What homeschool field trips have you taken this year—or past years—that you have really enjoyed with your teens? Some great ideas were shared in my Facebook group, which I’ve listed below for you to enjoy. Did you know that you can include field trips in your course descriptions? While course descriptions should include resources you used intentionally, you can also add things you used “accidentally” by following rabbit trails or going on homeschool field trips. Read How to Write Perfect Course Descriptions.
Look over this list and see if it sparks your interest. You’re sure to find something that will match your budget and look like fun!
Homeschool Field Trip Ideas in the U.S.
- Maple Sirup tapping (yes, I spelled it correctly, learning about that on field trip), Civil War re-enactment, medical school.
- Visited “Wally” the corpse flower when it bloomed at the Indiana University greenhouse.
- We went to see the Pinta and Niña replica ships on the Ohio River in Louisville, KY. Very cool!
- We went to see the outdoor drama Tecumseh in Ohio during the summer.
I’ve seen it many times, but it was a first for my boys and they loved
it. We went behind the scenes before the show and they talked a lot
about the history of the land, the Shawnee, and the weaponry of the
time. We all learned a lot and the drama brought the history to life. - We went to the Alvin York house and they did a “War at Night” event. We
got in a replica WW1 trench at night while they did a battle
re-enactment complete with gas masks we had to put on when they released
the gas (aka smoke bomb). Soldiers would take a break from fighting and
talk about war at night. - Garfield Trail in Jim Davis’ home state of Indiana. There are several
little towns with Garfield statues in them. We also got to see the James
Dean museum along the way. - We went to Selmer to see brass instruments be made. Went to see glass blowing. Saw a Broadway play.
- Our high school students got a chance to tour the Lyric Opera House in
Chicago and then see a full dress rehearsal of the current opera. They
absolutely loved it, and it didn’t cost much at all. - Cathedral Caverns! We got to walk through the prettiest cave and learned all about it. My teens and kindergartener loved it.
- We bought a membership to our favorite science museum 2 hours away. We go every couple of months.
- We bought a membership to the Henry Ford museum and went 5 times- we all enjoyed it.
- The local newspaper (where they print) was pretty fascinating. We went a couple months ago.
- The weather center was a great one for my boys.
- Even at their age, my teens still love our NC Zoo! We went to the Outer
Banks here in NC to reinforce NC history concepts. Any aquarium.
- We toured the national hurricane center. A lot of info, but educational. Also, fun is the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, FL.
- We just went to see the replicas of the Nina and Pinta built by the Columbus Foundation! It was a sight to behold.
- Wright Paterson National Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. And it’s FREE!
- Hiking in the national parks and learning the history of the area.
- National World War I Museum, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, zoo, Harry S. Truman library, and college campus visits.
- The Stockyards and Texas Trail of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. Also explored downtown Dallas and went to the US
Mint to see money made. - Amazon fulfillment center was pretty cool! Palo Verde nuclear power plant education center, and my son loves Shakespeare plays!
- My kids are also involved in the D-Day reenactment in Conneaut, Ohio, in
August with their Civil Air Patrol squadron. This event is free. - The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, Ohio, to take the
“Stop the Hate” tour and hear a talk from a Holocaust survivor. - Any trip to look at college. Musical theater.
- Visit to the state Capitol building.
- The “Mystery Spot” in California.
- We drove to see the total eclipse last year. We have also enjoyed the
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Niagara Falls, Hocking Hills,
Natural Bridge (Kentucky), Mammoth Cave. Zoo, Spring Grove Cemetery,
Markland Dam, Tall Stacks (a riverboat event on the Ohio river), outdoor
dramas like Tecumseh and Unto These Hills. There are tons of parks and
historical sites in our area, making field trips easy and inexpensive.
We also enjoyed tours of local factories like UDF ice cream. - Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, FL was simply amazing and we learned so much.
My youngest really enjoyed our trip to the local Planetarium, and my
oldest enjoyed a presentation, tour, and hands on activities put on by
the local Sheriff’s Office about crime scene investigation. - We went to NYC to the 911 memorial. My Teens were able to handle the
solemnity of the moment. We were there the day the museum opened, so we
were unable to get inside, as the tickets were sold out. We will go
there next time. In NYC, We also attended one of the US Navy’s Fleet
Weeks where the US Navy brings ships for people to tour. As we were
there during the day the first day they arrived in the harbor, we were
able to get right on the ships with minimal waiting. This event is free,
and happens in different cities across the US. - Trip to a cathedral and a basilica we were studying architecture and Early Christian art!
