Today I’m excited to have my friend Rachel guest posting and talking about field trips and homeschooling.
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When we first began to consider homeschooling, one of the things that really appealed to me was the opportunity we would have for family field trips. I looked forward to the memories we would make and the learning that would occur simultaneously. Now that I look back over the past few years, I have to say that it is challenging trying to decide which field trips were our favorites. I’ll share a few just to give you an idea of the variety that we try to include.
Most recently we really enjoyed our trip to COSI in Columbus, OH. It seems almost cliché to say it, but there truly was something for everyone. We enjoyed many of the exhibits together, and when the time came for the older ones to enjoy a movie in the Extreme Screen Theater, Daddy went with them. I took the little ones to the Little Kidspace. Let me just say, it was fabulous. Even I wanted to get down and play with them. They had a great time with a great deal of imaginative play, and this area even provided some inspiration as my husband and I planned a play room Christmas surprise.
Another trip to Columbus found us at the beautiful Ohio Statehouse. If you ever have an opportunity to tour your own statehouse, you really should do it. We’re really blessed to know our state representative and were able to get a “behind the scenes” tour with him which greatly added to our experience. We enjoyed being able to sit in on part of a session to see how that part of government works.
Zoos are obviously a favorite field trip destination for many, and with us it’s no exception. We’ve visited several, and the Toledo Zoo has easily been our favorite. It was quite crowded the day we were there, and we still very much enjoyed the variety of animals and the lovely exhibits. The interactive Nature’s Neighborhood was a real hit with the kids, and they would have loved to have had more time to spend there.
The Historic Zoar Village has been a repeat field trip location for us. Each year they host a very hands-on spring and fall Homeschool Day. My cousin is the educational director there, and she has done a fantastic job coordinating these events. The children have enjoyed activities such as weaving, tin punching, washing clothes the old-fashioned way, etc. This past fall we attended their Civil War School Day event which was also an exciting day.
I’ve mentioned in the past how important nature study is to us. We visit zoos and nature centers and even our own woods, but we can’t go to the Arctic or to Africa. We go to Cabela’s instead. Have you ever thought of Cabela’s as a field trip location? I realize that it’s mainly a store, but it is so much more. It is truly a wildlife museum. We’ve been there quite a few times, and we never get tired of it. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that there is a Books-a-Million right next door!
I don’t know if we can really count the county fair unless it is a week-long field trip. Because our children show animals we spend a great deal of time there. It’s exhausting but so much fun, and there really is so much to learn both by visiting the exhibits and by participating in some way!
Sometimes coming up with field trip ideas can be daunting as well as expensive. We’ve tried to keep our costs down. Many of the activities we choose are either free or low cost. We’ve also received museum family memberships as gifts which have been great blessings. I would encourage you to look close to home for ideas. Often there are things just around the corner that we don’t even know are there. There are many places on my “to do before they graduate” list that are within an hour from our home. Some will happen, others probably won’t, but I’m all for making educational and fun memories!
Rachel is married to her best friend, Eric, and homeschooling mama to their 8 amazing children. Life is a daily adventure in their home and provides lots of love and laughter! They live on a dairy farm in Ohio and their children are self-proclaimed “country kids” and quite proud of it! It is their family’s goal to seek and honor God in all that they do and to be a blessing to those around them. Aside from being a homemaker Rachel enjoys reading, writing and dreaming about the day she’ll actually make some of those Pinterest crafts!
Sharing with A Proverbs 31 Wife, The Modest Mom, The Prairie Homestead, Time Warp Wife, Growing Home, Cornerstone Confessions, Raising Homemakers, We Are That Family, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Walking Redeemed, Raising Arrows, Graced Simplicity, Raising Mighty Arrows, and Happy and Blessed Home.
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