Big ol' field trip idea list

Every year about this time we start thinking of ideas for field trips for the school year. After 5 years of homeschooling, the new ideas start to run a little dry, but the old ideas will still be great for all of the smaller children who haven't seen them yet. Here's a list of places we've been and are planning to go, and a few reminders about helpful sources in your area.

All about town

• Fire station
• Town or city hall
• State capital
• Bakery (Our kids each prepared their own small loaves for baking.)
• Pizza parlor (A local pizza restaurant and delivery place was kind enough to show us how they keep up with orders, then we treated ourselves to pizza and some visiting time in the restaurant.)
• Local food manufacturers will often give tours, especially if it is a favorite regional product.
• Bottling facilities used to give tours in our area. Check to see if your local ones still do.
• Water treatment plant. Some offer tours, some do not. Preparation for this tour could include performing their own "jar tests" for water clarity, gravity filtration through sand, or flocculation with muddy water in the classroom or home beforehand.

Animals and Farming

• Dairy, or your local university agriculture department may sponsor and Ag Day. Be on the lookout.
• Aviary
• Orchard or pick it yourself farm
• *Corn maze-This one was fun! You can usually find a pumpkin patch around this time too!
• 4-H livestock or horse show
• Rice mill
• Crawfish/rice farmer - What crops are specific to your region?
• Aquaculture facility

Cultural

• Your local or regional museum will typically have a rotating exhibit. Keep in touch with these to find out when exhibits appropriate for your kids or group will be in town.
• Does your area have a children's museum?
• Your nearest college or university drama department (sometimes high schools) probably has productions throughout the year, as does the nearest theatre. Check out their schedule for the season to see if there are any performances intended for school audiences. Often, one performance of an age appropriate production is dedicated solely to attendance by schools or groups.
• If your nearest college or university has special research facilities, or is well known for some department, call and ask if they have a tour program or special event. Many engineering departments, for instance, sponsor an "Engineering Day" for local high school students.
• Your local historic sites or cultural centers. Check the front of your largest local phone book. They often have lists of these in a special section for tourism.
• In our area, an Indian reservation offers a yearly event for visitors to learn about their culture, and Renaissance festivals offer days especially for schools and homeschool groups. Check out your areas local calendar, again this might even be at the beginning of your phonebook.

Wildlife and Parks

• Zoo
• Aquarium
• Arboretum or nature station (hey, see them both)
• Local state parks. Most can be located by googling "state parks .gov" with the name of your state. This is also a good way to get supplemental materials on the park. Also try to get a calendar, as there are sometimes special events at facilities throughout the year.
• Visit http://www.nps.gov/ for National parks and find out what's in your area. This site also has an abundance of teaching materials, although the scope of each varies with the park.

If you have any other great ideas for field trips, leave a comment and share them with everyone.