Field Trips

What: Field trips offer excellent opportunities to incorporate outdoor time. Some field trips are to an outdoor location, others involve walking outdoors either to the location or during the trip; another great option is to make a point of adding some nature in while students are out and about.

How: When planning field trips, use the following question to consider how to add in outdoor time:

Field Trip Location
  • Is the location an outdoor location such as a park, community garden, or does it have an outdoor space attached to it such as a playground?
  • Can you plan a trip specifically to get students outdoors (to a lake, a pond, a nature trail, a meadow, a local natural sight like a waterfall)?
Transport/Breaks/Lunch
  • How will you get to the trip?
  • Can you walk to the location?
  • Can you walk to a city bus and take that to get there?
  • If you take a school bus, can you get dropped off a short distance from the location to add-in some walking time?
  • If students will get a lunch/recess break, can this happen outside?
  • Can you eat in the grass outside the building?
  • Can you walk to a natural location just near the building to eat/play?
Adding Nature-In
  • Can you have students make some observations about the weather, the natural objects they see or the plants and animals in the area?
  • Can you incorporate a quick nature scavenger hunt at the beginning, end or break time?

Think broadly when field trip planning. Teachers often choose locations like museums and historic sights but you can take students to a local pond to observe frogs and signs of spring; you can take students to a local trail to do a nature walk; you can take students to a community garden to do observations; you can walk to nearby natural areas; you can tour local natural sights such as lakes, waterfalls or parks; the possibilities are endless! Consider planning a trip for the sole purpose of giving students exposure to nature. Does your community have a university? Can you take students to a location on campus for a special activity and while there, utilize the outdoor space on campus?

When: Field trips can be a great experience any time during the school year.

Who: If you are working as a team to plan the trip, brainstorm ways to add in outdoor
time. If you are collaborating with an instructor/teacher from the trip location, consider communicating with them you interest in adding in outdoor time; they might be able to incorporate an outdoor activity into the planned student experience. Teachers can make choices about what types of trips they take their students on. Administrators can support nature-focused trips, or help teachers identify possible destinations.

Materials: Depends on trip

Why: Since students are already leaving the building for field trips and typical schedules are altered for the day, there are easy opportunities to increase time outdoors. Field trips to outdoor locations provide extended time outside for students while field trips to indoor locations can provide extra outside time during transport to and from, lunch/recess, or brief nature engagement activities at the beginning or end of the trip.

Barriers addressed: Control over Curriculum; Educator Content Knowledge; Out of Routine; Scheduling; Sufficient and Appropriate Spaces; Time Pressure; Time/Space in Standards; Transitions; Transport