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Some
places to consider are:
Grocery store
Gas station
Car wash
Church
Bank
Restaurants
Library
Book store
Video store
Bakery
Mall (window displays)
Printing shop
Don’t let this list limit you! If you know someone that happens to be
a doctor, nurse, vet, fire fighter or whatever talk to them and see if they can help you arrange a “field trip”.
I happen to have two brothers and several friends that are fire fighters so
my children have had a tour of many different fire houses at different ages. Our personal “tour guides” let my
children explore the fire trucks (every child’s favorite thing) but they were also shown where the fire fighters ate
and slept.
At one fire house they had child size fire fighter gear for the children to
try on. The best lesson we learned was what a fire fighter looked like before and after they put their gear on. If the fire
house has an ambulance, ask for a tour of that too. If your child ever needs to be transported in one they won’t be
as frightened by it.
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Pull over to
discover.
Some of the best field trips are right on the
side of the road.
Construction season offers many opportunities
to watch and learn. All you have to do is pull over and watch from a safe distance. You can easily spend an hour pulled over
at a construction site watching those huge machines dig, dump, and lift.
If you have a forest preserve, a pond, farm
stand, fountain, or even a beautiful garden in your town or city you can pull over and discover what is right in your own
area.
Have you ever seen a mural on the side of a
building? Pull over and admire it, even ask the buildings owner who painted it and why. Even graffiti can give you a chance
to appreciate different forms of art (graffiti is becoming an official art form in some areas) or to talk about why someone
would do that and whether or not you approve.
Don’t take local parks for granted go
out and discover all of them in your city or town and decide which one is the best. Examine every part of the play ground
from the swings to the slides and what is under them.
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In all kinds
of weather there are things to discover. Take a puddle jumping field trip after it rains. Try to find the pot of gold
at the end of a rainbow. The best time to discover worms and frogs are after it rains or even while it is raining.
Winter time offers opportunities for sledding
field trips, field trips to see the lights at Christmas time, and even how things look after it snows. Even if you live where
it never snows the changing seasons will still offer new chances to take field trips.
Do you live
in a city? Check to see if your city has art galleries or shops that sell local artists works. I actually prefer this
alternative to visiting an art museum. The local shops and galleries are not as crowded and never charge for admittance. The
galleries also offer new and different works of art that you may not be able to see at a museum.
An Alternative to Zoos. Want to go to a zoo but can’t
afford it? Try your local pet stores. Sometimes the small family shops may even let you touch the animals. However, a word
of caution for both you and your family as well as for the animals, bring Purell or another hand sanitizer with you. You’ll
want to use it before and after touching any animal so you do not get them sick or from them getting you sick. The pet stores
will appreciate that you care enough to take precautions and may be more likely to let you pet a snake or puppy.
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