- The Solar eclipse.
- Compassion Experience.
- Colonial Williamsburg.
- Shakespeare play at a local college.
- Caving, white water rafting, canyoneering, volunteering, Eco tours.
- South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, and K-9 training facility.
- Chicago- Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium.
- Zoological Preservation Society, Miami. Wynwood Walls, Miami. St Augustine, FL. Downtown Miami & Coconut Grove Architecture.
- In Oklahoma we have enjoyed:
*Chickasaw National Recreation Area – it’s a beautiful park for camping and you can swim in the natural spring water, which my teens really enjoyed.
*Turner Falls has Oklahoma’s largest waterfall and is a beautiful place to hike and swim in natural spring water.
*Gloss Mountain State Park is a little mesa you can hike to the top of and get a great view of the landscape, plus there is interesting geology.
*Salt Plains State Park is cool because the landscape is very interesting and you can dig crystals out of the sand.
*Oklahoma City Museum of Art has a lot of great exhibits and a lovely collection of Chihuly glass.
*The Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma City is pretty cool if you like skeletons.
- Green Gables/etc. on Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New
Brunswick in Canada. Boston (amazing!), Maine, New York City, Washington
DC, Niagara Falls, Hershey Chocolate Factory, Philadelphia (so much
history!), Charleston SC. - Schools on Trains to Seattle through Amtrak. Audubon Society of Portland
Sanctuary tour. Great Wolf Lodge. Franz Bakery. Classroom Law
Experience – Courtroom Experience. Oaks Park. Trip to downtown Portland
to an arcade, VooDoo Donuts, and Powell’s Book Store. - Our field trips are more like family hiking trips. We’ve gone to Glacier
Park in Montana, Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, and all over South Dakota,
Colorado, Zion National Park in Utah. The list could go on. We all love
these trips and look forward towards planning where the next one is
going to be. During these trips my kids have learned to pan for gold,
spot bats in caves, get stuck in a bison herd (luckily in the van),
touch the furs of grizzly and brown bears, learn about natural wildlife,
and so much more. - We did Yellowstone of course. We also went to Oregon and among other
things there, went to the volcanic national monument, and swam in a hot
spring. (Think twice about going to the public hot springs—the visitors there
are a bit more free than you and your kids might like!) - The top two are visiting an annual rendezvous featuring people
demonstrating trades from the for trade era and then visiting the Nina
and Pinta in Lake City, MN, on the Mississippi River. - Mammoth Cave and several trips in several states.
- Visiting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home in Mansfield, MO and seeing Pa’s
fiddle. The Abraham Lincoln Home, Tomb and Library in Springfield, IL.
Visiting Mark Twain’s home and sites in Hannibal, MO. The City Museum in
St. Louis. - The Ark Encounter was spectacular. We ALL enjoyed it and are looking
forward to our next trip there and back to the Creation Museum. We
included the Mammoth Caves on one trip last year. - We go to our city art museum. The zoo is always cool, no matter the age. Science center was fun for my younger ones.
- Concert at Auer Hall at Indiana University. Homeschool Day at our
Indiana State Capitol. We even got to see our governor, Eric Holcomb. - Last year we flew over and did space camp in Alabama as a family. My son
loved it! This year we are planning to take the train from Seattle to
Los Angeles in a sleeper car and then hit up Disneyland and Universal
Studios.
Homeschool Field Trip Ideas Outside the U.S.
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Western Australia.
- Went to Italy for a week and visited Rome. Beautiful city.
- Malta! The history is extensive and fascinating. Neolithic temples that
predate the pyramids at Giza and Stonehenge. Conquest by Carthage, Rome,
the Knights of St John, and France, part of the British empire. Then
besieged and later the springboard for the invasion of Sicily in WWII. I
had no idea. Highly recommended, especially Malta at War Museum and the
Lascaris War Rooms.
If you’d like to see the pictures my clients shared, click the Facebook post image below to see some amazing photos in the comments!
What field trips have YOU enjoyed? Please share in the comments!
