking and social skills when allowed to help make decisions for the group. The school-age child can help decide the what, when and where of a field trip while the staff acts as a coordinator. Involve the children in discussions about safety concerns, behavior guidelines and emergency procedures. They will think of things that we may miss.
PLAN EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Taking children away from familiar surroundings and into a new situation involves an element of risk. With the children decide how to handle situations that may arise. This will give the children ownership of the rules and they will assist in monitoring them. Some questions to discuss might be: What should children do if they are separated from the group? What should children do if a stranger approaches them? Do all children need to stay with the group at all times? What guidelines do children need for using public transportation and restroom?
LOOK BACK ON THE EXPERIENCE WITH THE CHILDREN AND STAFF
In every experience the learning is increased after the event has been talked about by the group. A series of questions might be:
1. What happened on our field trip?
2. What did you see, taste, touch, hear, or smell?
3. How did you feel about what happened?
4. Have you ever had an experience like that before?
5. How was it different/the same as what has happened to you before?
6. What new information did you learn?
7. Where can you use this new information? How?
Also review how the organization and the schedule functioned. Were the rules created by the group understood, functional and followed? In summary, children should have opportunities for field trips of all kinds. Well-planned field trips give the school-age child the opportunity to learn independence by practicing. Particularly appealing to children are trips that enable them to try out new materials, interact with people, and explore new places. Field trips give children a great deal of freedom within acceptable limits while teaching important life skills. A successful field trip will be one that teaches as well as creates memories that can last a lifetime.
REFERENCE:
Video: Deen, M. & Henckle, L. (1998). Field Trips are more than just for fun. Washington State University: Pullman, WA