School is out of session during the summer, but there are still plenty of opportunities for field trips by daycare facilities and summer camps. You can even get a group of parents with children home for the summer to organize their own private field trip. Ideas for summer field trips for students include learning about animals, interacting with their elders and learning where the food they eat comes from.
Visit a local duck pond. Students will be able to learn about the wildlife in their area and possibly get a chance to feed the ducks. While visiting the duck pond, point out the vegetation that grows in the area, along with how to spot such plants as poison ivy and poison sumac. Bring food along for the students when visiting and have a picnic on the grounds as the students observe the ducks and other animals in the area.
Organize a field trip to a senior center. Have the students prepare a short presentation, such as a short play or musical performance, to perform at the center. Create such art projects as drawing or painting for the children and the senior citizens to do together, pairing one or two students with each senior. After completing their art projects, create games for teams consisting of students and seniors to compete in together.
Take the children to a farmer's market to learn about the types of food grown in their area. Ask vendors to teach the children about how to choose a ripe piece of fruit, such as a watermelon, cantaloupe or strawberries. This provides an opportunity to teach children the importance of the vitamins and nutrients contained within fruits and vegetables. Hold a picnic lunch at the farmer's market and let each child choose from one of the stands a piece of fruit as a desert
Arrange with a local fast-food restaurant for a tour of the facility. The tour could include visiting the storage areas of the restaurant to see where all the food ordered at the restaurant comes from. The children can then tour the kitchen and watch how meals are prepared. Finish the field trip by having a meal at the fast food restaurant, possibly including a visit from a character if the restaurant has a themed character such as a clown or animal.
Visit a petting zoo, where students can learn how much work it takes care for an animal. Have a local 4-H group help by showing how to care for animals and informing students how they can get involved with 4-H and take care of farm animals just like the ones that they are seeing on their field trip. Purchase seeds and other food that the animals eat at the petting zoo and allow the children to feed the animals during the field trip.
