February 18, 2026 – Teaching Through Field Trips

Hey, Mama!

Gena Suarez, Publisher of TOS

Teaching Through Field Trips

Hey, Mama,

You know what’s better than a textbook about marine life? Your kid coming home from Ripley’s Aquarium in Gatlinburg smelling like fish because they just dissected a shark. That actually happened to us. And it was real. It was messy. It was memorable.

Here’s the thing about homeschooling in a group like a Schoolhouse—you get field trips. Real ones. Not the kind where you drive around by yourself, pointing at things. The kind where your kids are learning alongside other kids, asking questions, getting excited about the same things at the same time.

We’ve sat in dark theatres, watching drama unfold onstage, our kids mesmerized by dancers moving to the music of The Nutcracker. We’ve walked through Dollywood learning about birds at a show where kids got to actually touch them, then rode rides until we were dizzy, laughed until our sides hurt, and watched violin players and singers perform right there onstage. We’ve created memories that have nothing to do with academics and everything to do with being alive.

But here’s what actually happens on a field trip: sometimes one experience opens a door. A shy kid discovers she loves performing. A reluctant reader suddenly wants to know everything about ocean creatures. A single afternoon becomes the spark. Moms become friends. Your kids find their people. Lifelong friendships get their start in a giant white homeschool family van heading somewhere fun.

If you’re looking for this kind of community—the learning, the laughter, the relationships—find a Schoolhouse near you. Go to JoinSchoolhouse.com, and see what’s happening in your area. Do it now! 🙂

His hand is on your head, Mama.

—gena

(Copy this link to share this article with a friend.)

Access real writing tips and classroom activities from the New York Times bestselling author, Stuart Gibbs! https://stuartgibbsmissionwrite.com/ 

Todd Wilson

Fun is the Best Teacher

I love field trips. I love visiting historical sights, factories, and interesting places. Kids learn so much from visiting those places . . . but the sure fire way to kill the learning and the fun is to try to teach them while they’re enjoying them.

That’s how public schoolers use field trips. They hand out fill‑in‑the‑blank pages or ask them to write about what they saw. I’m telling you, that doesn’t increase the learning; it kills it.

Here’s the Smiling Homeschooler’s Guide to Field Trip Learning:

1. Pick a place you think they’ll enjoy (skip the Paper Museum, The County Clerk’s office, and the Mitochondria Museum).

2. Once there, let them run around and skip all the plaques that need to be read. Want to kill learning right away? Then stop and read all those boring reading stations.

3. Let them take away what they want to take away. Some will learn about the science, some will enjoy the bugs they find along the way, and others will enjoy just being with people.

4. Don’t test them on what they saw; don’t have them write a paper or do a report. Just let them go, enjoy, and ponder it in their heart, and you just might ignite future learning.

Again, we’ve been duped into thinking the only way they learn is if we schoolify it. Baloney.

Field trip fun is the best teacher.

Go have an adventure.

Be real, Todd

(Copy this link to share this article with a friend.)

About the author

Todd Wilson is a dad, granddad, writer, conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down to earth realness have made him a favorite speaker at homeschool conventions, retreats, and churches across the country. As founder of Familyman Ministries and the Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind dads and moms of what’s most important through weekly e-mails, podcasts (The Familyman Show & The Smiling Homeschooler), seminars, and books and products that encourage parents. Todd, and his wife Debbie, still homeschool two of their eight children (six have graduated with four married) in northern Indiana. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.

Hal and Melanie Young

See, Do, and Experience!

One of our favorite events while traveling is when the driver calls out, “Field trip!” and makes an unexpected turn at a historical marker. We’ve seen some neat things, from ancient petroglyphs to breathtaking overlooks, because we stopped! 

Some of the most memorable educational moments come when we step away from the books to go see, do, and experience things. It’s easier than you might think: 

• It’s easy to find ideas for field trips—Just search “things to see and do in [city]” You can add terms like “free” or “with kids.”
  
• Prepare your kids—Make sure they know how to behave in grown-up surroundings. Talk about where you plan to visit so they know what to expect. We did a podcast about this: https://tinyurl.com/bdce8d4m.
  
• Challenge them to think of one good question to ask—Museum guides love kids who participate! (For some kids, you may need the rule “one question only” so others can have a chance!)
  
• Accommodate their youthfulness—Make a bathroom stop before you begin; maybe grab a snack or a nap, too, depending on the place and the child. Don’t overload what they’re able to handle—time, words, walking, or whatever. Jacob did this with his young family too! (Genesis 33:12-14)
  
• Don’t overlook the younger ones—We have eight kids spread out over nineteen years. We forgot sometimes that the younger siblings weren’t there when we did the obvious local trips to the fire station, zoo, or children’s museum—they need a chance to be 6 years old, too!
  
• If they’re really interested—Maybe they can speak with the guide or docent one-on-one, afterward. Here’s where they can ask their “extra” questions! Sometimes we’ve gotten a bonus tour or a look backstage when the guide saw the children’s interest.

Field trips remind our kids (and ourselves) that the books and exercises we do are pointing us to a real world outside. When we get to use all our senses in the created and constructed world, it makes the world of print and video much more meaningful!

Your friends,

Hal & Melanie

(Copy this link to share this article with a friend.)

About the author

Hal and Melanie Young have been homeschooling almost as long as they’ve been married, and they’re still happy with both decisions! They wrote My Beloved and My Friend: How to Be Married to Your Best Friend Without Changing Spouses to encourage their young adults – find out more at raisingrealmen.com.

Heather Vogler

Living History

I grew up where the Iroquois Indians traditionally lived, a fact not etched in my mind from a book report I wrote in the fourth grade, but from a field trip we took to a local living history museum. You know the type. As soon as you enter, you feel like you have entered a time machine or a historical fiction novel. It is a place where your senses are invaded from the get-go with smells of traditional foods being cooked over an open flame and hands-on exhibits where children are encouraged to touch animal pelts or try on traditional clothing. In this case, handcrafted leather moccasins and traditional necklaces with intricate turquoise beadwork were the stars of the show. This particular museum was outdoors where children would hop from hut to hut learning the ins and outs of how the Iroquois used to live in our backyards. 

Though it lasted only a few hours, I remember more about the Iroquois from that experience than anything I read from a book. Depending on your child’s learning style, you can utilize living history museums, national parks, and other historical sites to instill in them a love for learning. Once you have taken the trip, either because you were learning about it in school anyway or because you happened to be in the area, try to reinforce what they have learned through having them create a mural, try a recipe, make a scrapbook with photos from your trip,  or write a poem or play. No book report needed.

(Copy this link to share this article with a friend.)

About the author

Heather Vogler, her husband, and five children call the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia home where they homeschool and homestead. Heather has homeschooled her children from the beginning and enjoys an eclectic style of teaching. As a freelance writer she has been published in Focus on the Family Magazine, War Cry Magazine, and Brio Magazine. Heather holds a BA in Christian Ministries and currently writes at ThriftSchooling.com.  

Field trips turn learning into adventure! Whether you’re strolling through a local museum, exploring a nature reserve, or visiting a historical site, your experiences become rich lessons when paired with courses like Drive Thru History: American History and All About Maps. Capture what you see with projects like lapbooks and journals to cement memories into knowledge.