Is field trip readiness a thing? It should be. If you’ve ever planned one, you know it’s a bit of work. And the to-do list can get a little long… call the trip guide, send home permission slips, cross your fingers they come back, collect the money, secure a few chaperones… and then, and then, and then. It’s definitely a job for the most organized and patient teacher on your team.
But, it’s also exciting, especially for the kids.
Once you let the cat out of the bag, there’s a buzz like no other. “A field trip? Yes!” And for kids whose parents drop them off each day in a plain old car, the anticipation of getting to ride a school bus is real.
FIELD TRIP READINESS
Tap into the collective electricity with some field trip readiness activities. The day will go a lot more smoothly if the children are prepared ahead of time. When they know what to expect, they’ll feel more comfortable and ready to leave the familiar safety net of their classroom.
These classroom posters have been helpful to us as we begin talking about the field trip expectations. They’re cute and colorful (just right for K-1), and they help the children understand what it will look like to get ready for our time away from school. The posters touch on important ideas like:
- Return your permission slip.
- Know your lunch plans.
- Wear your name tag.
- Go to the bathroom.
- Make sure you have everything.
- Be safe on the bus.
- Follow your teacher’s rules.
- Listen to the trip guide.
- Stay with your group.
- Remember your belongings.
- Thank your bus driver.
If your printing budget won’t allow for colored ink, no worries. The posters also come in black and white and they’re just as cute printed on colored paper.👇
BOOKS TO HELP YOU GET READY
I rarely make anything that doesn’t also include a printable book for the students. We just like books. We like opening them, turning the pages, touching words… everything that makes us feel like readers.
This set is no different. In it, we’ve included a student text that supports the information on the posters. When planning for field trip readiness, it’s our go-to resource.
The text is aligned with the field trip posters and each page offers additional support and information through features like arrows, labels, and speech bubbles. It great for a shared reading experience, whole-group word work, and partner reading as a follow-up to review over a few days.
We also like to check out these picture books when we’re planning for field trip readiness. They’re great choices for kindergarten and first grade and help kids feel prepared for what might be their first field trip ever.
- Franklin’s Class Trip by by Paulette Bourgeois
- Class Trip by Robert Munsch
- Amelia Bedelia’s First Field Trip by Herman Parish
- Field Trip Day by Lynn Plourde
- Miss Bindergarten Takes a Field Trip with Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
- Albert’s Field Trip by Leslie Tryon
- The Apple Orchard Riddle by Margaret McNamara
That last one👆 is particularly good if your class is going to an apple farm in the fall.
One last thing before you head out on your trip… guide kids through a curiosity exercise. What are they wondering? What on-topic questions do they have about the place they’ll be visiting?
FIELD TRIP REFLECTION ACTIVITIES
So, field trip readiness… check. We know what we’re doing before the field trip, but what about after? We like some version of these three activities. It’s not hard to tie them to a few ELA standards, so we feel good about making time for them.
- Record field trip memories.
- Rate and review the field trip.
- Write a thank you letter.
The thank you letter could be written to any adult involved in the success of the day, including your bus driver, parent volunteers, and/or the field trip guides. This FIELD TRIP SET includes templates for each of these ideas.
My favorite follow-up work the kids do asks them to rate and review the field trip.👇 This writing activity ties into standards focused on sharing opinions and writing persuasively, so it’s smart, but mostly I love hearing their responses. I feel like I hit the jackpot when I found this clip art… they’re little school buses with facial expressions. How cute are these?
Hopefully these ideas will help as you (or your lucky teammate) are planning your next field trip. You can see more of the field trip readiness and reflection resources HERE.
Until next time, happy teaching!
MORE CLASS MANAGEMENT IDEAS
Take the “Scary” Out of Safety Drills 👇
Pairing Cards for Student Partners 👇
Leave a Reply