by Kim Jaworski, Homeschool Resource Specialist

 

Fall is the very best time for field trips. The first 2-3 weeks of the public school year are ideal. The schools are busy getting everyone settled into their new routine, so they have no field trips on their roster. You’ll have the Science Museum, Historic sites, Sculpture Gardens, Nature Centers, State Park interpretive centers, museums and everywhere else pretty much to yourselves. It’s a fabulous feeling not to be stampeded by a school group as you stop to talk about an exhibit. And there isn’t any yelling and chaos as you arrive or depart.

It’s also a great time for camping. We were delighted to share our state park campgrounds with a few retirees in their campers and RVs. We could hike in peace and observe wildlife (that also seemed to realize that the hoards of summer families had left and the pace could be slower now).

After these first few glorious weeks of field trip freedom, you can still have some quiet time on your outings, but you’ll have to arrive first thing in the morning and leave by about 11am when the school buses roll in. Or you can go to your destination around 2pm as the buses trundle off again to get the kids back to school in time to catch their busses home.

So start planning now! There’s a great field trip list on my website. Grab a highlighter and mark the places you’re keen to visit this year. Then check their hours and plan your first few weeks of the school year. The book work can wait—I promise. There will plenty of WINTER for that. FIELD TRIP EXTRAVAGANZA can be your new ‘start of the school year’ tradition. It’s a unique gift that comes only to homeschoolers and only once a year! Go Forth and Explore!