Field trips are the final step in every project-based learning (PBL) unit we complete in our homeschool. They allow my children to take everything they’ve researched, discussed, created, and explored and connect it to the real world. Instead of simply reading about a topic, they have the opportunity to experience it firsthand.
Why Field Trips Matter
Children learn best when they can actively engage with what they’re learning. Reading books, completing online research, and creating hands-on projects all build a strong foundation, but visiting a location related to the topic helps deepen their understanding in ways that are difficult to recreate at home.
Field trips give children opportunities to:
- Make meaningful real-world connections
- Strengthen comprehension through hands-on experiences
- Observe concepts they’ve been studying
- Ask authentic questions based on what they see
- Build curiosity and excitement for learning
- Create lasting memories that reinforce new knowledge
How We Choose Field Trips
Our field trips have been simple, local experiences that perfectly match what we were studying in our PBL unit. When we first started homeschooling we would join a random group of people who put out posts on local homeschooling Facebook groups. At the time, I had just left the teaching field and didn’t know any fellow homeschooling families so this was very helpful. Now, I have developed a small homeschool group with two families I have met and we plan field trips together. If you have a homeschool family friend to join you, the experience becomes so much more fun. I have compiled a list of field trips and hope this list can help support you.
Here are a few examples:
- Museums
- Nature preserves
- National and state parks
- Zoos and aquariums
- Farms
- Botanical gardens
- Historical landmarks
- Science centers
- Libraries
- Local businesses
- Community events
- Orchards
- Restaurants
- Recycling Centers
- Theatre
- Art Center
- Theme Parks
- Personal family member job sites
Planning a Field Trip Around Your Project
As you’re planning your project-based learning unit, think about the field trip before you begin.
Ask yourself:
- Where could my child see this topic in real life?
- What experiences would deepen their understanding?
- Is there a local expert, museum, or community resource that connects with our project?
- Can we observe, explore, or ask questions during our visit?
Continue the Learning After the Field Trip
Learning doesn’t stop once you return home.
After every field trip, we spend time reflecting on the experience. Reflection helps children organize their thoughts and connect new experiences to what they’ve already learned.
Some simple reflection activities include:
- Nature journals
- Writing prompts
- Draw and label pages
- KWL chart updates
- Photo journals
I hope this helps inspire you to add field trips to your project based learning units to make them even more meaningful and engaging.
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