field trip suggestions for preschool children?

Question

We have to plan a field trip for a preschool class. The children are 3-5 years old and enrolled in a headstart class. Previous field trips have been to a local park, the library and a grocery store. The school location is Northern Virginia and the field trip can only be about 2 hours including travel time (a bus is available).
Does anyone have any suggestions for a interesting educational and fun field trip for the children?

There is a great zoo in DC but I don't think we have time to get there and back.

Farms are too far away. unfortunately.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Answer 1

When my son was in preschool they took a trip to a assisted living home. The kids loved doing crafts with the "grandmas & grandpas". Also, the older people were in absolute heaven.

Answer 2

I Have To say that My Favourite field trip as a toddler was to an apple orchaird...we learned how to make apple pie, apple sauce and we went apple picking and got i think it was three apples each...and its fun cause the kids are like...

Look im a big boy and im strong and tall look at me pick this apple!
Hehe there sooo cute!
LOL...just if you do go with this idea make sure you have people on ahnd to see if the children picked good apples! =)

another idea is a picnis...even though you have been to a park this would be cute....especially if thier is a pond because you can obverse the things that live thier!
Were i live its snowing so maybe you can go to a large field/park and bulid snow man and snow forts and have a snoww ball fight!
also....a Police station or firestation is good.....usually every month they might have an "open house" were they let visitors ion to check out the facility!

i would have to say apple orchaid is my favourite.....after words they can even draw a picture of thier apples and what they liked best on the trip....they cant be two far away and can be very cheap
-$2 per entry and $2-4 for some apples =)

Good Luck and much love to ya!

Answer 3

Talk to the kids and try to incorporate what they're interested in. My kids are crazy about dinosaurs right now, and I'm trying to find some kind of museum program we can do. You can also talk to the parents about where they work to see if there are interesting ideas there. We did a trip to a greenhouse with our kids where one of the parents worked. The little boy was SO proud that his dad was the one leading our tour.

Otherwise, try restaurants, the post office, museums, the doctor/dentist's office, an elementary school (where they may be going some day), sports arenas or stadiums (even local teams can be exciting - you're bound to have at least ONE fan in your group), bookstores or publishing companies, a craft store (where they can perhaps do an activity).

If you have a college nearby, you can go to different departments there - art, music, teaching, science, etc. They often have people eager to share what they know with young kids.

Try to think of areas that are only in your town - things that make your home special.

Keep in mind that as long as you have an engaging speaker and some kind of activity involved, the kids will be happy. Sometimes even the most mundane things (to adults) can keep young kids fascinated. It's that innocence that we all lose as we grow up! Good luck!

Answer 4

Look for the ordinary things that excite kids.

We have gone to a local park for a picnic lunch, to a fire station, museum, pumpkin patch, etc. That is the normal stuff.

We have also:
-gone to the airport (ours has an area set up to observe planes landing),
-had a public transportation bus come to our preschool and take the kids for a ride around the block
-had someone from John Deere come to school and show off the tractors (BIG HIT)
-gone to a local bakery to learn how bread is made. Then we tasted different kinds of bread
-gone to a local grocery store and tried to identify healthy foods
-gone to a farmer's market
-visited a dentist's office (one of our parents is a dentist, so we had an easy in on this one)

I hope that helps!!!

Answer 5

1. The ambulance company. 2. Some dentists will come or send a hygienist to demonstrate proper dental care. Call your local Dental Society. 3. See if you can get some High School musicians to come on a day school is closed and demonstrate how the instruments sound. 4. If you have some money to spare hire a professional artist to work with kids in the classroom to make some sort of permanent installation for the room.

Answer 6

The fire station is always a good one. Also a bakery is great, a small local one might let you taste and take home goodies. A factory is great if there is one around that makes interesting things (as long as it's very safe). A couple of years ago I went with a local homeschool group to a glass blower studio. Arts are always great. Do they have local craftsmen where you live? Then there is the vet and the zoo. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

My suggestion is to ask them what they would like to see. Obviously, you have some very young children there but their active interest and motivation is a guarantee factor about learning not only during the visit but also before. It involves communicational skills, working in group, planning the visit, what to see, how to go, what they need to bring (food, cameras, their scetch book etc...). They can also discuss about their previous experiences going on excursions with friends/family /school. Since they are too young to know about all the possibilities which may actually involve some practical yet important details you could make some few suggestions trying to describe different locations in an equal way not to show your own preference or raise high expectations. It is not about what they see it is how deeply there are going to be involved in the experience. You could maybe start by narrating them a story about a group of children who decided to go out for a walk and bring back stories or material they were going to find in that walk to their favorite toys who couldn't or wouldn't come with them. Or in order to send a letter to children from another school in another state or country so that the other children can see what is nice around where they live. Maybe at the begginning there are going to be many ideas that can not be implemented and this is where you intervene by giving out information on why this plan can not be scheduled for the moment. It is important to encourage all childen to say what they think and try not to put things on vote, if possible. Something like 'things fun around where we live' or 'things fun to see' might make a better starting point than the plain 'let us decide'.
It doesn't need to be something big neccessarily; it can be something as simple as to ' meet a tree' (personally I like much Cornell's suggestions in books like 'Sharing the joy of nature', Dawn publications or other similar stuff) but definately any other part of their social environment or monuments and museums are great too as long as children are actively involved in the process before, during and after the experience. It is maybe a difficult suggestion to implement but if successful, there is no comparison to any other method and brings benefits to all children rather than some.

Answer 8

Pet store at a mall (in shifts for multiple classes)

Opposite shifts can play at the mall playground or be given a snack at the food court area (buy or bring cookies and juice)



We've also done the blue bell ice cream factory, a McDonalds, and a state park with a ranger to explain plants and animals,and of course the zoo

Answer 9

If you are in the D.C./Maryland area you may want to check out PlayWiseKids in Columbia. It was previously Exploraworld. It is great for field trips and birthday parties, and includes crafts, science activities, a "grocery store", and other pretend play areas, a real fire truck and ambulance, music and movement, and food facilities. The prices are very reasonable.

Answer 10

Zoos, Petting Zoos, Kids Museums (interactive); Fire Stations are great too - preschoolers love them