Neighborhood Kids family fun in bellingham & whatcom county

Plan a Field Trip with Your Kids

As babies grow into children, they absorb information at an astonishing rate. Learning is especially critical during their toddler years, as experienced parents can attest, while their motor skills and language develop. These years seem to zoom by with constant questions and movement as kids explore the world.

What family field trip would your kids enjoy?

One way to help kids learn is to plan a field trip so they can get an up-close look at how the world works. According to the Field Trip Factory, children learn 40 to 60% more when they are outside the classroom. Whether you’re a teacher looking for a unique way to expose your students to future careers, or the parent of a preschooler looking for an afternoon outing that will spark their imagination, planning a field trip is a great way to help kids learn.

Since October is National Go on a Field Trip Month, here are a few tips to help get you started on planning a field trip this fall and how to help kids get the most out of the experience.

It Never Hurts to Ask

“Mommy, how does milk become cheese?” your child asks during their afternoon snack. It’s a simple enough question. You can go ahead and answer (if you know offhand), or refer to a book or the Internet to find out more. Or, you can contact a local dairy farm and arrange a time to give your child a look, up close and personal, at the farm, the farmer, the cows, and the cheese making process.

Whatcom County has a unique distinction as the home a variety of industries—agriculture, logging, fishing, etc.—as well as one of the top ranking public master’s-granting universities in the western United States. No matter what topic they’re interested in, you can probably find a local expert to share their knowledge. If your kids are interested in biology, try to arrange a trip to St. Joseph’s Hospital. Want to help them learn more about the democratic process? Attend a City Council meeting and schedule a Q & A with your Ward representative.

Remember that the worst any of these individuals can say is no, and you’re no worse off than when you started planning your field trip.

Get Interactive

Kids have all different kinds of learning styles. Some children get the most out of a subject through quietly reading a textbook; others might have trouble understanding a topic unless they can have a tactile experience.

Help your child discover a learning style that helps them most by exploring the various options throughout your field trip activity. Do some reading and research before your visit, get as hands-on as possible during the experience, and follow up by creating a project that describes what they learned using a method that sparks their interest. The end result might be a written report, a play, a homemade meal, or something completely different.

Let Learning Occur Naturally

Even if you put in the time and effort into planning a field trip experience for your kids, the best opportunities for learning can sometimes happen completely at random. Don’t be so busy planning the next activity that you miss out on those wonderful, unpredictable moments for exploration.

What ideas for local field trips would you recommend to Bellingham parents and teachers?