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It’s back-to-school season! Like most parents, you’re juggling supply lists, early morning routines, and having to find the lunchboxes hidden somewhere in June. But before starting juggling the crazy school-year routine, there’s an opportunity to sneak in a new back-to-school tradition. One that just so happens to double as an educational experience.

Here are field trip ideas that can replace amusement parks and ease the kids into learning, while you get quality time before sending them off to school.

Why Field Trips Are Perfect for Back-to-School Transition

It resets the routine in a fun way

Getting up early (similar to your school days) for a field trip is like a soft reboot for kids. They get the stimulation of new places without the pressure of a classroom, helping them shift gears from summer mode to school mode. A big bonus: fewer battles over bedtime after a day exploring.

It puts their brain back into “learning mode” without the pressure

Counting change at a museum gift shop? It’s math. Identifying plants at a state park? It’s science. Reading a menu at a local café? Here goes some reading time. All outings encourage real-world problem-solving and can reactivate their brain to be ready for school. Add more educational places, like a museum for fine art, and you have the full curriculum covered!

Bonding Time Before School Schedules Kick In

School mornings can get… tense. (Who knew shoes could disappear into another dimension?) A few final family outings before the calendar fills up give you shared memories to talk about when everyone’s back in the weekday grind.

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Check out this app  where you can find family-friendly places like museums, playgrounds, restaurants with kids play space, hotels with family rooms, even a local pediatrician just in case!

11 Field Trip Ideas to Try This Week

Hands on museum

Visit a Museum With Hands-On Exhibits

Science museums or history museums are super educational. But we recommend choosing ones with hands-on exhibits so the kids can experiment learning in a more interactive way. You’ll be surprised how much they absorb when they have fun. This can help them spark new interests and love for materials that they might have found boring at school last year.

Longwood garden Pennsylvania little girl playing in water feature

Have An Outdoor Adventure at a Botanical Garden or Nature Center

Botanical gardens and nature centers are filled with outdoor education opportunities. From learning about the diverse ecosystem, to conservation and microbiology, kids can learn more in a few hours onsite than they will in the classroom. Let the textbook reinforce knowledge they already acquired while touching, smelling, and experiencing in real life the plants and animals of said ecosystems.

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Farm sanctuary in Los Angeles to do with kids

Go On A Local Farm Tour and Produce Picking

When you take your kids to a farm or a pick-your-own experience, they learn about growing seasons, food sources, human needs, and responsibility. Many of these spots also have barnyard, tying a whole science class together with fun. We recommend this especially for early elementary since it is part of the grade 1-3 curriculum.

Kid's playing at the Lewisburg Children Museum

Book A Tour at a Fire Station or Go To A Pretend Play Museum

These community field trips are perfect for pre-K students. They get to see how society runs thanks to the different roles, and parents sneak in mini-lessons on safety. If you can’t arrange a tour before school starts, check out museums that have pretend play and different jobs as part of their exhibits.

Go on a Family Hike and spot Wildlife

Wildlife preserves and national/state parks are great for outdoor adventures. And if you bring binoculars or a journal, you can turn the hike into a learning experience. You can also look for educational programs like the ranger program in the U.S national parks. This can be a huge motivator for kids to put down their screens throughout the year, to fill up their national parks passport.

Children's Museum in spain

Spend A Day at a Children’s Science Center

Kids who think they “don’t like science” just haven’t launched a mini rocket or built a robot yet. Look for science centers or space museums with activities geared toward students of different ages. Hands-on learning is THE best way to introduce your kids to a new interest for the coming year.

Little boy climbing on art structure in the Omi Art Center

DIY a Neighborhood Art-Field Trip

Turn your neighborhood (or city) into an open-air art gallery. Something FREE and easy to do is to go for a walk to discover local street art. Try to find giant murals, sculptures, and hidden mini-art tucked into alleyways. Bring along a camera or sketchpad so they can “capture” their favorite art piece.

Lewisburg Children’s Museum art exhibit with little boy painting

Turn a Rainy Day into an Art Lesson

Art field trips are important! If you want some indoor fun for the day, bring the whole family to an art museum. They often have interactive exhibits for kids, scavenger hunts, and even hands-on craft corners. You can even add a stop at a local art studio on the way home, to show your kids that art isn’t just in books.

Statue of Marthin Luther king Jr memorial in Washington DC

Brush up on local culture and historical events

Local cultural heritage is a big part of the curriculum for elementary children, and visiting sites will be a much more efficient way to learn than through textbooks. Take the kids to your local indigenous museums, museums about migrations, visit a site where historical events took place, or visit memorials about important leaders of historical movements. It’s also a favorite homeschool field trip idea for broadening awareness.

kid in museum playing with an exhibit. GoWhee app screenshot with amenities showing.

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Enjoy A Story Time at your Library to get back into literature

Libraries aren’t just for books. Many host educational programs like coding, robotics, language workshops, and more. For elementary-aged kids, there are tons of opportunities to let kids be independent inside the library, and for little ones, story times are great ideas to help with language development and socialization, ahead of entering the school system.

Ripley's Aquarium Myrtle beach touch a tank

Make Day trips to aquariums and zoos for some natural science education

Zoos and aquariums are a goldmine for educational experiences. Kids can learn about marine ecosystems, food chains, and conservation in a way no textbook can teach them. Interactive exhibits like touch tanks are perfect for little ones learning through sensory input.

Fortaleza de Sagres a fort in portugal

Visiting a Fort or a battlefield for a little history lesson.

Forts and battlefields mix history museums with outdoor adventures. With reenactments, guided tours, and interactive exhibits, kids can try on period clothing or practice old trades. While they run around and explore, they are secretly soaking up history lessons they will be covering this year.

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Use GoWhee to Find Age-Appropriate, Inclusive Field Trips

Filter by Location, Age, Needs, and Access

Use the app to help plan for kids’ activities with different ages or accommodate special needs. GoWhee’s filters help you narrow down destinations so you’re not stuck scrolling for hours.

Read Reviews and Kid-friendly ratings From Other Families Before You Go

Forget the vague “It was nice” online reviews. GoWhee offers parent-written insider tips that tell you if the park has clean restrooms, if the trail has shade, if the museum has a changing table onsite, and more.

Save and Plan Multiple Stops in One App

Involve the kids and make “back-to-school” trips a new tradition! Unlike other online resources, kids can browse and save places they want to visit straight in the GoWhee app. The app is also a private community of parents, so it is pretty safe to use, and not as open as Google Maps.

Back-to-school doesn’t have to be boring and stressful. This new transition hack can give you a last-minute quality time as a family, while showing kids that learning can be fun and done without textbooks.

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