Awesome Field Trip Ideas for Students of All Ages

Awesome Field Trip Ideas for Students of All Ages

kids in school bus with windows down

There’s no question about it: students love field trips! Field trips are an exciting and unique way to get students out of the classroom and into the “real world” during the school year. Some of your best memories from your own school days might be the awesome field trips you and your classmates took. Are you looking for fun and educational field trip ideas to inspire students of all ages? Maybe you’re stumped on where to take older students or brainstorming homeschool field trips. Whether you’re teaching elementary, middle, or high school students, look no further than these great ideas for field trips!

Visit a Museum

Museums are time-honored field trip destinations for a good reason! They provide entertaining and educational talking points for classes of all ages and are already created to appeal to younger and older students alike. Check out these kinds of museums.

  • Art museums
  • Science museums (don’t skip the planetarium!)
  • Maritime museums
  • Archaeology museums
  • Historic house/building museums
  • Cemetery or gravesite museums
  • Technology museums

Enjoy Nature

The natural world is an invaluable learning resource and a source of countless field trip ideas! These nature-based field trip ideas will be sure to keep your students entertained.

National or state parks

Go for a hike or tour the visitor’s center at your local state or national park. Supporting the national parks system helps it stay beautiful for years to come! You can integrate geography, biology, history, geology, and more into your visit.

Botanical gardens

Botanical gardens are beautiful and a great place to talk about science and art. You can even have your students do a photography project!

Sculpture gardens

While sculpture gardens are technically more art than nature, they are another fabulous field trip idea. Some are even interactive or encourage touching the art!

Meet the Animals

Whether you’re wrangling 35 middle school students or you’re a parent teaching homeschooled kids, you’d have a hard time finding a student without a favorite animal, and chances are they’ll see that animal when you visit one of these destinations!

Zoos or conservation centers

The zoo is another field trip idea that has stood the test of time. Many zoos offer group or student discounts and include built-in activities for your visit, such as scavenger hunts or guided tours.

Farms

Farms are not only a place to visit animals but also a chance to talk about history, biology, and even economics. Plus, you can never go wrong by supporting your local farmers!

Aquariums

If you asked students their favorite field trip idea on this list, many would vote for a visit to the aquarium! Aquariums engage students of all ages while providing helpful information about the natural world.

Fish hatcheries

A fish hatchery might not be the first location that comes to mind when you think about entertaining your students, but it’s actually a great field trip idea. Fish hatcheries are full of interesting information, often offer tours, and can provide a wealth of knowledge on your local region’s waterways.

Watch a Show

Taking your students to a show serves as a jumping-off point for conversations about literature, art, theater, music, and everything else under the sun. It also makes an ideal rainy-day trip as your students will stay safe and dry. These and more performances make great learning experiences for your students.

  • Movies
  • Theater productions
  • Concerts
  • Acrobatic performances
  • Magic shows
  • Presentations (think TED Talks!)
  • Book talks or poetry readings

Get Patriotic

The United States has many unique characteristics that you can talk about while teaching anything from history to archaeology to government. Visit these uniquely American destinations!

Capital buildings

Whether you visit your state capital or the nation’s capital in Washington, DC, there’s always something to learn about American history when you visit its source!

Historical sites

You don’t have to go to a museum to see historical artifacts and buildings — some of them are in your own backyard! Check out historical sites near you and see if any offer tours.

Post offices

The United States Postal Service is a venerable and uniquely American institution that’s been around for hundreds of years, and your students can learn about anything from history to commerce to government by taking a post office tour! Many post offices will be glad to help you arrange a visit with your students.

Go Green

Teaching the value of ecological preservation? It’s always a good lesson for students to learn their impact on the world around them. Try these field trip ideas for a greener world:

  • A recycling center
  • An alternative energy plant
  • The local landfill or garbage processing facility
  • An ecological cleanup site (can also serve as an opportunity for volunteer work!)

Explore the Working World

It’s never too early to talk to your students about the future, which means career-based field trip ideas are always on the table. Explore the working world when you visit these destinations.

  • TV stations
  • Manufacturing plants or factories
  • Science labs
  • Technology companies
  • Courthouses
  • Healthcare facilities
  • Food production facilities
  • Colleges or universities

Reward Your Students

While field trips are about having fun as much as they’re about an educational experience, some field trips serve more to reward your students for their hard work at the end of the school year or after a particularly hard quarter or semester. Sometimes you can even sneak in a few physics, math, or English lessons, too! You’re sure to make students happy when you arrive at these destinations.

Bowling alley

Bowling is a great field trip idea for students who just need some time to have fun. You can often rent out a whole bowling alley to accommodate as many students as needed.

Laser tag/arcade

Everyone loves laser tag! Laser tag arenas often include arcades as well for students who don’t want to run around in the dark. There are often group and student discounts for laser tag, although it can be on the pricier side of field trip ideas.

Ice skating

Ice skating is a unique and fun field trip idea that is relatively easy to organize! It’s best suited for older students who view learning to skate as a fun challenge.

Sports game

Do you have a class full of aspiring MLB or NBA players? Trying to get your homeschooled kids interested in sports? Going to a baseball, football, basketball, or soccer game can be a fun class activity. Make sure you can book seats all together so your students can bond and relax watching the game while you keep an eye on the venue.

Amusement park

What list of field trip ideas would be complete without mentioning a visit to an amusement park? Amusement parks are designed to be fun, meaning there’s something every student can enjoy. However, they can be somewhat overwhelming, so be sure to check out these tips for an amusement park trip with kids before you go.

School Bus Rentals For Field Trips

Ready to take your students to a destination they’ll love? YellowBird Bus Company provides school bus rentals for all kinds of field trips, no matter where you’re headed! Contact us today, and we’ll get you and your students rolling!

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