What a great question Angela! Thank you so much for inviting this discussion!
I love what SAHM suggests about keeping field trip costs low by looking for FREE adventures and by sharing rides/costs with OTHER families so as to lessen the financial burden.
I think that field trips and the need/desire for them is commensurate with a family's state in life.
Several years ago...after having had 6 babies in 7 years, I wouldn't have even CONSIDERED attempting a field trip. During those times, we tried to supplement our learning AT HOME....for instance, if you are studying a particular animal...you could invite a friend who OWNS that animal to come for a visit and give the kids an up-close look. If you are reading about a certain era in history, you can have a party, inviting families to attend DRESSED in the time period and bringing along a little something to share that they have learned. Studying the military? Invite a VET to dinner! These ideas enrich the learning experience but allow families with babies in the house to stay home where it is MUCH easier for them to function more smoothly.
Now that the kids are a bit older...we try to take a trip here and there...our area is RICH in history so there is MUCH available for very low cost where we live...Civil War Battlefields, museums, even our nation's capital is a couple hours drive and ALL the museums there are FREE.
A field trip for us might even be a visit to a friend's house...for instance, we are studying BEES and one of our friends is a beekeeper...so we are planning a play date at this friend's house to get a close-up view of how their Dad takes care of his bees!
Are field trips NECESSARY? I don't think so...are they valuable and worthwhile...they definitely CAN be if the cost/arrangements/and participation does not cause you undue stress.
Some things to ask yourself:
Have the kids expressed a specific INTEREST and desire for more knowledge in this area?
Can the whole FAMILY attend?
Is there a way we can have a similar experience without traveling far and spending money?
Certainly homeschooling allows us the benefit of FLEXIBILITY...we can travel when our husbands are home to help us out....we can take a day off from lessons whenever we so choose....we can even wait for better weather or another season to take a trip AFTER we have studied a certain subject...for instance...we are going to Antietam Battlefield this SPRING but are actually studying the Civil War right now...Sometimes I like this because it REawakens our lessons and serves as a kind of REVIEW for what we've studied.
Like all else, a family must discern what THEIR OWN current needs are. There are seasons of life where field trips ADD to the experience...and there are seasons when you're probably better off staying home.
Thankfully, we are FREE to do EITHER!
Jan 23, 2010 Rating
if I can afford it by: SAHMinIL
I'm new to homeschooling, but if I can afford it then I take full advantage of it. Affording it means FREE or very low cost. Like just this week we were invited to go to Chicago to the Museum of Science of Industry.
It was a FREE day for the museum, even though we did have to pay for parking $16 per car. I was able to reduce that price to $8, because I car pooled with another family. We all also brown bagged it. (ie. brought our own food).
For me they are good because the kids get to learn, but they also get to spend time with others outside of co-ops.
As far as away from the classroom, well depending where you go and what you do, it can be just as good or better to take a trip.
